Impedence

Impedance is to AC as resistance is to DC, is essentially the idea.



If your air pressure(voltage analogy) is the same on the source sides of the straws and stays constant, the the size of the straw(resistance/Impedance analogy) Will determine the flow(current analogy) on the output.

Taking this, the Mic has only a certain amount of power (voltage x current) can generate. A series impedance will drop the power it can transfer to the load by limiting current and therefore voltage. A shunting or grounding impedance/resistance will drop the power by wasting current as heat. In either case, the Mic will probably lose low end frequencies first and then lose level as the series impedance/resistance is increased or the sinking impedance/resistance is decreased.

I forgot to add, yes, a ribbon mic that sees a higher impedance will give a higher signal power to the receiver. However, since impedance is a complex system, there are a lot more things to take into account. If you aren't matching load impedance to the source, then you can start having things happen like resonances and over/undershoot, etc.

I thought maybe this was Jim Williams the tech, but then I'd never read a post of his that had JUST humor in it.