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Microphones Polar Patterns

Also called pickup patterns or directional patterns.

A polar pattern is a graph of a microphone's sensitivity vs. the angle of the incoming sound wave. The farther from center a point on the graph is, the stronger is the mic signal at that angle.

Omnidirectional

Picks up equally in all directions.

Half-omnidirectional or hemispherical

Picks up equally over a 180° spherical angle. This is the pickup pattern of PZMs.

All of the following patterns are considered unidirectional because they pick up mainly in one direction.

Cardioid

Heart-shaped pattern that offers maximum rejection (null) at the rear of the microphone.

Supercardioid

Has a narrower pickup pattern than cardioid, but also has some rear pickup. Note that there are two nulls of maximum sound rejection.

Hypercardioid

Has a narrower pickup pattern than supercardioid, but also has more rear pickup than supercardioid. Note that there are two nulls.

Half-unidirectional

The pickup pattern of PCC microphones.

Bidirectional

Figure-eight or cosine pattern. Picks up mainly in two directions, in front of and behind the microphone, and rejects sound from the sides.

Warranty and Service

Microphone Madness brand microphones come with a 1-year warranty on parts and labor. If you need to obtain service for any reason, the helpful engineers at Microphone Madness are only a phone call away and ready to service your microphone in a timely fashion.

Frequency Response

The measure of the consistency with which it translates a given sound pressure level into a given audio signal level at different frequencies.

Polar Response / Polar Pattern / Pickup Pattern

The way in which the element responds to sounds coming in from different directions. The several different kinds of patterns include omnidirectional, cardioid, hypercardioid and figure eight.

Sensitivity

A measure of the output level at a specific SPL level.

Maximum SPL

The maximum SPL a microphone will accept before distorting.

Impedance

The equivalent total AC resistance to current flow that would be seen looking into the microphone's output. Ideally, a microphone should be connected to a load whose input impedance is roughly ten times the mic's source, or output impedance.

Dynamic

Works like a loudspeaker; a diaphragm is coupled to a coil of fine wire. The coil is mounted in the air gap of a magnet, free to move about within the gap. As the diaphragm moves in response to acoustical energy, the coil moves within the magnetic field, thereby inducing a small electrical current.

Condenser

A gold plated plastic diaphragm, mounted above a conductive back plate, separated by a small volume of air, form an electrical component called a capacitor.

Electret Condenser

Electrets are unique in that the diaphragms are permanently charged in the manufacturing process and retain a static charge indefinitely.

Ribbon

Ribbons employ a transducer system similar to the dynamic microphone, but the diaphragm, a thin, corrugated metal ribbon, is stretched within the air gap of a powerful magnet.