Acoustics: Sound Fields, Transducers and Vibration, 2nd Edition

Part XVII: Pressure-gradient microphones

5.6. Electromagnetic ribbon microphones

General features

The ribbon microphone has approximately the same sensitivity and impedance as a moving-coil microphone when used with a suitable impedance-matching transformer. Because of its figure 8 directivity pattern, it used to be extensively used in broadcast and public-address applications to eliminate unwanted sounds that are situated in space, relative to the microphone, about 90   degrees from those sounds that are wanted but fell from favor because the delicate ribbon material was too prone to damage. However, because newer more rugged materials have emerged, the ribbon microphone has seen a significant revival of interest in recent years. This ...