MICROPHONE BLOG

Microphones are present in almost all our electronic devices. These articles
take you through the physics of microphones that are specifically designed to be
used in systems that quantify sound: measurement microphones.

History of the B&K Microphone

Brüel & Kjær has more than 70 years of proven commitment to continuous product improvement and groundbreaking new innovations in measurement transducers. This article explores the history of microphone development at Brüel & Kjær and provides an insight into the research and development invested in microphone products. An overview of the production of microphones is also given.

Measurement Microphones Explained

Microphones are present in almost all our electronic devices - from mobile phones, PCs, and portable speakers, to TV, tablets and smartwatches. In this article, we walk you through the physics of microphones that are specifically designed to be used in systems that quantify sound: measurement microphones.

Microphone Selection Guide

Choosing the right microphone is not an easy task and choosing an inappropriate microphone can lead to measurement errors. This easy microphone selection guide should help if you’re not sure which microphone you need.

What Is Charge Injection Calibration (CIC)?

Charge injection calibration (CIC) is invented and patented by Brüel & Kjær in the middle of the 90s, and is a convenient method to verify the integrity of a condenser microphone measurement channel, including the microphone cartridge, without any need for operator interaction.

Wave Engineering Equips Acoustic Camera

A state-of-the-art BK Connect® Acoustic Camera has been added to Wave Engineering's toolbox. It’s already been put to good use distinguishing problem noise sources from other noise sources at industrial facilities, successfully finding sound leaks in modular wall systems, and investigating sound isolation problems.

Aiming for Absolute Precision Calibration

It is a philosophical realisation that no perfect measurement can be made. While we might trust instruments completely, they rely on mechanical and electrical mechanisms that are affected by the stresses of the world.

Hydrophones In Gaseous Environment

The ‘hydro’ in hydrophone is easy to spot. They have been designed for use in water, but those features that make them particularly useful in aquatic environments also translate to gaseous environments.

Measuring Sea Noise With Hydrophone Arrays

Noise pollution, in general, can have some particularly adverse effects on mental and physical health: Increased stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss and disrupted sleep make up only a partial list. Noise pollution is made up of noise intrusions and the gradual fluctuations in the soundscape’s ambient noise.

Steatoda Bipunctata: Just Not In The Mood

Brüel & Kjær received an unusual request from a Danish film-producer, who was working on a documentary on spiders - or Steatoda Bipunctata to be more precise.

Technical Review 2018

The paper below deals with a method to minimize the effects of flow noise in microphones, primarily for array measurements in wind tunnels. Similarities between flow noise and the target wind noise produced in a vehicle make it difficult to use other existing methods.

A Quiet Place For Sound

What does it mean to say it’s a quiet room, and how do you measure ‘too quiet‘?

<div>The World's Quietest Room</div>

Microsoft® has a vision to make our devices so effortless to use that they all but disappear. And since sound quality holds the key, they have purpose-built a series of anechoic chambers for testing, which includes the quietest place in the world.

What is Cavitation?

Cavitation is a primary source of propeller noise. The noise is caused by popping bubbles, sort of. They aren’t air bubbles, and they’re not actually popping. They are imploding bubbles of steam.   

Diving Deeper Into The Blue Whale Sound

Growing up to 30 m long and 180 tons, the blue whale is the largest animal in the world. In addition to its impressive size, its calls can be heard thousands of kilometres away and far below the ocean’s surface. However, very little is known about these calls and how man-made noises can interfere with them – and what the implications really are. 

Epsilon Safeguards The Payload With A Launchpad Redesign

The 2018 launch of Epsilon-3 was more than the successful delivery of the payload to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). This launch was a culmination of the efforts made to redesign the launchpad and thereby reduce the stress placed on the payload.

Hand-held Microphone Arrays In NVH

Microphone arrays help engineers develop sound quality on vehicles, giving fast and effective noise source identification. Now, advanced new techniques improve the insights possible.

Application of Sound Source Identification on a Turbofan Engine

Identifying acoustic sound sources is a key issue for low-noise design of propulsion systems. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Brüel & Kjær have been involved in acoustic measurements using sub-scale models and full-scale systems.

Putting The Surface Microphone Through Its Paces at Airbus

Based in Toulouse, France, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the U.K. and Spain. The cooperation between the various entities that make up Airbus, goes back to the 1920s. Its first aircraft A300B, which was launched at the 1969 Paris air show, was the world’s first widebody twinjet. It could comfortably carry 226 passengers.

Acoustic Camera Displays Noise in 20 Seconds

A simple tool for noise source identification that deploys rapidly to display sound in real-time, and records data for detailed analysis.

A Space For Creativity

Dynaudio, leading Danish producer of hand-crafted, high-end loudspeakers, recently opened the doors of its new, three-storey, 1600 m2 R&D centre.

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