The microphone is the most used yet one of the most misunderstood tools in recording history!
Lets talk about Microphone Polarity
There are 7 types of Polarity patterns that a mic may be capable of producing. Most microphones are manufactured to be one type of Polar Pattern while more expensive mics are capable of switching into different polar patterns.
Definition of Microphone Polarity:
The polar pattern of a microphone is the sensitivity to sound relative to the direction or angle from which the sound arrives. How the physical body of the microphone is oriented relative to the diagrams depends on the microphone design.
Ok Lets break that down into a few examples...
First lets look at one of the most common live microphones used in music history...
The Sure SM 58
THe SM 58 is a Cardiod Polar Pattern which looks like this...
Cardiod is the most commonly used Polar Pattern used for Vocal recordings. The pick up pattern is Heart-Shaped. These mics pick up the best sound when the audio source is pointed directly in front of the capsule no more than a few inches away.
Another commonly used Polar Pattern:
Shotgun Polar Pattern
Shotgun microphones are most commonly used for Film and Live On-Set Productions. These microphones are much more directional and sensitive than the Cardiod. You are probably familiar with this microphone since you have seen this guy before...
Lastly, I will discuss...
Omnidirectional Polar Pattern
The omnidirectional microphone is most commonly used for group and area recordings.
The pick up pattern is round and picks up equally around all sides.
If you want to record a choir or the crowd in a stadium, you should probably bring an omnidirectional mic to record with!
Pop Quiz:
What is the model and polarity pattern of the microphone in the first photo?
First ten people that answer correctly will receive 1 STEEM.
If you have any questions about audio please leave a comment and I will reply!
I hope you have learned something today that will benefit you the next time you are on stage!
Stay tuned for more Audio 101 Lessons!
I hope you enjoy learning about the musical process!
As always, keep on creating!
-edgarstudio