Directional Ribbon Microphone Assembly

Abstract

A ribbon microphone assembly may include: a ribbon capsule assembly, an amplifier connected to the capsule assembly, an analog-to-digital converter connected to the amplifier, a digital signal processor connected to the analog-to-digital converter to compensate for on-axis frequency response caused by a directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly, and a USB output port.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 149,543, filed on February 15, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a directional ribbon microphone assembly having a universal serial bus (USB) output and employing a computing device to compensate for on-axis frequency response imperfections. Background Art

[0004] A microphone converts sound into an electrical signal by using a transducer, which includes a diaphragm that converts the sound into mechanical motion, which in turn is converted into an electrical signal. In general, microphones can be classified by their transducer method, such as capacitor, dynamic, ribbon, carbon, laser, or micro-electromechanical system (MEMS). Of these transducer types, musicians and recording engineers seek out ribbon types because of their characteristic sound.

[0005] The ribbon microphone capsule is configured with a transducer element, which is a thin strip of corrugated metal or nanofilm loosely suspended between two permanent magnets connected to a transformer. The working principle of a ribbon microphone is that as the ribbon element responds to changes in the velocity of air particles, an AC voltage proportional to the velocity of the ribbon is generated and captured by contacts at the ends of the ribbon. This voltage is amplified by a step-up transformer and an audio signal appears at the output.

[0006] Ribbon microphones typically exhibit a bidirectional polar response that resembles a figure-8 pattern. Depending on the application and the sound environment, ribbon microphones may also be configured to exhibit a cardioid, supercardioid, or variable polar response. For example, a certain polar response may be desired to record voices, while a different polar response may be desired to record an instrument such as a guitar. Tuning a ribbon microphone to exhibit a desired directional polar response typically requires a compromise to balance the polar response with the on-axis frequency response. Typically, tuning a ribbon microphone to a desired directional polar response results in a defect in the on-axis frequency response and a loss of the characteristic ribbon microphone sound characteristics.

[0007] Additionally, ribbon microphones are not suitable for use with Universal Serial Bus (USB) inputs commonly used for podcasting, teleconferencing, home audio recording, streaming / recording through iOS devices, or any other application where high quality audio with USB and external line return (XLR) outputs is desired. Summary of the invention

[0008] A simplified summary of the present disclosure is presented below to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. This summary is not an extensive review of the present disclosure. It is not intended to identify key or important elements of the present invention or to describe the scope of the present invention. The following summary only presents some concepts of the present disclosure in a simplified form as a preface to the more detailed description provided below.

[0009] The present disclosure solves many of the above-mentioned problems through a ribbon microphone assembly that includes a computing device and employs a USB connector. The trade-off between polar response and on-axis frequency response is eliminated by utilizing DSP. Any on-axis frequency response deficiencies caused by tuning the microphone to obtain a desired directional polar response can be compensated for by equalization via the DSP. Ultimately, this provides enhanced practicality of the ribbon microphone across a wide range of applications and in a variety of sound environments while maintaining the classic ribbon sound. Additionally, employing a USB output makes the sound quality of the ribbon microphone available for podcasting, teleconferencing, and iOS recording applications without the need for additional equipment that can significantly increase costs.

[0010] According to further aspects, the microphone may include various types of signal connectors, such as one or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors and / or one or more XLR connectors, which may be used with various other devices (e.g., Apple Mac computers and portable devices, Windows PC computers and portable devices, Android devices, XLR mixers and interfaces, etc.) The microphone connectors may include one or more digital signal connectors (e.g., USB) and / or one or more analog signal connectors (e.g., XLR).

[0011] According to further aspects, the circuitry providing audio output via the USB connector may include a preamplifier and / or a digital signal processor (DSP) in the signal chain. The preamplifier and / or the DSP may be a low noise circuit.

[0012] According to further aspects, the DSP mode may be selected via a user interface on a device connected to the microphone, such as via a USB connector. The device may include, for example, a computing device, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, etc. The device may present a user interface to the user, via which the user may select desired operating characteristics of the microphone, such as a desired DSP mode or any other desired microphone setting.

[0013] According to further aspects, the microphone itself may include a user interface, and the user interface may include a capacitive touch interface, which may be a curved capacitive touch interface. Such a user interface may allow a user to manually select one or more microphone settings as desired.

[0014] According to a further aspect, the microphone may be connected to a holding frame, such as a yoke which may be mounted in a table mode and / or a suspended studio mode. The holding frame may for example be U-shaped.

