Tips & Tricks

Polar Patterns

Omni-directional

Omni-directional polar patterns (including omni-directional and half-omni-directional or hemispherical) exhibit these traits:

All-around pickup

Most pickup of room reverberation

Not much isolation unless you mike close

Low sensitivity to pops (explosive breath sounds)

No up-close bass boost (proximity effect)

Extended low-frequency response in condenser mics. Great for pipe organ or bass drum in an orchestra or symphonic band.

Lower cost in general



Omni-directional

Picks up equally in all directions.



Half-omni-directional or hemispherical

Picks up equally over a 180° spherical angle. This is the pickup pattern of PZMs.

Unidirectional

Unidirectional polar patterns (including cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid, hemispherical, half-cardioid, half-supercardioid) exhibit these traits:

Selective pickup

Rejection of room acoustics, background noise, and leakage

Good isolation--good separation between recorded tracks

Up-close bass boost (except in mics that have holes in the handle)

Better gain-before-feedback in a sound-reinforcement system

Coincident or near-coincident stereo miking

Broad-angle pickup of sources in front of the mic

Maximum rejection of sound approaching the rear of the mic



All of the following patterns are considered unidirectional because they pick up mainly in one direction.

Cardioid

“Heart-shaped” pattern that offers maximum rejection (null) at the rear of the microphone.

Supercardioid

Has a narrower pickup pattern than cardioid, but also has some rear pickup. Note that there are two nulls of maximum sound rejection.

Maximum difference between front hemisphere and rear hemisphere pickup (good for stage-floor miking)

More isolation than a cardioid

Less reverb pickup than a cardioid



Hypercardioid

Has a narrower pickup pattern than supercardioid, but also has more rear pickup than supercardioid. Note that there are two nulls.

Maximum side rejection in a unidirectional mic

Maximum isolation—maximum rejection of reverberation, leakage, feedback, and background noise



Half-unidirectional

The pickup pattern of PCC microphones



Bidirectional (figure-eight or cosine)

Picks up mainly in two directions (in front of and behind the mic) and rejects sound from the sides.

Front and rear pickup, with side sounds rejected (for across-table interviews or two-part vocal groups, for example)

Maximum isolation of an orchestral section when miked overhead

Blumlein stereo miking (two bidirectional mics crossed at 90 degrees)