Electret microphones: what are they and how to connect?

Electret microphones were among the very first - they were created in 1928 and to this day remain the most important electret instruments. However, if in the past wax thermoelectrets were used, then today technologies have advanced significantly.

Let's dwell on the features of such microphones and their distinctive characteristics.

Electret microphones are considered a subtype of condenser devices. Visually, they resemble a small condenser and meet all modern requirements for membrane devices. Usually they are made of polarized film coated with the thinnest layer of metal. Such a coating is one of the faces of the capacitor, while the second looks like a solid dense plate: the sound pressure acts on the waving diaphragm and thereby causes a change in the capacitance characteristics of the capacitor itself.

Like any other device, the electret microphone has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of this technique include a number of factors:

• have a low cost, due to which such microphones are considered one of the most budgetary in the modern market;
• can be used as conference devices, as well as installed in household microphones, personal computers, video cameras, as well as intercoms, listening devices and mobile phones;
• more modern models have found their application in the production of sound quality meters, as well as in equipment for vocals;
• both products with XLR connectors and devices with a 3.5 mm connector and wire terminals are available to consumers.

Like many other condenser-type installations, the electret technique is characterized by increased sensitivity and long-term stability. Such products are highly resistant to damage, shock and water.

However, it was not without its drawbacks. The disadvantages of the models are some of their features:

• they cannot be used for any large serious projects, since the overwhelming majority of sound engineers consider such microphones to be the worst of the proposed options;
• Just like typical condenser microphones, electret installations need an additional power source - although in this case only 1 V will be sufficient.

Due to their compact size and high water resistance, they can be installed almost anywhere. In combination with miniature cameras, they are ideal for monitoring problematic and hard-to-reach areas.

Electret condenser devices have been increasingly used in consumer microphones in recent years. They have a fairly wide range of reproducible frequencies - from 3 to 20,000 Hz. Microphones of this type give a pronounced electrical signal, the parameters of which are 2 times higher than that of a traditional carbon device.

The modern radio industry offers users several types of electret microphones.

MKE-82 and MKE-01 - in terms of their dimensions, they are identical to the coal models.

MK-59 and their analogues - they can be installed in the most common telephone set without altering it. Electret microphones are much cheaper than standard condenser microphones, which is why radio amateurs prefer them. Russian manufacturers have also launched a large assortment of electret microphones, among which the most widespread is model MKE-2... This is a one-way directional device designed for use in reel-to-reel tape recorders of the first category.

These microphones are usually made in a plastic case. A flange is provided for fixing on the front panel; such devices do not allow strong shaking and power shocks.

Users often wonder which microphone (electret or traditional condenser) is preferable. The choice of the optimal model depends on each specific situation, taking into account the specifics of the future use of the equipment and the financial constraints of the buyer. An electret microphone is much cheaper than a capacitor microphone, while the latter are much better in quality.

If we talk about the principle of action, then in both microphones it is the same, that is, inside a charged capacitor, at the slightest vibrations of one or several plates, a voltage arises. The only difference is that in a standard condenser microphone, the required charging is maintained by a continuous polarizing voltage that is applied to the device.

In the electret device, a layer of a special substance is provided, which is a kind of analogue of a permanent magnet. It creates a field without any external feed - thus the voltage that is applied to the electret microphone is not intended to charge the capacitor, but to support the power of the amplifier on a single transistor.

While classic capacitor banks belong to the category of expensive professional equipment with overestimated operational parameters and a low-pass filter. They are even often used in acoustic measurements. The sensitivity parameters of capacitor equipment are much lower than that of electret equipment, so they certainly need an additional sound amplifier with a complex voltage supply mechanism.

If you plan to use a microphone in a professional field, for example, for recording a song or the sound of musical instruments, then it is better to give preference to classic capacitive products. While for amateur use in a circle of friends and relatives, electret installations instead of dynamic ones will be quite enough - they ideally work as a conference microphone and a computer microphone, while they can be superficial or tie.

In order to understand what constitutes the device and mechanism of operation of an electret microphone, you first need to find out what an electret is.

Electret is a special material that has the property of being in a polarized state for a long time.

An electret microphone includes several capacitors, in which a certain part of the plane is made of a film with an electrode, this film is pulled over a ring, after which it is exposed to the action of charged particles. Electric particles penetrate into the film to an insignificant depth - as a result, a charge is formed in the zone near it, which can work for quite a long time.

At a slight distance, another electrode is placed, which is a miniature metal cylinder, its flat part turns towards the film. The polyethylene membrane material creates certain sound vibrations, which are then transmitted to the electrodes - and as a result, a current is generated. Its strength is negligible, since the output impedance has an increased value. In this regard, the transmission of an acoustic signal is also difficult. In order for the current weak in strength and the increased resistance to be matched with each other, a special cascade is mounted in the device, it has the form of a unipolar transistor and is located in a small capsule in the microphone body.

The functioning of an electret microphone is based on the ability of different types of materials to change their surface charge under the action of a sound wave, while all materials used must have an increased dielectric constant.

Since electret microphones have a rather high output impedance, they can be connected without any problems to receivers, as well as amplifiers with increased input impedance. To check the amplifier for operability, you just need to connect a multimeter to it, and then look at the resulting value. If, as a result of all measurements, the operating parameter of the equipment will correspond to 2-3 units, then the amplifier can be safely used with electret technology. Almost all models of electret microphones usually include a preamplifier, which is called an "impedance transducer" or "impedance matcher". It is connected to an imported transceiver and mini-radio tubes with an input impedance of about 1 ohm with a significant output impedance.

In general, the connection diagram is as follows.

It is important to apply power to the unit with correct polarity to maintain normal operation. For a three-input device, a negative connection to the housing is typical, in which case the power is supplied through the positive input. Then through the separating capacitor, from where the parallel connection is made to the input of the power amplifier.

The two-output model is supplied through a limiting resistor, also to the positive input. The output signal is also removed. Further, the principle is the same - the signal goes to the blocking capacitor and then to the power amplifier.

How to connect an electret microphone, see below.