PoducateMe: Practical Solutions for Podcasting in Education
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microphone’s ability to accurately reproduce sudden sonic impulses, such as those
produced by the human voice. Favored for their warmth and character, condensers are
the most popular style of microphone used in recording studios.
Directionality
Every microphone has a property known as directionality, which describes the
microphone's sensitivity to sound from various directions. Unidirectional microphones
(referred to as noise-canceling by some manufacturers) are less sensitive to sounds
coming from the rear and sides and can help isolate your voice from ambient noise and
reduce feedback. There are several classifications of uniderectional microphones,
including cardioid, hyper-cardioid or ultra-cardioid.
The following graphics illustrate “polar patterns,” or the sensitive areas of various types of
unidirectional microphones:
Cardioid
The most commonly used type of unidirectional mic, cardioids exhibit strong
sensitivity to sound from the front, good sensitivity on the sides and good rejection of
signals from the rear. The cardioid pattern draws its name from its heart-like shape.
The cardioid polar pattern
Supercardioid
Often confused with the hypercardioid pattern, the supercardioid pattern is very
similar to and slightly less directional than the hypercardioid pattern. Note that rear
sound sensitivity is much smaller in the supercardioid than in the hypercardaroid.
