Science-based Design

Science seeks the truth, art seeks beauty and religion seeks virtue. These are three philosophical fundamentals. A wireless microphone system is a science-based product which requires constant refinements in pursuit of its own truth - the accurate reproduction of pure natural sound. It is this goal that MIPRO strives to make with every improvement in its products and is the ultimate achievement for audio professionals.

Advanced in technology resulted in audio breakthrough

Ever since Edison first invented the phonograph for recording and replaying sound, audio engineers started using circuitry of vacuum tube in for amplification and sound quality improvement. At this stage, audio engineers not only pursue the most natural sound possible, but take one step further in pursuing the feel of "live" listening. Hence, audio industry is now moved from Hi-Fi sound to stereo sound. However, the search for the most natural sound doesn't stop here as engineers' continuous work contribute to today's surround sound or THX system. Hardware wise, evolving from vacuum tube to solid stage. However, this wave of hardware revolution does not satisfy audio enthusiasts' endless desire for the reproduction of natural sound. Upon arrival of digital age, analog circuit design is now possible for upgrade to digital. Therefore, audio industry can successfully break through the limitations of wave distortion, phase distortion, dynamic distortion, S/N ratio, and transient response which are inherent characteristics of analog designed products.

Philosophy of Mclntosh Inspires Me to Design a ''Wireless Microphone''

I have loved listening to radio and anything audio since childhood. Due to the lack of materials after World War II, I had to purchase a second-hand vacuum and electrical spare parts from a ship dismantling merchant in order to assemble my favorite pro audio equipment. After completion of university in 1960, I decided to start a business related to the selling, installation and repair of electronic pro audio equipment in my spare time, meanwhile remaining committed to teaching. Somehow the hobby became my lifetime occupation. In 1965, I was first involved in designing a condenser microphone. Later I discovered the SONY Electret Condenser Microphone and devoted 100% concentration on the research of Electret theory and the manufacture of the condenser capsule. As I was a big fan of pro audio, the Mclntosh brand became my ideal, but until the economy got better, I couldn't afford to fulfill my dreams. Instead, I invested my time in the exploration of the Mclntosh design philosophy, which seemed to reflect the authenticity of pro audio like a smooth mirror. It is this thought that inspired my design notions which were then applied to the development of the condenser capsule and wireless microphone with my expertise in electronics.

The Most Advanced Audio Technology Makes Dreams Come True

The value of an antique artifact increases as time goes by. Similarly, the development of technology also moves forward. The timing technology of a quartz watch gives an accurate time reading that a mechanical watch can never achieve. Digital circuit technology breaks through most of the bottlenecks that an analog circuit encounters. However, many mechanical watch fans have never liked the quartz watch because a watch is not just a timing device for them. Similarly, many music lovers still favor a vacuum tube system because simply listening to music on their audio equipment is not their sole purpose in using it. Even though it seems there is a trend for people to collect mechanical watches and vacuum tube audio equipment, they don't really use them for accurate time or for listening to nice music. For me, however, an audio system is always the equipment necessary to reproduce the music in its most accurate form. Otherwise, sound engineers would not have to devote themselves so much to adopting the most advanced technology to overcome the technological bottlenecks of sound equipment just to present the most natural sound effect, which is the ultimate goal of audio appreciation. I am an audio lover and a designing engineer of audio equipment. When I was young, I explored quite a few world-class vacuum tube audio systems. I can't deny the value for the existence of vacuum tube audio; however, I can't make myself go back to the age of the vacuum tube. When we study the development trends in audio technology, it is apparent that if a vacuum tube system could completely solve all the technology bottlenecks in representing the true sound, then audio engineers would not have needed to develop such advanced technologies as the semiconductor and digital circuit. Therefore, to achieve the ultimate goal of reproducing the pure, natural sound, I insist on going beyond traditional design and will continue to adopt the most advanced wireless technology to design MIPRO's wireless systems.

How MIPRO Wireless Microphones Were Designed

An Excellent Wireless Microphone Begins with the Capsule
In my opinion, the wireless microphone should be divided into two modules when designed: The front module is the transferring element of the acoustic signal and it transfers the sound into electronic signals. The rear module is the wireless transference system and it transmits the electronic signals of the sound to public-address systems via wireless transmission. The technical theories of these two modules are definitely different, but the principle and goal for the design of them are identical. In order to fulfill the goal of professionals pursuing the original sounds, I decided to choose the ideal condenser capsule as the most important transferring element of the acoustic signal.

Handheld Transmitter with Condenser Microphone Capsule is an Ideal Combination
Condenser microphones possess superior design features like thin diaphragm, fast transient response, wide dynamic range, low touch noise, miniature and lightweight. They are widely used in communication, audio, sound control, hearing aid and other fields according to different purposes and demands. Although their design and manufacturing technology are more precise and complicated than a dynamic's, they present superior features, especially in professional audio applications. All top end wireless microphone manufacturers supplied with the condenser microphone capsule for world-renowned top singers and performers. Without question, MIPRO wireless microphones are becoming one of the requested choices by sound engineers and audio professionals worldwide for their advanced design, excellent dependability and superior performance.

Main Features of Condenser Microphones
Converts Sound into Electrical Signal Directly
Condenser microphones adopt a charging / discharging principle of capacitors among conductors using an extremely thin metal or gold-coated plastic diaphragm to pick up sound pressure and convert it directly into an electrical signal. The signal is coupled by high-input-impedance FET to obtain the optimal output impedance and sensitivity. For audio professionals, the reproduction of the "natural sound" is their ultimate goal.

Extremely Wide Frequency Response
Since the diaphragm is the main element to detect sound pressure and convert it into electrical signals, its material and mechanical design has a great influence on the characteristics of its sound quality. Condenser microphones' ultra-light and thin diaphragms are more sensitive to sound pressure. This affects their output audio signal directly, making them capable of an extremely wide frequency response which can easily extend to ultra low frequencies of less than 10Hz and reach ultrasonic frequencies in the tens of KHz.

Thin diaphragm, excellent sensitivity
The diaphragm of a condenser capsule does not have to carry a voice coil, so it can be extremely thin and light, giving it not only superb frequency response, but also excellent sensitivity. The weight of the diaphragm determines its response speed to a sound wave; the lighter the diaphragm gets, the faster this "transient response" will be.

High Sensitivity Gives a Fast Transient Response
The condenser microphone's fast transient response results in an ability to pick up the weakest sound and deliver a clear, bright and precise natural sound. Because the diaphragm is very thin and light, the transient response is fast. The sound pickup is just like a sports car that can accelerate and brake very quickly. Transient response for dynamic is slow due to the much heavier diaphragm and voice coil. Thus, the response to the sound is just like a fully loaded truck that responds slowly when accelerating and braking.

Audio Professionals Appreciate the Extremely Low Handling Noise and Durability The lighter
weight of a condenser microphone has additional benefits. It is more resistant to handling noises which are the bane of many professional audio people, especially in wireless microphones where their pre-amplifier tends to make things worse. When using any microphone, accidental drops and impacts are unavoidable and often cause a malfunction. A condenser microphone is constructed with lightweight plastic parts and metal housing and an even lighter-weight condenser capsule, thus sustaining less damage from impacts.

Condenser Microphone Capsule Features Ideal for Miniature Applications
The condenser microphone's ultra-thin diaphragm with its desirable characteristics of small size, light weight, high sensitivity and superb frequency response is widely used in miniature or ultra-miniature lavalieres.

An Excellent Wireless Microphone Begins with the Capsule