Microphones 101

I found an excellent article at the Apple site that discusses the ins and outs of different microphones, and even has some sample audio files that demonstrate the improvements you should expect with better-quality equipment.

Of course, the article is focused more on microphones for recording vocals and instruments, and makes no mention of measurement microphones. However, it gives you a good idea of how the built-in mic just won't cut it for accuracy. Just listening to the three recorded guitar samples will open your eyes to how poorly a low-cost microphone will be capturing your measurements.

You can read the article here: Microphones 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Macs and Mics.