"Audio Empire" wrote in message
.com
On Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:16:23 -0700, Richard Crowley wrote
(in article ):
"Randy Yates" wrote ...
Thanks for the confirmation and education, Richard!
Before you wrote this, I didn't even know there were
"non-electret" condenser mics.
The original condenser mics were externally charged.
Most higher-end condenser mics are still externally
charged. I have a pair of Sony C-37 mics which use
external voltage. They also have power supplies the
size of a lunch-box to handle the power and output
transformers and
use a 6AU6 in the mic head for impedance buffering.
http://www.rcrowley.com/SonyC37/index.htm
While the charge-storing electret was first described
back in the late 1800s, it wasn't used commercially for
condenser microphones until
the 1960s.
Also, generally speaking, electret microphones don't have
the specs of conventional condensers.
Really? Are you aware that DPA measurement mics are based on electret
elements?
Most are very shy
on bass, most aren't as quiet as non-electret condenser
mikes, nor will they handle as high SPLs.
There's no evidence to prove these unbelievably sweeping statements.
I don't believe
that there is any real technical reason for this,
You're right about that!
I think it's more because electrets make up the bottom end of the
condenser microphone price range.
Electret microphones do make up much of the absolute economic bottom end of
microphone technology, such as the mics in portable dictation devices and
cell phones.
Also, I don't know
about today, but early electret microphones were subject
to losing their electret charge under adverse conditions
of heat and humidity.
Still true, but externally-charged mics have plenty temperatature and
humidity-induced variations of their own.