Modern studio mics are neutral transducers, while live mics trade neutrality for durability

Evidence

It is reassuring to know that, over most of the frequency range, many modern microphones used in recording studios these days are fundamentally resonance-free neutral transducers. Recording engineers often have collections of microphones, some historic, having different timbral signatures, proximity effects, dynamic ranges, etc. that are used in specific applications. They are part of the art. The microphones used in live performances are generally less than neutral but offer the compensation of being able to survive being dropped and to sound respectable with a vocalist almost chewing on the windscreen. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 270

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes what ‘neutral transducer’ means in the studio context and why live mics differ.
• XREF: connects to: Popular recording microphones vary significantly in high-frequency and directivity performance; Recording engineers must compensate for microphone spectral biases through placement and reflection; Neutral loudspeakers preserve musical inspiration better than colored ones — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 140 (+5 more)
• yield-rescued: below the book’s yield-target cutoff, included anyway for connecting to: Popular recording microphones vary significantly in high-frequency and directivity performance; Recording engineers must compensate for microphone spectral biases through placement and reflection; Neutral loudspeakers preserve musical inspiration better than colored ones — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 140 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Popular recording microphones vary significantly in high-frequency and directivity performance #complicates (0.78)
• Microphones become more directional at higher frequencies, darkening off-axis reverberant sound #complicates (0.76) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2430