[0015] These and other novel advantages, details, examples, features and objects of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings, which are intended to explain the concepts discussed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In the drawings, some features are shown by way of example and not limitation. In the drawings, like reference numerals denote like elements.

[0017] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a first example of a microphone assembly made according to the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1B Shown is a side view of an example microphone in accordance with various aspects described herein.

[0019] Figure 2 A microphone (such as Figure 1A and Figure 1B Block diagram of example interconnections of a microphone) with one or more devices.

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic example of a circuit for a ribbon microphone assembly.

[0021] Figure 4 Depicted are example signal paths configured in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 5A is an on-axis frequency plot comparison of supercardioid ribbon microphone assemblies with active and passive DSP modules.

[0023] Figure 5B is a complete on-axis and off-axis frequency response comparison of supercardioid ribbon microphone assemblies with active and passive DSP modules.

[0024] Fig. 6A An example microphone (such as a Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example block diagram of one or more portions of a microphone.

[0025] Figure 6B Shows Fig. 6A Another part of the block diagram.

[0026] Figure 7 An example microphone (such as Figure 1A and Figure 1B Another example block diagram of one or more portions of a microphone.

[0027] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computing device is shown in accordance with various aspects described herein.

[0028] Fig. 9 An example microphone (such as Figure 1A and Figure 1B Another example block diagram of one or more portions of a microphone.

[0029] Fig.10 is a block diagram of an example of a system for compensating for on-axis frequency response imperfections.

[0030] Fig.11 An example flow diagram of a method that may be performed according to various aspects described herein is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In the following description of various examples, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this document and in which various examples in which various aspects may be practiced are illustrated. References to "embodiment," "example," and the like indicate that the embodiment or example of the invention so described may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment or example must include the specific features, structures, or characteristics. Further, it is contemplated that certain embodiments or examples may have some, all, or none of the features described for other examples. And it should be understood that other embodiments and examples may be utilized, and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0032] Unless otherwise stated, the use of sequential adjectives such as "first", "second", "third", etc., used to describe components is only used to indicate that different components may be similar components. However, the use of such sequential adjectives is not intended to necessarily provide the components in a given order, or in time, space, rank, or in any other manner.

[0033] In addition, although the terms "front", "rear", "side", etc. may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements, these terms are used for convenience, such as based on the example orientations shown in the drawings and / or orientations in typical use. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional or spatial orientation of structures to fall within the scope of the claims.

[0034] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example of a ribbon microphone assembly 100 is illustrated. The microphone 100 may include a body 101 that may house one or more other components of the microphone, such as any electronic circuits described herein. The ribbon microphone assembly 100 generally includes a capsule assembly 102 that also includes two magnets 103 disposed on either side of a suspended oriented ribbon diaphragm 104 (not shown). The assembly 102 may include a ring portion 105 or other portion on which and / or within which a user interface 106 may be disposed.

[0035] The user interface 106 may include, for example, a capacitive touch interface that the user can control via touch (e.g., by tapping and / or sliding the user's finger). The user interface 106 may have a shape consistent with the external shape of the portion of the body 101, and the user interface 106 is disposed on / in the body 101. For example, in the case where the portion of the body 101 is curved, the user interface 106 may also be curved in the same manner as the portion of the body 101. The user interface 106 may be configured to allow the selective application of various filters, including but not limited to low frequency roll-off, low frequency boost, intermediate frequency clipping, intermediate frequency boost, high frequency roll-off, and high frequency boost.

[0036] The body 101 may be connected to (eg, mounted on) a holder 107, such as a yoke. The holder may be used to mount the microphone to some other object, such as a table or a wall.

[0037] The body 101 may have one or more connectors (i.e., output ports or input / output ports), such as connectors 108a and 108b. The connectors (generally referred to herein as one or more connectors 108) may include, for example, one or more universal serial bus (USB) connectors, one or more XLR connectors, one or more power connectors, and / or any other type of data and / or power connector suitable for transmitting signals such as power, digital data (including digital audio signals), and / or analog audio signals to and from the circuitry of the microphone 100. In a specific example, the connector 108a may be an XLR connector, and the connector 108b may be a USB connector. The connector 108b may be configured to accept various types of USB hardware, including USB Type A, USB Type A mini, USB Type A micro, USB Type B, USB Type B mini, USB Type B micro, and USB Type C plugs.

