Hello, I am Neval Chatelal from the southernmost island in the Caribbean, Trinidad.

I am a vocalist by
profession and recently decided to start learning about music production. I currently own no gear at all
and Ill be using just my laptop to create this assignment.
This lesson is for week 1 of Introduction to Music Production at Coursera.org and I will be teaching
Microphone Polar Patterns.

A major consideration when choosing a microphone, whether for studio recording or live performance,
is its Polar Pattern or Pickup Pattern.
A microphones polar pattern is the three dimensional space around the microphone that is sensitive to
sound waves. Besides sensitivity, the polar pattern also shows where the microphone rejects sound
and is least sensitive or deaf in a sense - in other words, the microphones directional characteristic.
The polar pattern tells you how the mic should be placed to maximize pickup of the desired sound
source while minimizing feedback or pickup of unintended sound sources. Polar pattern also affects the
frequency response of a microphone and this must be considered during application.

The most common Polar Patterns are:

1. OMNIDIRECTIONAL

Microphones with this polar pattern are equally sensitive to sound from all directions
with a slight preference for sounds coming from the direction in which they are pointed.
Their diaphragms measure sound pressure at a single point in space resulting in no
cancellation to create a directional response, hence the name omnidirectional.
Also called pressure microphones.
An omnidirectional mic can pick up a group of people sitting around a table, but it cant
be aimed to favour one source over another. That means it is also prone to feedback.

2. FIGURE-8 or BI-DIRECTIONAL

Also called pressure gradient microphones, both sides of the diaphragm are exposed to
incoming sound waves and the difference in pressure is measured.
This makes them very sensitive to sound from the front and rear of the diaphragm
hence the name Bi-directional.
Sound waves arriving parallel to the diaphragm create no pressure difference between
sides, thereby nullifying the response and rejecting sound from these sides resulting in
the Figure-8 polar pattern.
Bidirectional mics have a very narrow pickup angle, which makes them useful for
isolating one voice, or instruments that are surrounded by other sound sources, as long
as there is nothing directly behind the mic. They are useful for picking up two sources
that are positioned side by side. The deep null rejects everything else.

3. CARDIOID or UNIDIRECTIONAL

For situations where a more restricted pickup pattern would be desirable, the third type
of pattern, unidirectional, comes into play. By combining the signals of BOTH
Omnidirectional AND Figure-8 microphones here is what happens:
In the front the positive signals combine to be 2 times as strong. A sound from the
front will also be delayed at the rear, but as its already arriving ahead at the front, the
rear arrival will be delayed long enough to make it once again in-phase with the front
arrival, reinforcing that front-originating sound. You now have a mic which is more
sensitive to sounds coming from the front.
In the rear If a sound wave originates in the rear, it can be delayed long enough to
make it strike the rear of the diaphragm at the same time as it works its way around and
strikes the frontthis will result in equal but opposite pressure at front and rear, and
cancel out, causing that rear-originating sound to be rejected. The negative signal of the
Figure-8 cancels out the positive signal of the omni.
On the sides the signal from the omni remains the same.

When the pattern of this kind of unidirectional design is plotted, it looks like a heart
shape, and so is commonly referred to as a cardioid pattern from the Latin for heart.
A unidirectional microphone picks up less ambient noise than an omnidirectional type
and is less susceptible to feedback when used with a sound system.

4. SUPERCARDIOID/HYPERCARDIOID

By mixing MORE figure-8 signal with LESS omni, cardioid patterns could be made even
MORE directionally sensitive.
As a side effect, this would also create a small bulb of sensitivity emerging from the rear.
A Supercardioid provides better isolation from room noise and nearby instruments and
can be more resistant to feedback than a cardioid mic, but it requires the user to
maintain a more consistent position directly in front of the mic.

Hypercardioids feature some of the characteristics of a bidirectional microphone in that

they have more sensitivity to the rear; however, they reject sound well from the sides
and are exceptionally good at rejecting feedback. Because they are so directional, they
require very precise placement to the source. Like a supercardioid pattern, the
hypercardioid provides extreme rejection of ambient sound sources.

In this diagram example 1 part Omni is combined with 2 parts Figure-8

5. MULTIPATTERN

Multipattern mics often offer all these patterns, for a wide degree of flexibility in use.
Simply by varying the output from two back-to-back cardioid capsules, you could
recreate virtually any polar pattern imaginable.
By combining both cardioid signals, you get an omnidirectional pattern.
By combining both but reversing the polarity of one, you get a figure 8 pattern.
By turning off one, and using the other, you get a cardioid pattern.

Reflection: I have been using Microphones for both vocal performance and studio recordings, during
which, Ive intuitively noticed some of the characteristics of the microphones in use. However, this study
has given me an entirely new appreciation for microphones and their various applications both on stage
and in the recording booth. It is nothing short of ear-opening. I am yet to purchase studio gear but I
definitely feel more comfortable armed with new knowledge.
Thanks for taking the time to review my notes and I look forward to having your feedback and assistance
in expanding my knowledge base even more.
Warmest Regards,
Neval Chatelal

References and Resources:

http://www.akg.com/pro/p/c414xlii
http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/198.html
http://www.slideshare.net/YashaswiniYashaswini/microphone-pickup-patterns-g
http://blog.shure.com/multi-pattern-microphones-what-where-and-how/