There are many types of microphones available for different purposes. For accurate sound measurements condenser microphones in combination with a unit converter (preamplifier) is widely used. Together they have a superb frequency response and low inherent noise. This microphone set converts the sound pressure to an electrical voltage that our analyser can handle.
When a microphone is inserted into a sound field it will influence this field simply because it occupies some space. The microphone will reflect some of the incoming sound pressure and there will therefore be a pressure increase just in front of the microphone. Some microphones are made to give a response proportional to the pressure it senses (pressure field microphones) while other microphones are designed to indicate the strength of the sound field as if it was not present (free field microphones).
Whether a pressure- or a diffuse- or a free-field microphone is selected is often a function of measurement task, tradition or a description in a measurement standard. Nor145 is usually delivered with a free field microphone type Nor1225 in combination with preamplifier type Nor1209.
The Nor145 supports corrections when using a free-field microphone in a diffuse-field. This is called Random-incident corrections and is available in the Input Channel menu. When activating this function, a correction curve is digitally applied to the input channel.