[0038] Figure 2A block diagram illustrating an example interconnection of a microphone (such as microphone 100) with one or more other devices according to various aspects described herein is shown. Microphone 100 can be connected to another device, in this example, a networked device 202, via a USB cable (such as connector 108b). Device 202 can be a computing device, such as a smart phone (e.g., an iPhone or Android phone), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a server, etc. As will be described later, microphone 100 can include a digital signal processing system (DSP), and device 202 can be used to control one or more settings of microphone 100 via signals transmitted on a USB cable connected between device 202 and microphone 100, the one or more settings including in which mode the DSP operates. In addition to transmitting DSP mode information, microphone 100 can also use the USB cable to transmit digital signals representing audio.

[0039] Microphone 100 may also be connected to one or more other devices, such as another XLR compatible device 203, via another connector, such as another XLR connector. Examples of other XLR compatible devices may include yet another microphone, a mixer, an amplifier, a computing device, and the like.

[0040] refer to Figure 3 , the step-up transformer 309 is electrically connected to receive the sound from the directional tape cartridge 102, and sends the converted sound signal to the low noise amplifier circuit 300. The step-up transformer 309 can be configured with a turns ratio of 33:1. Different configurations can also be used to help maximize the signal voltage level while minimizing the output impedance. The printed circuit board (PCB) 304 may include the low noise amplifier circuit 300, the DSP module 301, and the ADC 302. The DSP module 301 may be implemented on a MOS integrated circuit (IC) chip, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip. The ASIC may include transistors, such as FETs. The low noise amplifier circuit 300, the DSP module 301, and the ADC 302 may be electrically connected, such as by wires, or may be combined into a single MOS integrated circuit (IC) chip, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip.

[0041] The acoustic signal generated by the capsule assembly 102 is routed to a step-up transformer 309 and then applied to the low noise amplifier circuit 300. The low noise amplifier circuit 300 may be configured in a variety of ways, such as a differential input-output discrete low noise amplifier with variable gain stages.

[0042] The amplified signal is then output to the ADC 302. The purpose of the ADC is to convert the analog output of the microphone or microphone preamplifier into a digital signal that can be used as a direct digital output from the microphone to the connector 108, or as a feed to a computing device such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip. In one example, the computing device may include a digital signal processing (DSP) module 301. The purpose of the DSP module is to modify the output of the microphone after the ADC 302.

[0043] The processed sound signal generated by the DSP module 301 is routed to the connector 108. As described above, in one example, the connector 108 can be configured as a USB output port. In another example, multiple connectors can be configured to receive the processed sound signal from the ADC 302, one or more connectors are configured as USB output ports (with digital output) and one or more ports are configured as XLR output ports (with analog output). In the example where the connector 108 is configured as a USB output port, the USB output port can be characterized by a connector that is integrated with the body 101 and is configured to be directly connected to a user device using a standard USB input, including a general-purpose computer, an iOS or Android device, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a USB mixer and interface, etc.

[0044] Configuring an effective directional ribbon microphone typically requires a compromise to balance polar response with on-axis frequency response. Typically, tuning the microphone to a desired directional polar response results in imperfections in the on-axis frequency response that are unique to the polar response. To address this issue, the DSP module 301 is configured to receive a digital sound signal from the ADC 302 and compensate for a number of acoustic imperfections present in the on-axis frequency response caused by the directional polar tuning. In one example, the DSP module can be configured such that at least one parametric EQ is applied to the digital sound signal received from the ADC 302. Figure 4 An example signal path is depicted such that the digital signal from the ADC 302 is routed to the DSP module 301. A gain stage 415 is applied after the input of the DSP module 301. The digital sound signal is then routed to a plurality of parametric equalizers 416 and then to the connector 108. The gain stage 415 may also be applied after the plurality of parametric equalizers 416.

[0045] Tuning a ribbon microphone to exhibit a desired directional polar response for a particular application results in known on-axis frequency response deficiencies at one or more frequency bands. To compensate for these known deficiencies caused by the desired directional polar response, the DSP module 301 can be configured to selectively increase or decrease at least one predetermined frequency and / or frequency range of the sound signal, depending on the circumstances. For example, increasing the acoustic impedance to make the ribbon microphone directional (such as a cardioid or supercardioid) may result in low-frequency losses. Therefore, to compensate for such low-frequency losses, a parametric equalizer (EQ) can be configured to boost discrete low frequencies or a range of low frequencies. In some cases, it may also be desirable to use a parametric EQ to attenuate (lower or reduce the value of) a predetermined frequency, multiple predetermined frequencies, and / or a predetermined frequency range or multiple predetermined frequency ranges.

