Exact value of a for first-order

supercardioid microphone
Aaron J. Heller
28 March 2011
Random Energy Efficiency of a first-order microphone is given by :
p 2p 2
Ÿ0 Ÿ0 sinHqL HH1 - aL cosHqL + aL ‚ f ‚ q
In[3]:=
4p
1
Out[3]= I1 - 2 a + 4 a2 M
3
The random energy efficiency of first-order mic integrated over the front hemisphere only:
p
2p 2
Ÿ0 Ÿ0 sinHqL HH1 - aL cosHqL + aL ‚ f ‚ q
2

In[4]:=
4p
1
Out[4]= I1 + a + a2 M
6
The definition of a supercardioid microphone is one that maximized the ratio of these two quantities
In[22]:= Out@4DêOut@3D

1 + a + a2
Out[22]=
2 I1 - 2 a + 4 a2 M

1 + a + a2
In[8]:= SimplifyB F
2 I1 - 2 a + 4 a2 M

a2 + a + 1
Out[8]=
8 a2 - 4 a + 2
By plotting, we can see that the maximum occurs around 0.37, but we’d like an exact answer.
2 Supercardioid-microphone.nb

1 + a + a2
In[9]:= PlotB , 8a, 0, 1<F
2 - 4 a + 8 a2

0.9

0.8

Out[9]=
0.7

0.6

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

We use the Maximize function to find this

1 + a + a2
In[10]:= MaximizeB , aF
2 - 4 a + 8 a2
1 1 2
1+ J- 1 + 3 N+ J- 1 + 3N 1
2 4
Out[10]= : , :a Ø J- 1 + 3 N>>
2 2
2 J2 - 3 + J- 1 + 3N N

In[19]:= Simplify@Out@10DD

1 1
Out[19]= : K2 + 3 O, :a Ø K 3 - 1O>>
4 2
In[21]:= N@Out@19DD

Out[21]= 80.933013, 8a Ø 0.366025<<

As a separate exercise, let' s see where the minimum random energy efficiency occurs :
1
In[17]:= PlotB I1 - 2 a + 4 a2 M, 8a, 0, 1<F
3
1.0

0.9

0.8

0.7

Out[17]= 0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

 Supercardioid-microphone.nb 3

1
In[18]:= MinimizeB I1 - 2 a + 4 a2 M, aF
3
1 1
Out[18]= : , :a Ø >>
4 4
Which agrees with the general solution given in by Gerzon. [1]

Bibliography
1. M.A. Gerzon. Maximum directivity factor of nth-order transducers. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (1976) vol. 60 pp. 278