How to Determine the Polarity of a Microphone

In this article, we will show how you can find out the polarity of the terminals of a microphone.

Before you can connect a microphone to a circuit, you must know which side is the positive terminal of the microphone and which side is the negative terminal or ground of the microphone.

Microphones are polarized, so the orientation matters when you connect it to a circuit.

So how do you check which side is the positive terminal and which side is negative if it isn't labeled on the microphone.

Perform a Continuity Check with a Multimeter

The best way to check the polarities of a microphone is with a multimeter.

Put the multimeter on the continuity setting.

And this is how you check now which terminal is which on a microphone.

Place one multimeter probe on the outside metallic casing of the microphone. And place the other multimeter probe on one of the two terminals on the top of the microphone.

If the multimeter beeps, signaling continity, then the terminal you are on is the negative or ground terminal.

If the multimeter doesn't beep, signaling discontinuity, then the terminal you are on is the positive terminal of the microphone.

This is because the metallic casing of the microphone is part of the grounding of the microphone. Therefore, if there is continuity between one of the microphone terminals and the metallic casing, we know that that terminal is ground. But if there isn't, then there is no continuity, so we know that terminal is the positive terminal.

Related Resources

How to Build an Electret Microphone Circuit