A microphone is an input device that converts sound waves into electrical signals and inputs the audio into computers. It was originally invented by Emile Berliner in 1877. Microphones are used for a variety of purposes, including recording audio for videos, voice recording, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), voice recognition, computer gaming, online chatting, capturing any noise in a room, recording voice for dictation, singing, and podcasts.
Microphones come in many different types, including analog and digital microphones, and are designed based on directionality. Omnidirectional microphones can pick up all sounds in an area, but they are unable to focus on a particular subject with background noise. Bidirectional, directional, and shotgun microphones are beneficial for an interview. However, two unidirectional devices can provide the same effect, like cardioid microphones.
Since a microphone sends information to the computer, it is considered an input device. For example, when a microphone records a voice, the audio is sent to the computer and stored on the computers hard drive. Once the recording is stored as an audio file, it can be played, edited, and shared.
