What is the polar pattern, which is present in modern microphones, exactly? What is a polar pattern in a microphone? Why is it crucial? A polar pattern describes the natural directionality of a microphone, despite its intricate sound. The polar pattern of a microphone describes how sensitive it is to sounds coming at it from various directions.
Excellent/Perfect Pitch.
Let’s examine a visual illustration of an example. An illustration of a microphone’s polar pattern is a top-down, forward-facing perspective. The microphone’s front is shown by zero degrees on the picture, its back is indicated by 180 degrees, and its left and right edges are indicated by 270 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively. The diameter of each circle denotes a 5-decibel (dB) decrease in audio sensitivity from the outside to the inside.
As can be observed, at 90 and 270 decibels, the polar pattern drops below -5 dB and hits the outermost circle at zero degrees. In other words, the microphone’s sensitivity at its flanks is more than 5 dB lower than at its front.
We can observe that the sensitivity decreases incrementally as we travel towards the back of the microphone until reaching 0 dB at the very back. This theoretically indicates that no sound should be recorded from the back of
Using a polar pattern to choose the best course of action.
What is a polar pattern in a microphone? Why is it crucial? You can quickly and easily visualise the directionality of any recording microphone if you have a basic understanding of polar pattern pictures. You may choose the best microphone for your upcoming audio session by using the information provided below. You will also be able to recognise the polar pattern of a microphone’s most and least sensitive regions. In order to optimise the collection of a sound source’s desired output and reduce the recording of undesired noises, you will be able to make educated judgments about microphone placement.
Even while a microphone could have a great sound in principle, it might not be the best option for you if the polar pattern does not match the sound source or recording setting you want to use. What is a polar pattern in a microphone? Why is it crucial?
Micing up to a drum set is one of the most popular applications for polar patterns in isolation. What do we mean by that? In a subsequent post, you may learn more about this exercise.
Directional polar patterns.
The cardioid polar pattern is the most prevalent of the directional polar patterns, as seen in the image above. Cardio is frequently employed when one sound source has to be intensified while side and rear pickup are concurrently decreased because of the shape of the response (thus the name).
A vocalist might perform live on stage using a portable microphone. The microphone not only accurately records the singer’s voice but also a cardioid polar pattern. However, it also muffles sounds coming from other artists and the foldback monitors.
Pairing cardioid microphones held at a 90-degree angle to one another will produce the X/Y stereo effect. This technique is used by the Stereo VideoMic and NT4 microphones to distinguish between the left and right captures of the sound source. This method will be covered in more detail in a later article.
Polar patterns with hyper- and super-cardioid waves.
These polar patterns are modifications of the conventional cardioid form with a more concave frontal axis. If they are near to the capsule, they can also hear sound coming from the sides and back. This feature needs to be considered for both of these cardioid polar patterns.
The most severe forms of directional equipment are shotgun microphones. Sounds originating from the other sides will be mainly disregarded with a small front pickup area. The tighter the polar pattern in shotgun microphones, the longer the line tube. They are most frequently utilised on movie and television sets where distant sound has to be picked up. Sports events and nature films both employ the shotgun microphone.
Bidirectional (figure-of-eight) polar pattern.
Figure-of-eight microphones have a “8”-shaped polar pattern because they take up identical sound levels from the front and rear but not from the sides. Highly realistic sound reproduction is possible by capturing more of the environment that the recording area and the sound source naturally occupy. This gadget has a figure-of-eight polar pattern like all others of its kind.
Additionally, they are employed in the well-known Blumlein and mid/side stereo recording methods. We will go into more depth on figure-of-eight microphones, recording methods, and stereo arrays in a subsequent essay.
Polar pattern that is unidirectional.
Omnidirectional microphones produce a genuine and lifelike recording by collecting sound in a smooth sphere from all directions. Omnidirectional microphones, which typically come in lavalier and headset styles, allow the artist to move their head organically while still getting a clear recording. What is a polar pattern in a microphone? Why is it crucial?
Be sure to check out the polar pattern visuals for each RØDE microphone in the specifications section before making your selection. These elements will enable you to select the ideal microphone.
In the near future, you may learn about microphone positioning, selection, and recording procedures. Keep an eye on the RØDE blog for more fascinating upcoming posts.
Conclusion.
What is a polar pattern in a microphone? Why is it crucial? The crash course on frequency response, polar patterns, and microphone transducers is over. At this point in the signal chain, learning the fundamentals is necessary for a high-quality outcome. If you just remember one thing from this post, it should be that inputs are more important than outcomes. You won’t avoid headaches later if you don’t get things right at the beginning of the signal chain. With the essentials in hand, you can now make an informed decision to make sure your signal is set up properly for live or studio use.
