View source for Template:Microphone Polar Pattern

For live sound applications with Bose systems, in preferred order, use:
#  Hypercardioid or Supercardioid
#  Cardioid
#  Omnidirectional 

<big>Reference Reading</big>
<div>There are two basic types of microphone &mdash; omnidirectional and unidirectional<ref>[http://www.shurenotes.com/issue14/article.asp Microphone Techniques - Shure Notes]</ref></div>.

; Omnidirectional Microphone 
[[Image:omni_icon.gif|left]] Omnidirectional mic. It is sensitive to sounds from all directions. 

: It's unlikely you will use an omnidirectional microphone in a live performance setting. You will pick up too much ambient noise from the room, the audience, and the loudspeakers (leading to feedback).

:: Use omnidirectional microphones when the sound source could be anywhere around the microphone. This picks up a lot of room ambiance, which sometimes is the goal. Direct and ambient sound can be adjusted by moving the microphone closer to or further from the sound source.


; Unidirectional Microphone 
Unidirectional microphones are sensitive to sound coming from only one direction. Examples:
* a vocalist singing directly on axis, directly into the microphone
* a guitar amplifier with the microphone aimed directly at the speaker cone 

All of the following types are unidirectional

; Cardioid  
[[Image:uni_con.gif|left]] The most common type of unidirectional microphone is called a “cardioid” because its pickup pattern is heart-shaped. It picks up most sound from the front of the microphone and some from the sides.

Although you will get better gain-before-feedback from a cardioid microphone than an omnidirectional microphone, you will get better gain-before-feedback from a supercardioid or hypercardioid microphone (see next section).

Examples of common cardioid microphones (good to great microphones, but not necessarily the best for gain-before-feedback with Bose L1 systems)
* Sennheiser e 835, e 935, MD 935
* Shure SM 58, SM 57, Beta 87C

;Supercardioid / Hypercardioid 

[[Image:superhypercardioid_icons.gif|left]] Supercardioid or hypercardioid microphones offer even greater sound isolation through narrower pickup patterns.
<br><br><br>

Examples of common supercardioid/hypercardioid microphones
* Audix OM 5, OM 3b, OM 6, OM 7, VX 5
* EV N/D 767A 
* Neumann KMS 105
* Sennheiser e 845, e 865, e 945, e 965, MD 441, MD 945, 
* Shure Beta 58A, Beta 87A


<noinclude>

----
<references />
----
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:Feedback]]
[[Category:Microphone]]

</noinclude>