Win 7
Sonar x.1
reason 5
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (usb 2.0 sound card)
Evolution MK-249C USB keyboard controller
M-Audio Keystation 49e USB keyboard controller

Hey everyone,
Could someone help me out with this/walk me through how it's solved?

The Beyer M-160 has a sensitivity rated as
-52dB (0 dB = 1mW/Pa)
and a rated load impedance of 200ohms.

The Sennheiser MD-421 has a sensitivity given as
-54dB re: 1V/µbar.

Which of these microphones is the more sensitive, and by how many dB?

Thanks!

I see mic sensitivity ratings that look like:

Sensitivity: 14.1mV/Pa -37 ± 1.5dB

Refers the amount of signal that is needed at an input for a device to deliver its rated output. A higher sensitivity is observed when the input signal is smaller for the given output and although this is generally preferred, too much sensitivity can result in a processor being overdriven by a preceding device.

Trying to go direct from a MOTU Ultralite to my new Genelec 8040As.
The Genelecs are crazy sensitive. I have to pull the MOTU
master back 30 dB to be comfortable, and that's with the
Genelec trims all the way down. I'm sure that if I output
full signal I'd be picking driver pieces out of the back wall.

if i lightly touch a key it plays the sample back at full volume. if i hit the key hard it can barely be heard. what is this all about? i checked the setting on the controller (fatar no internal sounds) it has worked fine for years and all of the sudden this happens.

thanks

Given: AT4040 has an open circuit sensitivity of -32dB/25.1mV in relation to 1 volt / 1 Pascal.

Amplifying this signal, or raising it +32dB to 0dB produces a 1 volt output.

Question: does this mean the amplifier must provide 32dB of gain to amplify the mic output to near line level?

- Put this one on techTalk but since it's more mic-related I better put it here -

The short version:

What do you think is the lower limit for mic
sensitivity ?
Typical is around the order of magnitude of 2 mV/Pa
but how much lower can you go and still be able
to bring this tiny signal up to strength with a
mic preamp ?

When recording a source I'm constantly trying to figure out how to get the maximum sound level before overdriving my pre. For instance when I stick my u195 in front of my plexi cabinet, I fool with my pre for hours trying to get a good balance between my output gain and input sensitivity. Where's a good starting point?