microphone

<hardware, audio>

Any electromechanical device designed to convert sound into an electrical signal.

A microphone converts an acoustic waveform consisting of alternating high and low air pressure travelling through the air into a voltage. To do this it uses some kind of pressure or movement sensor. The simplest kind of microphone is actually very similar in construction to a loudspeaker.

The analogue electrical signal can be fed into a computer's sound card where it is amplified and sampled to convert it into a digital waveform for storage or transmission.

Last updated: 2002-11-04

Nearby terms:

Micro$oft ♦ microperation ♦ microphone ♦ microPLANNER ♦ microprocesor

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