Two colours, one capsule.

[GraemeWoller]

Question of the day... Bare with the concept and feel free to shoot it apart. 

Has anyone built a mic that, instead of switching patterns, switches between two different capsule styles? One capsule with two different terminations or chambering for instance. Say, one diaphragm that's centre terminated and one that's edge terminated.

It's more of a hypothetical thought than perhaps practical, but the thought popped into my head of having front and back "colours" in one mic. I'm sure someone has tried it and knows why no one does it...

 

[Recording Engineer]

Sanken does that, two capsule in one mic, working together to reproduce one sound.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Question of the day... Bare with the concept and feel free to shoot it apart. 

Has anyone built a mic that, instead of switching patterns, switches between two different capsule styles? One capsule with two different terminations or chambering for instance. Say, one diaphragm that's centre terminated and one that's edge terminated.

It's more of a hypothetical thought than perhaps practical, but the thought popped into my head of having front and back "colours" in one mic. I'm sure someone has tried it and knows why no one does it...

The basic issue with this concept is that the capsules would interfere acoustically, unless they are physically spaced significantly, which would imply increasing the wiring length and stray capacitance. The switch wiring would also increase stray capacitance, which results in lesser noise performance.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Sanken does that, two capsule in one mic, working together to reproduce one sound.

The Sanken microphones don't do what he wants. They're two-way mic, with one capsule for LF, another for HF and a cross-over between them.

 

[RuudNL]

Yes, Sanken used something we know from loudspeakers: they have one capsule optimized for low frequencies and another capsule optimized for high frequencies. And then they combine the outputs. (Like a crossover would do with loudspeakers.)
Unfortunately they decided to have the impedance converters completely potted, so there is no chance to repair them...  :'(
But I think the topic starter means two (full range) capsules with a different 'color'.
There are however microphones with a switch to control the character of the sound they produce, but I think this is done by filtering.

 

[ln76d]

I only did for fun "hybrid" capsule - one half drom chinese k12 and one from chinese k67

 

[abbey road d enfer]

I only did for fun "hybrid" capsule - one half drom chinese k12 and one from chinese k67

And? What's your conclusion?

 

[ln76d]

It works - you have slightly different responses from both sides - could be usefull - but - what for?
Instead i prefer two different microphones ;D
It was only out of curiosity. 
It even works nice in multipattern

 

[Timjag]

Graeme,

The question isn't really of switching capsules but Of how you would mount them? In a C24 style body but with one above the other? Or would they be on extension leads? Then of course what would the point be? You could have separate mics. Expand a bit about how you perceive your idea in reference to physical design?

 

[Gus]

look at the C700A
http://www.josephson.com/srs7.html

and this
http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/studio/V67i/

 

[Recording Engineer]

But I think the topic starter means two (full range) capsules with a different 'color'.
There are however microphones with a switch to control the character of the sound they produce, but I think this is done by filtering.

Yeah that's what I had figured, but so far was the closest I could think of since the likes of Jospheson, Nevaton, etc. use more than one capsule with more than one output primarily for pattern control.

That MXL on the other hand... Hmmm

 

[GraemeWoller]

Thanks for all the thoughts folks!

Yeah, I wasn't convinced it was at all practical. Just a curiosity more than anything. 

Rather than two capsules, one mounted above, or beside, the other, (as a few suggested) I was thinking a "front or back" concept. I think it's probably a bit bonkers, and as In76d & Timjag pointed out you might as well have two different mics rather than two different capsules "glued" back to back.

Thanks for the indulgence though. It's always interesting asking odd questions.  ;D