Production Skills - Sound Intro

Omnidirctional

An omnidirectional microphone's response is considered to be a perfect sphere in XYZ dimensions. The body of the microphone is not small and, as a consequence, it tends to get in its own way in regard to sounds arriving from the rear, causing the sound to appear flat. This flattening increases as the diameter of the microphone reaches the wavelength of the frequency in question. The smallest diameter microphone gives the best omnidirectional characteristics at high frequencies.

Cardioid

Cardioid microphone, so named because the sensitivity pattern is a cardioid. The cardioid family of microphones are commonly used as vocal or speech microphones, since they are good at rejecting sounds from other directions.The cardioid response reduces pickup from the side and rear, helping to avoid feedback from the monitors. 

Figure of 8

"Figure 8" or bi-directional microphones receive sound equally from both the front and back of the element. Most ribbon microphones are this type of pattern.They do not respond to sound pressure but to the change in pressure between front and back; since sound arriving from the side reaches front and back equally there is no difference in pressure and therefore no sensitivity to sound from that direction. 

Shotgun

Shotgun microphones are the most highly directional. They pick up sound in front of itself but reject sound from other directions. They have small amounts of sensitivity to the left, right, and rear but are significantly less sensitive here than other directional microphones. This results from placing the element at the back end of a tube with slots cut along the side. Due to the narrowness of their sensitivity area, shotgun microphones are commonly used on television and film sets. Parabolic microphones have similar characteristics, but often have poorer bass response.