What are the different types of pickup patterns microphones use?
There are five main patterns used: Cardioid, Supercardioid, omni-directional, figure eight (bi-directional), and lobar (shotgun). A cardioid pickup pattern picks up sound from in front of the mic capsule while rejecting sounds from behind. It picks up sound from directly in front the strongest, while gradually weakening as you move you at an angle from the front. Its pattern looks a bit like a heart. It’s good for situations where you don’t want a lot of ambient noise or stage noise. A supercardioid pickup pattern is basically a tighter version of a cardioid pattern. It’s pickup strength drops more sharply as you move away from the center. It’s good for live situations where you want an extreme degree of seperation between different mic signals. An omni-directional pickup pattern is one that picks up sound equally from all sides. A large bodied mic tends to prevent sound waves from reaching the capsules at certain angles, so omni-directional mics are often made with smaller bodies. Its
