There are many ways to describe microphones and many ways in which mics differ from one another. Whether qualitatively or quantitatively, a microphone’s important differentiators and characteristics are listed in a manufacturer-made document called a microphone specifications sheet or datasheet. What is a microphone specifications sheet, and how do we read one? A microphone “spec…
Among the tens of thousands of microphone designs, the cardioid polar pattern is the most popular. As an audio engineer, I use cardioid mics more than all other mic polar patterns combined. What is a cardioid microphone? A cardioid microphone has a unidirectional cardioid polar/pickup pattern. It is most sensitive to on-axis sounds (where the…
The boundary microphone (aka pressure zone microphone) is an often overlooked microphone with a misunderstood polar pattern. Setting these mics up properly will help tremendously to capture the character of an acoustic space, so it’s worth knowing about the polar patterns of boundary/PZM mics. What is a hemispherical boundary/PZM microphone polar pattern? A boundary or…
Famous in the world of film and broadcast but rarely used in the studio, the shotgun microphone has perhaps the most interesting direction polar pattern. To truly understand these mics and get the most out of them, it’s critical to known the ins and outs of their polar patterns. What is the lobar/shotgun microphone polar…
The subcardioid or “wide cardioid” microphone polar pattern is a lesser-known cousin to the famous cardioid pattern. Knowing about this polar pattern and its pros and cons will certainly aid in mic selection and understanding, whether you’re an amateur or professional. What is a subcardioid/wide cardioid microphone? A subcardioid (aka wide cardioid) microphone has a…
The hypercardioid is an often misunderstood relative of the well-known cardioid microphone polar pattern and is often confused with the supercardioid pattern. Understanding hypercardioid polar patterns and their ideal applications will improve your efficiency both on stage and in the studio. What is a hypercardioid microphone? A hypercardioid microphone has a very directional hypercardioid polar/pickup…
The supercardioid is an often misunderstood relative of the well-known cardioid microphone polar pattern. Understanding the supercardioid pattern and when to use it will benefit you greatly in both the studio and the stage. What is a supercardioid microphone? A supercardioid microphone has a very directional supercardioid polar/pickup pattern. It is most sensitive to on-axis…
The bidirectional (aka figure-8) microphone polar pattern is one of the three main polar pattern types (along with omnidirectional and cardioid). Understanding the ins and outs of the bidirectional pattern and how it’s achieved in microphones will help lay a solid foundation for your understanding of mic polar patterns and microphones in general. What is…
The omnidirectional microphone polar pattern is perhaps the simplest polar pattern and is one of the three main polar pattern types (along with bidirectional and cardioid). Understanding the omnidirectional pattern and how omnidirectional microphones perform will give you a solid foundational knowledge of mic polar patterns and microphones in general. What is an omnidirectional microphone?…
The polar pattern (along with frequency response) is the most important specification of a microphone. It tells us the directional sensitivity of the microphone. There are plenty of polar pattern responses in the tens of thousands of microphones on the market. Here is a list of all the microphone polar patterns: In this complete guide,…
Of all the parts and designs that go into creating a microphone, the capsule is the most critical element. What is a microphone capsule? The mic capsule is the part responsible for the conversion of sound waves into mic signals. Capsules (or baffles when referring to ribbon mics) always feature diaphragm(s) and the housing for…
“Get it right at the source” is a popular and important mantra that rings throughout the recording industry. Stereo miking techniques allow us to capture true stereo audio at the source and sounds more authentic than multi-tracking multiple mono signals. So how do we best set up microphones for stereo recording? The Top 8 Best…
