Description The BK-6B dynamic pressure mic is a high-quality instrument of the pressure-actuated type. It is especially designed for correct speech balance when used informally in television broadcast and public address applications.
The human voice has pronounced directional characteristics. The high-pitched nasal and sibilant sounds which give crispness and definition to speech are emitted in a comparatively narrow angle from the front of the face. The low-pitched sounds from the throat and chest are emitted approximately equally in all directions.
In normal studio or announce use, the microphone is placed so that the performer speaks directly into it. In television, the microphone is frequently placed on one side, either mounted on a boom, held in the hand, or concealed on the set. Each of these positions may result in a loss of the high-frequency sounds which are important in pleasing and natural speech reproduction.
The frequency response (Figure 3) and directional characteristics (Figure 4) of the BK-6B are designed to complement the characteristics of human speech. The result is a microphone which has excellent balance when the performer is talking “off mic.”
The BK-6B is especially designed to be suspended from the neck, resting on the chest. The low-pitched chest sounds are attenuated. The microphone points straight up toward the lips, the position in which it is most sensitive to the sibilant sounds that would normally be lost. If it is desired to talk directly at the microphone, it may be held either so that the speaker talks across it or into it, depending upon the response desired for the particular speaker’s voice.
The general rule is to talk across the BK-6B, either in an interview, a panel discussion, or with the microphone suspended around the neck. In this manner, a balance similar to the RCA 77-DX in its Unidirectional V1 position is obtained.
The BK-6B is designed as a speech microphone; it is not recommended for music pickup.
The BK-6B is especially recommended for television broadcasting. It may be worn by the performer; its small bulk and neutral color make it inconspicuous. The light weight, flexible cable permits free, unhampered movement of the performer. It may be wholly concealed in a man’s hand during an interview. It is easily concealed on a set. The styling blends easily with any props, and is pleasing where it is exposed to direct view.