[0046] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Various frequency plots of a supercardioid ribbon microphone assembly 101 with active and passive DSP modules 301 are illustrated. For example, Figure 5A A comparison of on-axis frequency graphs of ribbon microphone assemblies 100 with active and passive DSP modules 301 is shown. The bold line illustrates the on-axis frequency response of the DSP module 301 with 5 dB equalization (EQ) applied at 75 Hz and 7 dB EQ applied at 13 kHz. The thin line represents the on-axis frequency response of the ribbon microphone assembly 101 with the passive DSP module 301. Figure 5B A comparison of the full on-axis and off-axis frequency responses of a supercardioid ribbon microphone assembly 100 with active (bold line) and passive (thin line) DSP modules 301 at 0° (in front of the microphone) (solid line), 90° (dashed line), 125° (long dash-dotted line), and 180° (directly behind the microphone) (short dash-dotted line) is shown. Figure 5A As shown, 5dB of EQ is applied at 75Hz and 7dB of EQ is applied at 13kHz.

[0047] The DSP 301 can be configured to operate in a variety of general and special DSP modes. General and / or special modes can include dynamic range compression, frequency-dependent signal compression, limiting, and other various compression modeling. The DSP 301 can also be configured to operate as a special EQ. For example, a user may desire to select an equalization profile with pre-configured parameters based on the instrument type (e.g., bass drum, guitar, or vocal, etc.).

[0048] In one example, the DSP module 301 can be configured to emulate any number of analog circuits. In some examples, the DSP module 301 can be implemented using a digital signal processor, one or more analog components, and / or a combination thereof. In another example, each DSP application can be implemented as software executed by one or more processors (such as a processor that is part of the controller 604), such as Figure 6B and explained in further detail below.

[0049] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Another example block diagram of one or more portions of an example microphone, such as microphone 100, is shown together. In the example shown, microphone 100 can be considered to be logically divided into an audio subsystem function (referred to herein as "audio subsystem 601") and a digital subsystem function (referred to herein as "digital subsystem 602").

[0050] The audio subsystem 601 may be responsible for routing and processing audio and digital signals representing the audio. The audio subsystem 601, which may physically share circuit components with the digital subsystem 602, may have a front end including a microphone capsule 102, one or more XLR connectors, an audio jack (which may be a stereo headphone jack), and a microphone preamplifier.

[0051] The audio subsystem may also include circuits such as an amplifier (e.g., an adjustable gain amplifier, an input mixer, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a control register 620, a data interface (such as an I2C interface), an audio interface (such as a serial I2S interface 606), and a DSP 603, such as Fig. 6A and Figure 6B interconnected as shown. Fig. 6A As indicated, there is an audio path from the microphone pickup box and / or XLR connector (as an analog audio signal), which is digitized by the ADC through an input mixer to produce a digital audio signal, through the DSP, through a set of amplifiers, and then ultimately provided as DSP processed PCM digital audio data for transmission by the CODEC 605 to the controller 604 via the serial audio I2S interface 606 ( Figure 6B ), the controller 604 may be implemented as, for example, a system on a chip (SoC). Digital audio and / or other data may be transmitted bidirectionally (from CODEC 605 to controller 604, and / or from controller 604 to CODEC 605) via the I2S connection. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Any of the circuits in can be implemented as, for example, a programmable gate array (PGA). An example amplifier component implemented by one or more PGAs is shown in FIG. Fig. 6ASome or all of the above-mentioned circuits may be implemented as part of CODEC 605, which may be an integrated circuit device.

[0052] CODEC 605 may include an adjustable gain stage and / or mixer for audio input. For example, the amplifier component of the indicated PGA implementation for microphone input may have an adjustable gain ("Adj Gain"), such as an adjustable gain of about 36 dB. The line input may also have an adjustable gain, such as an adjustable gain of about 6 dB. The ADC may be able to simultaneously accept, for example, a combination of dual microphone inputs, a microphone input and a line input, or a dual line input (e.g., two channels in each of these cases). The amplifier component of the indicated PGA implementation may have a non-inverting input with a variable impedance so that the microphone 100 may be cross-connected to two PGAs, each branch of which has the same input impedance.

