What is supercardioid microphone?

A supercardioid microphone has a very directional supercardioid polar/pickup pattern. It is most sensitive to on-axis sounds (where the mic “points”) with null points at 127° and 233° and a rear lobe of sensitivity. Supercardioid mics are popular in film due to their high directionality.

Is a cardioid mic better?

A cardioid mic is an obvious choice if you want to focus on a specific sound. They’re also particularly useful for keeping each sound as a separate recording to mix later. Cardioids are ideal for studio use because they’re less sensitive than omnidirectional mics to sound reflections from the room.

Are cardioid and condenser mics the same?

The two are not mutually exclusive, because condenser microphones are also cardioid. Dynamic mics are cardioid too! The main takeaway is this: cardioid is a polar pattern, while condenser is a type of microphone.

What is the difference between cardioid and omnidirectional?

Omnidirectional microphones are microphones that hear everything that’s going on around them. They are equally sensitive to sound from all directions. Cardioid microphones “listen” to sound from the front and reject sound from the rear.

What is cardioid mic pattern?

Cardioid (kar-dee-oid) is the most common directional polar pattern, with the highest sensitivity to sound coming in from directly in front of the microphone capsule (0º), practically no sensitivity to sound coming directly from behind (180º), and a reduced sensitivity to sound coming in from the sides (90º/270º).

What are cardioid microphones used for?

Cardioid microphones are used in applications where sound needs to be picked up from the front and sides but not the rear. An example of this may be musical performance where a singer may be singing in the front, a band playing instruments on the sides, with an audience of viewers in the back.

Which type of mic is best for vocals?

cardioid dynamic microphone
In my experience, and most musicians and sound engineers’ experience, the best microphone type for live vocals is a cardioid dynamic microphone. It’s preferred if this microphone also has a boost in the presence range of its frequency response as well as a low and high-end roll-off.

Which is better condenser or cardioid mic?

The cardioid mic is directional and is good at rejecting noise from behind. However, it can often be quite sensitive to plosives! (For the curious, dynamic microphones rely on the movement of a coil around a magnet to turn sound into an audio signal, while condenser microphones use a capacitor.)

What cardioid means?

heart-shaped curve
Definition of cardioid : a heart-shaped curve that is traced by a point on the circumference of a circle rolling completely around an equal fixed circle and has an equation in one of the forms ρ = a(1 ± cos θ) or ρ = a(1 ± sin θ) in polar coordinates.

What is the difference between omnidirectional and condenser microphone?

Low frequency response: Omnidirectional condenser microphones have in general a more extended low frequency response and lower distortion over directional microphones in a considerably longer distance, say, a figure of over 30 cm. Proximity effect: This is the biggest difference between omnidirectional vs cardioid.

Where do you put a cardioid mic?

To place a cardioid microphone, cover one ear and cup your hand behind the other ear and listen. Move around the player or sound source until you find a spot where the frequencies from the instrument are the most balanced. For a stereo pair, cup your hands behind both ears.

What is cardioid pattern?

The cardioid pattern is the most common unidirectional microphone pickup pattern. The definition of cardioid is “heart-shaped” and a quick look at the diagram to the right shows where it got its name.

What is the definition of cardioid?

A cardioid (from the Greek καρδία “heart”) is a plane curve traced by a point on the perimeter of a circle that is rolling around a fixed circle of the same radius.

What is a cardioid dynamic microphone?

Cardioid dynamic vocal microphone offers a frequency response for vocals with a brightened mid-range and bass roll-off to control proximity effect. The term handheld microphone generally means any microphone that’s supposed to be held in the hand while picking up sound.

What is “wide cardioid”?

Wide Cardioid. A polar pattern that falls between an omnidirectional pattern and a traditional cardioid pattern. Wide cardioid, also known as ” subcardioid ” offers broader pickup and natural response, while still providing rejection from the rear of the microphone.