Microphone sensitivity ratings question...

[homestarmy]

So I'm looking at the ratings for two tie-clip microphones. They are both rated in dB and they both have negative numbers, I believe one was -65dB while the other was -45dB. Which is more sensitive? Why are they rated in negatives?

Any insight greatly appreciated!!

 

[GuileVsGuile]

hmm, lol....maybe they are negative cause they are taking in decibels rather than outputting them

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: GuileVsGuile
hmm, lol....maybe they are negative cause they are taking in decibels rather than outputting them

Right. You have to pay a decibel fee each time to use the mic.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: homestarmy
So I'm looking at the ratings for two tie-clip microphones. They are both rated in dB and they both have negative numbers, I believe one was -65dB while the other was -45dB. Which is more sensitive? Why are they rated in negatives?

Any insight greatly appreciated!!

I think the -65dB would be more sensitive, but I'm not sure.

 

[thomsbrain]

higher the absolute value of db, higher the sensitivity. so the -65 is more sensitive.

both of those figures are pretty sensitive. my favorite studio mic has a sensitivity of only ~35 db. but it doesn't make much difference, you just turn it up louder or softer. in some case, low sensitivity can be good, like when micing REALLY loud stuff. but for a clip-on, high will be good because the mic is so removed from the sound source.

 

[Dubb]

keep in mind that db ratings and db (loudness) are all different things...DBu, DBv, etc. etc.

IIRC, many microphones aren't rated in DB...you'd see ratings like "sensativity at 1khz into 1 kohm: 8mV/Pa"

but then again, I only used german mics, so maybe it's an EU thing.

 

[ShadowBlade]

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