Microphone Polar Patterns
Pickup direction, rejection characteristics, and typical applications for common microphone patterns.
Equal pickup around the microphone; useful for lavaliers, ambience, and moving subjects.
Broad front pickup with mild rear rejection; captures the source plus room sound.
Strong front pickup and rear rejection; the common general-purpose pattern for speech and events.
Narrower front lobe with a small rear lobe; useful on booms and noisy stages.
Figure-eight pickup from front and rear with strong side rejection; useful for interviews and M/S recording.
Very narrow front pickup with a larger rear lobe; useful for isolated instruments and location sound.
Interference-tube pattern with very narrow high-frequency pickup; common for broadcast and camera work.