Operating The C5; Understanding Polar Patterns - Miktek C5 Owner's Manual

Operating the C5

Understanding Polar Patterns

Perhaps the most important aspect of using your C5, or any other microphone, is to understand its polar pick up pattern
Every microphone has a characteristic polar pattern that determines how well it accepts or rejects signal coming from
various areas around the microphone capsule There are many types and variations of polar patterns but the three most
common are omniderctional, bi-directional or figure-eight and unidirectional or cardioid Omnidirectional microphones
produce a linear response regardless of where the sound source originates (in front of the mic, behind it, to the side, etc )
A bi-directional or figure-eight microphone picks up directly sound from the front and back while rejecting the sound at
the sides In contrast, cardioid mics are specifically designed to accept the sound coming from directly in front, and to
reject sound coming from behind or from the sides The C5's standard MK5a capsule provides a cardioid polar response
and for added flexibility it can be removed and changed with the optional MK5b omnidirectional capsule
While Omni and Bi-directional microphones are very useful for a variety of applications, the majority of miking
situations in recording and live sound applications require uni-directional or cardioid microphones The cardioid
pick-up pattern allows for better separation of instruments in the studio and more control over feedback in live sound
reinforcement When positioned correctly, the cardioid pattern allows you to pick up more of the sound you want and
less of the sound you don't want In live sound situations, the polar pattern also determines how prone a particular
microphone is to inducing feedback Feedback is that nasty howling sound that occurs when a mic is placed too close to a
loudspeaker—the signal from the loudspeaker is fed into the mic, then into the loudspeaker, then into the mic, over and
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