In this category of products we find those sound sources that are required to be connected to the mixing console (or directly to the amplifier for smaller installations) in order to provide us with the music with which we will invest our space, or the announcement that we would like to hear for advertising purposes, to serve the work being performed, or for safety reasons.
   So, as we mentioned above, in this category we find sound reproduction devices, microphones and musical instruments. As for the various sound reproduction devices and musical instruments, it would probably be redundant to mention them extensively, as for the former, more or less, all of us today, due to digital technology, know quite a lot, while as for musical instruments, the word belongs exclusively to musicians. For this last case only, for the reader's information only, we could mention that there are electronic musical instruments that are connected directly to the sound console, while all the other classical instruments transfer their sound to the amplifiers and speakers using special microphones per case.
    •    Consequently, we understand that perhaps the only case of source for which we should briefly mention some data is that of microphones. The main categories that will potentially concern us are two:
      • condenser microphones, and
      • dynamic microphones

       

         Condenser microphones have a wider frequency response range, and that is why they are usually more expensive than dynamic ones. They have better performance at high frequencies and at the same time are more sensitive to excessively loud sounds and if we do not pay attention to them, they are easily damaged (they should not fall on the floor). For these reasons, we find them in recording studios and not in Live. They also have a better response to dynamics, that is, they receive the sound as it is and do not compress it, but that does not mean that it is always good. Sometimes a slight compression in the sound of a microphone is needed. It depends purely on the voice and the musical instrument. Finally, condenser microphones need an extra +48V power source, also known as Phantom Power. Phantom power has almost every console, and is activated by pressing a button.
         Dynamic microphones, on the other hand, withstand adverse working conditions and impacts and that is why we find them mainly in Live use. They do not require Phantom Power +48Volt, and they maintain the same sound quality over time, unlike condensers, whose characteristics change. Finally, it is worth noting that due to their construction, they withstand very high intensities, such as those that characterize the sound produced by Drums and electric guitars.

 

  •     Closing this chapter, we will also make a brief reference to cables, as without them, we cannot have any sound effect. Very generally, we could divide cables into two categories: those that carry the sound from the source to the sound console and from there to the amplifier – and we will call them “preamplifier signal cables” – and the cables that carry the amplified sound from the amplifier to our speakers – and we will call them “final amplification signal cables”.
       The former, therefore, come in a wide variety, both in terms of their cross-section and the form of the signal they carry (mono or stereo), but also in terms of the type of plugs with which they are terminated. It is very important to invest in good quality cables that will be distinguished by the type and purity of their construction material, as this results in better transmission of the audio signal without a drop in its level and a change in its characteristics. The plugs with which the cables in question will be terminated will depend on the signal inputs and outputs of the devices we want to connect.
       On the other hand, the final amplification signal cables must also meet both the requirements of the speakers and the requirements of the amplifier for high-power signal transmission. So for example, their cross-section will depend on both the transmitted power and the distance.
    which it should cover. In the same way and for the same reasons, the quality of the material used to manufacture these cables also plays an important role.