Microphone Polar Patterns: Cardioid, Omni, Figure-8 and Which to Pick

Updated: June 2026

Quick answer: A microphone's polar pattern is the shape of where it listens. Cardioid picks up the front and rejects the rear — the default for solo voice work. Omnidirectional hears equally in all directions, good for natural ambience. Figure-8 hears front and back, rejects sides — perfect for two-person face-to-face interviews. Picking the right pattern matters more than buying a better mic.

TL;DR — Match pattern to scene

  1. Solo voice (podcast, voice-over, gaming): cardioid.
  2. Two people face-to-face (interview): figure-8.
  3. Room ambience, choir, group around a table: omnidirectional.
  4. Live stage with bleed problem: supercardioid or hypercardioid.
  5. Outdoor reporting: shotgun (lobar) for distant sources.

What polar pattern means

Microphone diaphragms are sensitive on one or both sides. Manufacturers shape that sensitivity by combining ports and acoustic delays — the result is the "polar pattern", drawn as a flat map of how loud a sound at each angle around the mic appears in the recording. Patterns range from a perfect circle (omni) to a tight rear-rejecting heart (cardioid) to a dual-lobe (figure-8). Knowing your pattern is the first step in reducing room noise, bleed, and feedback.

Detailed Guide

1. Cardioid — the everyday workhorse

Heart-shaped. Maximum sensitivity at 0° (in front), about −6 dB at 90° (side), almost zero at 180° (rear). Used in every common podcast, streaming and voice-over mic (Shure SM7B, SM58, MV7; Rode PodMic; Audio-Technica AT2020). The rear rejection lets you mute room reflections and computer fan noise that sit behind the mic.

2. Supercardioid and hypercardioid

Tighter front lobe than cardioid, plus a small rear lobe. They reject the sides better than cardioid (key for live stages where monitors sit at 90°) but pick up some sound directly behind the mic. Off-axis colouration is more aggressive than cardioid.

3. Omnidirectional

Equal sensitivity in all directions. Used for lavalier mics on TV (the talent moves the head while the lav stays facing forward), for room ambience and for orchestral recording. Pros: no proximity effect; cons: no rejection of room noise. Don't pick omni for a noisy office.

4. Figure-of-eight (bidirectional)

Hears front and back equally, rejects the sides at 90° with very deep null (often −30 dB or more). Ribbon mics are naturally figure-8. The classic interview shot: two people face each other across the mic; the strong side rejection mutes everything to the sides.

5. Shotgun (lobar)

A long interference tube extends a tight forward lobe. Used by TV news crews and documentary boom operators to pick up a single subject across the room. The pattern narrows with frequency, so the off-axis sound colour changes audibly when people walk past the mic.

6. Multi-pattern mics

Premium condensers (AKG C414, Neumann TLM-67, Rode NT2-A) let you switch between omni, cardioid, figure-8 and intermediates. Two diaphragms back-to-back let the mic synthesise any pattern by mixing their outputs.

7. Pattern and proximity effect

Directional patterns (cardioid, supercardioid, figure-8) boost bass when you get close to the mic — the proximity effect. Use it on purpose to add weight to voices, or pull back 15 cm to keep tone natural. Omnidirectional mics have no proximity effect; bass stays consistent regardless of distance.

8. How to test your mic's pattern

Open DoCam microphone test. Speak from the front, the side, the rear, watching the level meter at each position. A cardioid drops 20 dB at the rear; an omni barely changes at all.

FAQ

Will a directional mic remove my air-conditioner noise?
Only if the noise sits in the rejection zone (rear for cardioid, sides for figure-8). Otherwise no.

Can a USB mic switch polar patterns?
Some can (Blue Yeti, AT2020USB-X+). Most don't. Read the spec sheet before buying.

What pattern do I pick for streaming?
Cardioid in 95 % of cases. Rear of mic faces noisy gear, screen, keyboard.

Is a figure-8 mic useful for solo voice?
Not really — you only get rejection at 90° to the sides. Cardioid is better.

Why does my voice sound different when I turn my head?
Off-axis colouration. Directional mics colour high frequencies differently at the side and rear.

Key Takeaways

  • Polar pattern is the shape of where the mic listens — it's the cheapest way to control room noise.
  • Cardioid is the default; figure-8 fits face-to-face interviews; omni for ambience.
  • Directional mics have proximity effect; use it to thicken voice or move back to stay natural.
  • Test the pattern of your mic by speaking from front/side/rear and watching the level.

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