[0053] The digital subsystem 602 may be interconnected with the analog audio subsystem 601 via one or more signal lines, such as Fig. 6A The circuit and Figure 6B The circuits of the controller 604 may interconnect those signal lines shown. The digital subsystem 602 may be responsible for the overall control of the microphone 100 and may include components such as one or more processors. The controller 604 may also implement the above-discussed and Fig. 6A One or more PGAs shown.

[0054] The controller 604 may have various signal inputs and outputs for communicating with the other parts of the digital subsystem 602 and the analog subsystem 601, such as those shown in the accompanying drawings. For example, the digital audio signal provided by the audio subsystem 601 may be received by the controller 604 for further routing and / or processing, and the resulting processed and / or routed digital signal may then be passed from the controller 604 to the USB connector via a USB interface (labeled as "USB IF" in the accompanying drawings). Therefore, the audio path in the audio subsystem 601 may also include the controller 604 and the USB connector 108b, and the resulting audio data may be transmitted via the paths labeled "data+" and "data-" between the controller 604 and the USB connector 108b. In addition to the above-mentioned audio data, these "data+" and "data-" lines connected to the USB connector 108b may also bidirectionally transmit control signaling to and from the microphone 100. The controller 604 may be configured to implement iAP and standard USB audio endpoints. The onboard MCU 607 may be used for system control and may be linked to the iAP control.

[0055] The controller 604 may also include one or more processors (such as MCU 607) for performing various functions. The controller 604 may also store executable code (e.g., software) for performing various steps in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as a memory, which may be part of or connected to the MCU 607). When executed by the controller 604 or at least by one or more of its processors, the code may cause the controller 604 to perform the steps defined by the code. The capacitive touch interface 106 may be controlled by the MCU 607. The MCU 607 may assist in controlling the capacitive sensor with the aid of a controller (such as a capacitive sensing controller 611).

[0056] Although a USB connection between the connector 108 and the user device is discussed, other types of wired or wireless connections may also be used. For example, the connection between the connector 108 and the user device may alternatively be a wireless connection, such as a WiFi connection, a Bluetooth connection, a near field connection (NFC), and / or an infrared connection. In the case where the connection is wireless, the connector 108 and the user device may include a wireless communication interface.

[0057] Figure 7 Another example block diagram of one or more parts of an example microphone (such as microphone 100) is shown, including details of at least a portion of DSP 603. DSP 603 may include, for example, one or more modules for processing audio, the one or more modules including, for example, one or more equalizers, such as high frequency boost equalizer 702 and / or mode equalizer 703, de-esser 704, low frequency boost equalizer 705, limiter 706, compressor 707 and / or automatic level control (ALC) 708. Automatic level control (ALC) is a method of adjusting the gain of an amplifier based on a desired output signal level. By adjusting the input gain of the amplifier, the ALC module 708 provides a way to maintain the desired (e.g., maximized) signal-to-noise ratio of the audio output. The automatic level control setting can be set to, for example, a specific value of the parameter attack, hold, attenuation, maximum gain and / or target gain, each value depending on the selection of a plurality of DSP modes. Each of modules 702-708 can be implemented as, for example, a physical dedicated circuit and / or software executed by one or more processors (such as a processor as part of controller 604). It should be understood that DSP 301 may include none, some, or all of the features of DSP 603 listed herein. DSP 301 and DSP 603 may be used interchangeably herein to refer to the same structure.

[0058] Fig. 9Another example block diagram of one or more portions of an example microphone, such as microphone 100, is shown. In the block diagram, an example audio output chain of microphone 100 is shown, including analog output / input to / from XLR connector 108a, analog output to headphone (HP) jack 901, and digital output to USB connector 108b. Fig. 9 Included are at least a portion of each of the audio subsystem 601 and the digital subsystem 602 shown from different logical and functional viewpoints, specifically from the audio subsystem 601 viewpoint.

