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# Microphone Polar Patterns Explained: Cardioid, Omni and More
- URL: https://soundforgepro.com/microphone-polar-patterns/
- Published: 2026-10-04T06:17:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-10T13:56:01.000Z
- Description: A practical guide to microphone polar patterns: how to read a polar plot, choose cardioid, omni, figure-eight or tighter directional patterns, and account for off-axis tone and proximity effect.
- Author: Erick Finn
- Tags: Recording

**A microphone polar pattern shows how sensitive the microphone is to sound arriving from different directions. It helps you place the microphone, control room sound and reduce bleed, but it is not a hard boundary around the capsule. Read it as a map of sensitivity, then check the actual microphone's frequency-labeled plot before making a precise placement decision.**

- **Most open room sound:** start with omni when the room is worth hearing and the microphone design supports it.
- **Front focus:** cardioid is the usual starting point for one source in a less controlled space.
- **Front and rear pickup:** figure-eight hears two opposing lobes and rejects the sides.
- **Tighter front lobe:** supercardioid or hypercardioid narrows the front, but each leaves a rear lobe.

## What does a microphone polar pattern mean?

A polar pattern, also called a pickup pattern, describes sensitivity by arrival angle. [Shure describes directionality as the microphone's sensitivity relative to the direction or angle of arriving sound](https://www.shure.com/en-GB/insights/microphone-basics-transducers-polar-patterns-frequency-response). The pattern tells you which directions receive the strongest response and which directions receive less.

A polar plot is usually drawn as a circle around the microphone. The microphone sits at the center, 0 degrees marks the front, 90 degrees marks the side and 180 degrees marks the rear. A plot that reaches farther from the center represents greater sensitivity at that angle. The circles or rings usually show a change in decibels, so read the legend before comparing shapes. [LEWITT's guide uses a 360-degree field and 5 dB rings to explain this reading method](https://www.lewitt-audio.com/blog/polar-patterns).

The diagram is a compact summary of a measurement condition. It does not tell you that sound stops outside the outline, that every frequency has the same shape or that a source can move anywhere inside the lobe without a tonal change.

## The three broad pattern families

Microphone makers commonly group patterns into omnidirectional, unidirectional and bidirectional families. The familiar cardioid, supercardioid and hypercardioid shapes sit inside the unidirectional group. Figure-eight is another name for bidirectional.

| Family          | Where it is most sensitive    | What to watch                                                                                                                    |
| --------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Omnidirectional | Broadly around the microphone | Room sound and unwanted sources remain part of the recording; high-frequency response can become more directional.               |
| Unidirectional  | Primarily from the front      | Cardioid-family patterns reduce sound from some angles, but off-axis tone, rear lobes and proximity effect depend on the design. |
| Bidirectional   | Front and rear lobes          | The sides are the main null region; placement behind the microphone still matters.                                               |

## Common microphone polar patterns

The chart below draws the five classic shapes on one 5 dB grid, so you can compare how wide each front lobe is, where the rear lobes sit and at which angle each null falls. Real microphones depart from these ideal curves, which is why the sections that follow keep pointing back to the model's own plot.

![Five polar charts on a 5 dB grid comparing omnidirectional, cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid and figure-8 pickup, with nulls marked at 180, about 125, about 110 and 90 degrees and rear lobes of inverted polarity shown dashed](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/4b/af4b05d4-2e0b-4edc-8378-1e2a62fecc70/content/images/2026/09/microphone-polar-patterns-compared.webp)

The five classic shapes on one scale. Supercardioid, hypercardioid and figure-8 each have a rear lobe of opposite polarity; real microphones depart from these ideal curves as frequency changes.

### Omnidirectional

An omnidirectional microphone is designed to respond broadly from all angles. It can sound open and natural in a good room and can suit a wide source where pointing the capsule at one performer would be restrictive. The tradeoff is control: an omni pattern cannot favor one direction over another, so a noisy room, nearby instrument or monitor can enter the recording.

Omni does not mean identical response at every frequency. [Neumann notes that pressure transducers can become more directional at high frequencies](https://www.neumann.com/en-us/knowledge-base/glossary/glossary-microphones). Check the model's plot when the upper-midrange or treble balance matters. Pressure-operated omni microphones generally do not show the same proximity effect as gradient microphones, but a multi-pattern microphone in its omni setting still needs to be judged by its own design and documentation.

