What is the Frequency Response Specification of a Microphone?
The Frequency Response Specification of a microphone is the specification that serves to tell you what frequencies the microphone amplifies to the level of its given sensitivity rating.
So, for example, the frequency response specification of a microphone may be 20Hz-16KHz at a sensitivity rating of -35dB. This means that the microphone will record a standard 1KHz signal at 94dBSPL at about -35dB between the frequencies of 20Hz-16KHz. Outside of this bandwidth of frequencies, considerable decline in gain will occur. So, basically, the microphone only amplifies the frequencies specified in the frequency response specification with considerable gain and all other frequencies outside this range will record very low, if any, gain.
How do you know which frequency response specification to choose for a microphone? Well, it all depends on the application for which the microphone will be used. If you are using a microphone to only record speech, for instance, you would not need a very wide frequency response. Voice usually spans the frequency range of 300Hz to 3400Hz. Thus, the frequency bandwidth is narrow. However, if you are using the microphone to record music, with all the various tones and pitches from bass to treble, a much wider frequency response is needed. So a microphone with a wider frequency response would have to be chosen.
Related Resources
What is Microphone
Frequency Response?
What is Microphone Sensitivity?