[0059] The user may wish to virtually select additional post-processing filters to apply to the processed sound signal. Fig.10 In one example, the system for compensating for on-axis frequency response imperfections includes a GUI 1012 that can be displayed on a device 1013, which in turn is connected to the ribbon microphone assembly 100 via the USB connector 108b. The device 713 can be a computing device, such as a computing device 800 (described further below), a smart phone (e.g., an iPhone or Android phone), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a server, etc. The GUI 1012 is configured to manipulate the digital signal processing module 301 based on user input. The GUI 1012 can be configured with a virtual selection control to allow a user to selectively apply at least one frequency compensation filter to the processed sound signal. Various frequency compensation filters can be used, including a low frequency roll-off filter, a low frequency boost filter, a mid-frequency clipping filter, a mid-frequency boost filter, a high frequency roll-off filter, and a high frequency boost filter. In addition, the GUI 1012 can be configured to allow the user to apply an adjustable parametric equalizer to the processed sound signal and specify: 1) one or more frequency bands; 2) a specific filter type (high pass filter, low shelf filter, or peaking filter); and 3) specific values ​​for boost / clipping and / or Q parameters. The GUI 1012 can also be configured to enable the user to apply a wide range of compression and limiting modeling to the processed sound signal. For example, compression settings such as ratio, frequency, range, hold time, release time, threshold, knee point, etc. can be configured by the user in the GUI 1012.

[0060] Fig.11 An example flow chart of a method that may be performed is shown. Some of these steps may be performed by a microphone (such as ribbon microphone 100), other of these steps may be performed by a device connected to the microphone, and still other of these steps may be performed by a user of the device and / or microphone. Although the method shows certain steps in a certain order, the method may also be broken down into additional sub-steps, steps may be combined, and steps may be performed in other orders without departing from the concepts described herein.

[0061] In operation, a user may connect the microphone 100 to a user device (such as by using a USB cable connected between a USB connector of the user device 202 and the USB connector 108b of the microphone 100). Fig.11 , step 1101). The user may also run software (e.g., an app) on the device 202 that is configured to control one or more settings of the microphone 100 (step 1102). For example, the software, when executed, may cause the user device 202 to display a user interface with which the user may interact (e.g., via a touch screen, mouse, keyboard, etc.) to select a DSP mode in which the microphone 100 should operate (step 1103). In response to the user selection, the user device 202 may send a control signal (such as data) via the USB cable indicating one or more DSP mode settings selected by the user (step 1104). The control signal may be received at the USB connector 108b of the microphone 100.

[0062] Then, the control signal at the USB connector 108b can be transmitted by the USB interface ( Figure 6B ) is received and then presented to the MCU 607 for processing. Based on the received USB control signal, the MCU 607 can generate mode setting data (step 1105), which can be transmitted via Fig. 6A and Figure 6B 620 for storage in one or more of the control registers 620. The stored mode setting data may be retrieved and used as the mode setting signal 701 (step 1106). Figure 7 As shown, the mode setting signal 701 may also include or be supplemented by other data such as "input gain (), "setting box (limiter)" and "setting box (compressor)" to set the DSP mode (step 1107). Based on the mode setting signal 701 and / or such other signals, the DSP 603 may configure itself, including configuring some or all of the modules 702-708, to process the sound detected by the microphone 100 (step 1108). Each mode may have one or more settings that are adjustable within the mode, either manually by the user or automatically and dynamically by the DSP 603 itself without manual intervention (step 1109). If the user selects another DSP mode, then Fig.11 The process may return to step 1103 to select the next DSP mode, and the remainder of the process may be repeated as desired.

[0063] Figure 8A block diagram of an example computing device 800 is shown. The computing device 800 may be used to implement at least a portion of the device 202 and / or at least a portion of the microphone 100. For example, some or all of the controller 604, some or all of the MCU 607, some or all of the DSP 603, and / or some or all of any supporting circuits thereof may alternatively be implemented by the computing device 800. The computing device 800 may be any type of computing device and may be physically implemented as a single unit or a system of multiple interacting units. For example, the computing device 800 may include one or more smart phones, one or more tablet computers, one or more laptop computers, one or more desktop computers, and / or one or more audio devices with computing functionality, etc. Figure 8 The box drawn around computing device 800 in is not intended to limit computing device 800 to a single physical unit (eg, having a single physical housing).

