Choosing the Right Microphone

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Choosing the Right Microphone from The AudioPro Home Recording Course By Bill Gibson Pickup/Polar Patterns - Cardioid

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Most microphones have what is called a cardioid pickup pattern. This is also called a unidirectional or heart-shaped pickup pattern. The unidirectional mic is most sensitive (hears the best) at the part of the mic that you sing into. It is least sensitive (hears the worst) at the side opposite the part into which you sing.

The advantage to using a microphone with a cardioid pickup pattern lies in the ability to isolate sounds. You can point the mic at one instrument while you?re pointing it away from another instrument. The disadvantage to a cardioid pickup pattern is that it will typically only give you a full sound from a close proximity to the sound source. Once you?re a foot or two away from the sound source a cardioid pickup pattern produces a very thin-sounding rendition of the sound you?re miking.

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In a live sound setting, cardioid mics are almost always best because they produce far less feedback than any other pickup pattern.

Pickup/Polar Patterns ? Omnidirectional

An omnidirectional mic hears equally from all directions. It doesn?t reject sound from anywhere.

An omnidirectional pickup pattern will give you the fullest sound from a distance. Omni microphones are very good at capturing room ambience, recording groups of instruments that you can gather around one mic and capturing a vocal performance while still letting the acoustics of the room interact with the sound of the voice.

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Omnidirectional microphones are usually difficult in a live setting because they produce feedback more quickly than any other pickup pattern.

Pickup/Polar Patterns ? Bidirectional

Bidirectional microphones hear equally from the sides, but they don?t hear from the edges.

Bidirectional microphones are an excellent choice for recording two sound sources to one track with the most intimacy and least adverse phase interaction and room sound. Position the mic between the sound sources for the best blend. Once you?ve committed the sound to one tape track, there?s not much you can do to fix a bad balance or blend.

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