Abstract: A reference microphone is disposed close to a primary microphone through an enclosure wall of an appliance incorporating microphones, and a noise generated by mechanical systems and included in an output of the primary microphone is canceled by an adaptive filter. In a smaller hardware scale than a case of mounting a sensor for noise reference directly to a noise source, a noise component can be canceled more effectively depending on changes of noise environments.

Abstract: In a small-sized pressure gradient type microphone apparatus, a plurality of omni-directional microphone units are encased within a microphone holder. A plurality of acoustic passages having first and second ends are provided within the microphone holder for coupling the sound inlets of the plurality of omni-directional microphone units respectively to an outer space of the microphone holder. The second ends of the acoustic passages opened to the outer space of the microphone holder are arranged to be apart from each other at distances larger than distances between the sound inlets of the corresponding microphone units coupled at the first ends of the acoustic passages.

Abstract: A microphone apparatus comprises two non-directional microphones in case of monaural sound pickup or three non-directional microphones in case of stereo sound pickup, and a signal processing means for processing output signals of the non-directional microphones so that a directivity becomes non-directional in a low frequency region and a first order pressure gradient type in a high frequency region. Accordingly, the microphone apparatus can attenuate the level of unwanted acoustic and vibration noises caused by its onboard moving mechanism as well as wind noise, thus ensuring no declination in the S/N ratio during sound pickup action.