What type of microphone uses a suspended membrane to capture sound waves?

A condenser microphone utilizes a suspended membrane, referred to as a diaphragm, which is positioned very close to a backplate. This setup creates a capacitor, and when sound waves hit the diaphragm, it vibrates, resulting in a change in capacitance that converts sound into an electrical signal. This design allows condenser microphones to capture sound with high sensitivity and detail, making them ideal for studio recordings and applications where clarity is paramount.

In contrast, dynamic microphones use an electromagnetic principle involving a moving coil to convert sound waves into electrical signals. Ribbon microphones use a thin metal ribbon in a magnetic field to achieve similar results but do not use a diaphragm in the same manner. Lapel microphones, or lavalier mics, are typically small electret condenser microphones designed for hands-free usage; while they may incorporate some condenser technology, they do not fundamentally rely on the suspended diaphragm characteristic in the same way as this specific type of condenser microphone.