[0064] In the example shown, the computing device 800 may include a processor 801, which itself may be physically implemented by one or more processors (such as one or more microprocessors, CPUs, MCUs, etc.). The computing device 800 may also include a data storage device 802, which may be implemented as one or more computer-readable media (which may be non-transitory), such as one or more memories (e.g., RAM, ROM, FLASH, etc.), a hard drive, a removable drive, a memory stick, etc. The computing device 800 may also include an input device 803, such as a touch interface of a display, a mouse, a keyboard, a voice control device, etc. The computing device 800 may also include a device controller 804, which is used to control an output device such as a display device 805. The display device 805 may be touch-sensitive, in which case the display device 805 may also be used as an input device 803. The computing device 800 may also include a data interface 806 for communicating with one or more devices outside the computing device 800. For example, the data interface 806 may include a USB interface, an XLR interface, and / or a wireless interface (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, infrared). As another example, data interface 806 may implement an XLR interface or a USB interface of device 202, an XLR interface of XLR-compatible device 203, USB interface 621 of USB connector 108b, and / or an XLR interface of XLR connector 108a.

[0065] The data storage device 802 may store computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 801, may cause the computing device 800 to perform various steps. For example, when executed by any processor of the microphone 100, the instructions may cause the microphone 100 to perform any one or all of the steps 1105-1109, and / or perform any other functions of the microphone 100. As another example, when executed by any processor of the device 202, the instructions may cause the device 202 to perform any one or all of the steps 1102-1104, and / or perform any other functions of the device 202.

[0066] The data storage device 802 may also store other data. For example, where the data storage device 802 is part of the device 202, the data storage device 802 may store its operating system and / or software application that performs steps 1102-1104, user preferences such as a preferred DSP mode, a list of microphones (such as microphone 100) that have been previously set up with the software application, communication protocol settings, and / or data supporting any other functionality of the device 202. Where the data storage device 802 is part of the microphone 100, the data storage device 802 may, for example, implement the control registers 620 and / or may store any data for selecting and configuring a DSP mode, any other settings for the DSP 603, communication protocol settings, and / or data supporting any other functionality of the microphone 100.

[0067] A ribbon microphone assembly may include: a capsule, which may include: at least two magnets; a ribbon diaphragm, positioned between the at least two magnets; and a transformer, connected to the directional ribbon diaphragm; and a housing connected to the capsule, the housing including: a circuit board connected to the transformer, the circuit board including: an amplifier, configured to receive a sound signal from the transformer and generate an amplified sound signal; an analog-to-digital converter, configured to receive the amplified sound signal and generate a digital sound signal; and a digital signal processor, configured to receive the digital sound signal, compensate for an on-axis frequency response caused by a directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly, and generate a processed sound signal. The ribbon microphone assembly may also include a USB port, which is configured to output the processed sound signal. The ribbon microphone assembly may include a transformer with a 33:1 turns ratio. The ribbon microphone assembly may include an XLR port, which is configured to output the processed sound signal. The ribbon microphone assembly may include both a USB port and an XLR port, the USB port being configured to output the processed sound signal, and the XLR port being configured to output the processed sound signal. The digital signal processor of the ribbon microphone assembly may include a computing device. The digital signal processor may be configured to attenuate at least one frequency represented by the digital sound signal based on the directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly. The digital signal processor may be configured to boost at least one frequency represented by the digital sound signal based on the directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly. The ribbon microphone assembly may be configured to receive an indication of a frequency compensation filter via USB and from a user device. The digital signal processor may be configured to generate a processed sound signal at least by applying the frequency compensation filter. The ribbon microphone assembly may also include a control accessible from the outside of the housing and may be configured to receive a user selection of the frequency compensation filter, wherein the digital signal processor may be configured to generate a processed sound signal at least by applying the frequency compensation filter. The directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly may be at least one of a bidirectional polar response, a cardioid polar response, a supercardioid polar response, or a variable polar response.

[0068] A system may include: a microphone assembly tuned for a directional polar response and configured to receive a sound signal; an amplifier configured to receive the sound signal and generate an amplified sound signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the amplified sound signal and generate a digital sound signal; and a digital signal processor configured to receive the digital sound signal, compensate for an on-axis frequency response caused by the directional polar response of the microphone assembly, and generate a processed sound signal. The microphone assembly may include a ribbon transducer. The microphone assembly of the system may also include controls accessible from the outside of the housing. The microphone assembly may be configured to receive a user selection of a frequency compensation filter, wherein the digital signal processor may be configured to generate a processed sound signal by at least applying the frequency compensation filter. The microphone assembly of the system may be configured to receive an indication of the frequency compensation filter via USB and from a user device, and the digital signal processor may be configured to generate a processed sound signal by at least applying the frequency compensation filter. The system may also include a USB port configured to output the processed sound signal. The digital signal processor may be configured to attenuate or boost at least one frequency represented by the digital sound signal based on the directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly.

