On the Collection of Sound in Reverberant Rooms, with Special Reference to the Application of the Ribbon Microphone

The effective reverberation of collected sound may be expressed as the ratio of direct to generally reflected sound. Directional sound collectors discriminate against reverberation and other undesirable sounds by increasing the ratio of direct to generally reflected sound. The resultant is to reduce the effect of the acoustics of the studio, and in this manner to facilitate the problems of sound collection. One of the important requirements of a directional sound collector is a directional characteristic which is independent of the frequency. The ribbon microphone, consisting of a light metallic ribbon suspended in a magnetic field and freely accessible to air vibrations from both sides, exhibits directional characteristics which are independent of the frequency.