SparkFun's New Vesper VM2020 Analog Mic Breakout Really Lets You Pump Up the Volume
Capable of capturing sounds up to 152dB with minimum distortion, this microphone doesn't sweat a bit of noise.
If you're struggling to build a microphone-based project because it's just too darn noisy where you are, SparkFun's latest breakout board should be of interest: it houses a Vesper VM2020 analog MEMS microphone, built specifically to operate in loud environments.
"The VM2020 is an ultra-high Acoustic Overload Point (AOP), high dynamic range, differential analog output piezoelectric MEMS microphone," SparkFun explains of the device at the heart of its latest breakout board. "What separates this from other analog MEMS microphones is that it was designed to be used in loud environments. Additionally, this microphone consists of a piezoelectric sensor and circuitry to buffer and amplify the output. It has an acoustic overload point of 152dB SPL for audio capture in loud environments."
The VM2020 microphone offers a differential analog output with a frequency range of 80Hz up to 10kHz. At its upper acoustic overload point of 152dB — somewhere between a jet engine heard from a hundred feet away and the blast from a 12-gauge shotgun — its manufacturer claims it will experience just 10 per cent distortion, a considerable improvement over most rival microphones.
Actually using the microphone, though, requires a little more effort than most. Unlike SparkFun's earlier microphone breakout designs, there's no on-board operational amplifier (op-amp) — meaning that you'll need to pair it with both an amplifier and an analog to digital converter (ADC) with differential input capabilities.
"This board is great for applications that require you to measure volume in a loud environment," SparkFun writes of the mic breakout. "Capture audio when the microphone is next to a speaker, fast Fourier transform analysis of sound at concerts, make your own electronic hearing protection, or create an adaptive filter for your smart speaker."
The breakout is now available to buy on the SparkFun store for $8.95 before volume discounts; the company recommends pairing it with the SparkFun Audio Codec Breakout WM8960 board, which includes an op-amp and a differential ADC.