### Cardioid

Cardioid is the standard front-facing pattern. A typical cardioid plot is strongest at 0 degrees and least sensitive at 180 degrees, with a broad front lobe that narrows toward the sides. That makes it a useful starting point for a single voice or instrument when you want less room and background sound than an omni microphone would capture. [Shure's polar pattern basics guide](https://www.shure.com/en-us/insights/microphone-directionality-polar-pattern-basics) estimates that, in many cases, a cardioid reduces ambient noise by about two-thirds compared with its omni counterpart.

The rear minimum is a null direction, not a promise of silence. Real microphones vary with frequency, and a source placed slightly off axis can sound different even when its level falls. Keep the unwanted source near the part of the plot with the lowest response, then listen for both level and tone.

### Supercardioid

Supercardioid tightens the front pickup compared with cardioid and rejects more from the sides. It also has a small rear lobe, so a source directly behind the microphone is not automatically in a safe zone. A narrow front lobe rewards consistent orientation and can be useful when side spill is the main problem.

The same Shure guide gives a typical minimum-sensitivity angle of about 125 degrees for supercardioid, while [DPA's polar pattern guide](https://www.dpamicrophones.com/mic-university/technology/listen-to-your-polar-pattern/) places the supercardioid null at approximately ±135 degrees. That spread is the point: the angle is a family reference, not a universal setting for every microphone or frequency. Shure turns it into stage advice for both tighter patterns: avoid putting a wedge monitor directly behind the microphone and place it to either side at the least sensitive angle instead. Inspect the manufacturer's polar plot before placing a monitor, another instrument or a second voice near that angle.

### Hypercardioid

Hypercardioid narrows the front response further and can reject the sides strongly, but its rear lobe is usually more pronounced than the supercardioid rear lobe. Shure gives about 110 degrees as a typical minimum-sensitivity angle for hypercardioid and warns that the rear is more sensitive than with supercardioid. DPA places the hypercardioid null nearer ±115 degrees and adds a detail the pattern name hides: supercardioid, hypercardioid and figure-eight rear lobes all pick up with inverted polarity. If a source in that rear lobe also reaches another open microphone, the two copies arrive with opposite polarity and can partly cancel when the channels are mixed.

This is a precision pattern. Small changes in the microphone or source angle can change the balance, and placing an unwanted source directly behind the microphone can defeat the reason for choosing it. Use the actual plot and the actual room rather than treating the word *hypercardioid* as a guarantee of maximum isolation.

### Figure-eight or bidirectional

A figure-eight microphone has two main lobes: one at the front and one at the rear. Its lowest-sensitivity regions are at the sides, around 90 and 270 degrees. That makes it useful when you want to capture two opposing sources or keep a side source out of the pattern.

Front and rear pickup are not automatically identical in tone. The microphone's frequency response, housing and orientation still matter. When placing a figure-eight, treat the side nulls as useful directions for unwanted sound and remember that the area behind the microphone is an active pickup lobe.

That rear lobe has inverted polarity, which matters most when a figure-eight is part of a stereo pair. [RØDE's polar pattern explainer](https://rode.com/en-us/about/news-info/what-are-a-microphones-polar-patterns) names Blumlein and mid/side as figure-eight stereo methods and describes the simpler X/Y pair as two cardioids held together at a 90-degree angle. All three depend on how two channels combine, so check any stereo capture in mono as well; the [mono compatibility and phase correlation guide](https://soundforgepro.com/mono-compatibility-phase-correlation/) shows what to listen for and what the meter can confirm.

### Wide cardioid and subcardioid

Wide cardioid, often called subcardioid, sits between omni and cardioid. [Shure describes subcardioid as close to omni but still slightly directional](https://www.shure.com/en-US/insights/specialist-polar-patterns-hypercardioid-and-subcardioid). It keeps a broad front area and some rear sensitivity, with less aggressive rejection than a conventional cardioid. It can be a sensible compromise when you want a natural room contribution without making the microphone fully open.

The label describes a family shape, not a fixed curve. Compare the plot at the frequencies that matter for the source. A microphone can be wide at low frequencies and tighter at high frequencies, or show a different balance because of its capsule and acoustic path.

## How to read a polar pattern chart

1. **Find the front.** Locate 0 degrees and confirm which end of the physical microphone points there. End-address and side-address microphones do not present the capsule in the same way.
2. **Read the rings.** Identify the decibel spacing. A line one ring inward is lower sensitivity by the amount shown in the legend, not automatically a silent zone.
3. **Locate the nulls.** The deepest inward points are the directions with the lowest sensitivity in that plot. They are the first places to aim an unwanted source, but they are not guaranteed cancellation at every frequency.
4. **Compare frequency traces.** If the chart shows several colors or line styles, the shape is frequency-dependent. A microphone can have a smooth cardioid at one band and a wider or more uneven response at another.
5. **Check the off-axis tone.** A source can become darker, thinner or otherwise colored as it moves around the capsule. [Shure identifies off-axis coloration as a change in frequency response with angle](https://www.shure.com/en-GB/insights/microphone-basics-transducers-polar-patterns-frequency-response).
6. **Translate the map into placement.** Turn the microphone so the desired source is in the intended lobe and the strongest unwanted source is near a null. Then verify the result at the working distance.