[0069] A directional ribbon microphone assembly may include a ribbon diaphragm and a circuit that may be configured to generate a second signal based on a first signal from the ribbon diaphragm by at least compensating for an on-axis frequency response associated with a directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly. The first signal may include an analog signal, and the second signal may include a digital signal. The circuit may include: an amplifier configured to amplify the first signal to generate an amplified first signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitize the amplified first signal to generate a digitized first signal; and a digital signal processor configured to process the digitized first signal to generate the second signal. The circuit may be configured to receive an indication of a user-selected frequency compensation filter and generate the second signal by applying at least the user-selected frequency compensation filter.

[0070] In the foregoing description, the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. Although the present invention has been described according to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications, examples or variations of the present invention may be practiced within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, the description and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited in any way except as may be necessary in view of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A ribbon microphone assembly, comprising: Carbon cartridge, including: at least two magnets; a belt diaphragm positioned between the at least two magnets; and a transformer connected to the ribbon diaphragm; and A housing connected to the carbon capsule, the housing comprising: A circuit board connected to the transformer, the circuit board comprising: an amplifier configured to receive the sound signal from the transformer and generate an amplified sound signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the amplified sound signal and generate a digital sound signal; and A digital signal processor is configured to receive the digital sound signal, compensate for an on-axis frequency response caused by a directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly, and generate a processed sound signal. 2 . The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a USB port configured to output the processed sound signal.

3. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1, further comprising an external line return XLR port configured to output the processed sound signal.

4. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 2, further comprising an external line return XLR output port configured to output the processed sound signal.

5. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor comprises a computing device.

6. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to attenuate at least one frequency represented by the digital sound signal based on the directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly.

7. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to boost at least one frequency represented by the digital sound signal based on the directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly.

8. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1, wherein the ribbon microphone assembly is configured to receive an indication of a frequency compensation filter from a user device via USB, and wherein, The digital signal processor is configured to generate the processed sound signal at least by applying the frequency compensation filter.

9. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1 further comprising a control accessible from an exterior of the housing and configured to receive a user selection of a frequency compensation filter, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to generate the processed sound signal at least by applying the frequency compensation filter.

10. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 1, wherein the directional polar response is at least one of a bidirectional polar response, a cardioid polar response, a supercardioid polar response, or a variable polar response.

11. A microphone system comprising: a ribbon microphone capsule tuned for directional polar response and configured to receive a sound signal; an amplifier configured to receive the sound signal from the ribbon microphone capsule and generate an amplified sound signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the amplified sound signal and generate a digital sound signal; A digital signal processor is configured to receive the digital sound signal, compensate for an on-axis frequency response caused by a directional polar response of the ribbon microphone capsule, and generate a processed sound signal.

12. The microphone system of claim 11 , wherein the ribbon microphone capsule further comprises controls accessible from an exterior of the housing and configured to receive a user selection of a frequency compensation filter, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to generate the processed sound signal at least by applying the frequency compensation filter.

13. The microphone system of claim 11, wherein the ribbon microphone capsule is configured to receive an indication of a frequency compensation filter from a user device via USB, and wherein, The digital signal processor is configured to generate the processed sound signal at least by applying the frequency compensation filter.

14. The microphone system of claim 11, further comprising a USB port configured to output the processed sound signal.

15. The microphone system of claim 11, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to attenuate or boost at least one frequency represented by the digital sound signal based on the directional polar response of the ribbon microphone capsule.

16. A directional ribbon microphone assembly comprising: Belt diaphragm; as well as Circuitry is configured to generate a second signal based on the first signal from the ribbon diaphragm by compensating for at least an on-axis frequency response associated with a directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly.

17. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 16, wherein the first signal comprises an analog signal and the second signal comprises a digital signal.

18. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 16, wherein the circuit comprises: an amplifier configured to amplify the first signal to generate an amplified first signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitize the amplified first signal to generate a digitized first signal; as well as A digital signal processor is configured to process the digitized first signal to generate the second signal.

19. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 16, wherein the circuit is configured to receive an indication of a user-selected frequency compensation filter and to generate the second signal by applying at least the user-selected frequency compensation filter.

20. The ribbon microphone assembly of claim 19, wherein the user-selected frequency compensation filter comprises at least one of the group consisting of an attenuation of at least one frequency represented by the first signal or a boost of at least one frequency represented by the first signal.

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