Pickup Patterns

The different pickup patterns are omnidirectional, cardioid, hypercardioid, and bidirectional. Microphones with omnidirectional pickup patterns can pick up sound equally from all directions, although it's best from the front because the frequency response isn't equal in every direction. This type of pickup pattern is generally used for orchestra recordings to pick up all the instruments around the room, and it can also be used in a home setting to record instruments with some room ambience. In terms of the cardioid pattern, it picks up best from the front of the microphone, and essentially resembles a heart-shaped pattern because it also picks up a little on the sides and the back. Cardioid microphones are everywhere in the film industry today because they're really good for recording vocals, which has made them a staple in most stages and studios. A more directional pickup pattern is known as hypercardioid, and it's known for being less sensitive to sounds coming from the side, which makes it a useful tool in live situations or for recording drums. The final pickup pattern is bidirectional, and microphones that use the pattern can pick up sound almost equally in the front and the back, but nearly nothing to each side. This pattern is commonly used in ribbon mics, and it's best to use it when you need a high degree of sound rejection, which is seen in many stereo techniques.