The microphone contributes significantly to the time smear in the whole audio recording and reproduction chain. By measuring the impulse response of microphones, this can be quantified, but manufacturers are reluctant to publish these. However, by using white noise as the exciting signal and a good tweeter, the impulse response of microphones can be determined with relative simple equipment. It also enables correction of the properties of microphones, thus improving their perceptual quality. This paper explains the background and both theoretical and experimental results are presented.
