Types of Microphones & Audio Pick up Patterns
Directional
Microphone
Omnidirectional
Microphone
Whats the Difference?
The difference between Omnidirectional and Directional mics is all about where they pick up sound. An omnidirectional mic picks up sound from every direction equally where a directional mic is designed to pick up sound from single direction in a variety of pick up patterns. The simple answer is an omnidirectional mic picks up sound from all directions and a directional mic only picks up sound from one. Being so different these mics are useful for different things, an omnidirectional mic is great for picking up the audio from anyone in the room during a conference call and a directional mic is great for picking up more isolated audio ranging from a side of the room to a single speaker depending on the pick up pattern.
Microphones are broken down into two categories and six different types. What category and type a microphone is placed in is determined by its audio pick up pattern. a mic’s pick up pattern is a pattern that shows the optimal way for the mic to pick up sound. A mic can be Omnidirectional or Directional, a directional mic can be broken down into five different types while an omnidirectional mic is simply an omnidirectional mic. The five types of directional pick up patterns are Cardioid, Hypercardioid, Supercardioid, Lobar, and Bidirectional.
Omnidirectional
Microphone type designed to pick up sound from all directions making it a great option for users who need flexible mic placement or are trying to pick up sound in an uncontrolled environment.
Cardioid Mic
The most flexible directional mic, the wide frontal lobe allows it to pick up sound over a wide area in the direction it is angled. This mic type will however pick up background noise if not in a controlled environment.
Hypercardioid Mic (Mini-Shotgun)
A more directional mic designed to isolate audio in the direction it is angled and ignore sound from the other surrounding areas. This mic type is great for recording stationary audio.
Supercardioid Mic (Shotgun)
A very similar pattern to the Hypercardioid but with an even tighter sound pick up area. Gives the user even better audio isolation, however these mics do have a tendency to pick up noise directly behind the microphone.
Lobar Mic (Unidirectional)
The closest mic to true directional, designed to block out all noise aside from the tight sound area in the direction it is pointed. These mics have a very small margin of error and are only recommended for skilled users.
Bidirectional Mic
Mic designed to pick up sound equally from the front and back of the microphone, while it is not designed to pick up noise from the sides it can pick up background noise if not in a controlled environment. Great for interviews and podcast recording.