## Why the same microphone changes with frequency

A polar pattern is not a single three-dimensional sticker. Wavelength, capsule size, acoustic ports, housing and the microphone's operating principle all affect how the response changes with frequency. A plot may show several frequency groups for that reason.

This matters when the unwanted sound has a different spectrum from the desired source. A pattern can reject a midrange spill source while allowing more high-frequency or low-frequency energy through. It can also preserve level reasonably well off axis while changing the tone. For a critical placement, use the manufacturer's plot for the exact model and do not borrow the curve from a similar-looking microphone.

Shure's basics guide warns that on some microphones, particularly cheaper designs, a pattern specified as supercardioid may hold at 1 kHz and sit closer to omnidirectional at 150 Hz. Shotgun, or lobar, microphones show the effect even more clearly. [Shure's shotgun microphone guide](https://www.shure.com/en-US/insights/choosing-a-shotgun-microphone-the-long-and-short-of-it) explains that the interference tube narrows the pattern only above a frequency set by the tube's length; rejecting sound down to about 100 Hz would take a tube around 5.5 feet long. Below that point the pattern comes from the capsule itself, usually hypercardioid, so a shotgun's tight treble focus does not come with equally tight bass rejection.

## Off-axis sound and nulls

**Off axis** means that sound arrives from an angle away from the microphone's front reference. The volume usually changes, but the tonal balance can change as well. That is why turning a singer's head or rotating a microphone can alter clarity even when the source remains the same distance away.

A **null** is the lowest-sensitivity direction in a polar plot. It is useful for placing a monitor, fan or nearby instrument, but it is not a magic eraser. The null can move or become shallower at another frequency, and reflections can reach the capsule from other angles. Use it as a placement advantage, then check the whole acoustic path. Once reflections are baked into a take, no pattern choice can remove them; the guide to [removing echo from audio without wrecking speech](https://soundforgepro.com/remove-echo-from-audio/) covers what editing can still reduce.

## Polar patterns and proximity effect

Proximity effect is the increase in low-frequency response that can occur as a gradient-type directional microphone moves closer to a source. It is strongest on axis for many directional designs, but the amount depends on source geometry, operating principle, distance and orientation.

[DPA explains that proximity depends on the source, the gradient microphone and the angle of incidence](https://www.dpamicrophones.com/mic-university/background-knowledge/proximity-effect-in-microphones-explained/), and that a pressure-operated omni microphone does not show the same effect. This is why a universal rule such as “move the mic this far away” is misleading. Read the manufacturer's frequency response and use the intended source distance as a starting condition.

When a close vocal sounds too heavy, first check the microphone's distance and angle. Moving it, changing the pattern or choosing a design with a different low-frequency response may solve the problem before EQ. If the source is a plane-like instrument or the microphone is used off axis, the result can differ from the familiar close-vocal example.

## Which polar pattern should you choose?

| Situation                                         | Starting point                                 | Decision to verify                                                                                                      |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| One source, untreated room, unwanted sound behind | Cardioid                                       | Keep the unwanted source near the rear minimum and check off-axis tone.                                                 |
| Side spill is the main problem                    | Supercardioid or hypercardioid                 | Map the rear lobe and minimum-sensitivity angle before placing other sources.                                           |
| Good room, wide source or natural ambience        | Omnidirectional or wide cardioid               | Confirm that the room and other sound sources are worth capturing.                                                      |
| Two opposing sources                              | Figure-eight                                   | Put the sources on the front and rear lobes and keep the loudest unwanted sound near the sides.                         |
| Close source with too much low end                | Omni, a wider pattern or a different placement | Check the microphone's operating principle and frequency response; pattern labels alone do not predict the bass change. |

There is no universally best pattern. The useful match is the one that puts the desired source in a stable lobe, the unwanted source near a real null and the room contribution at a level you can accept.

On a multi-pattern microphone, make sure the switch matches that choice. [The Podcast Host's pattern guide](https://www.thepodcasthost.com/equipment/microphone-polar-patterns/) says that when podcasters complain their Blue Yeti sounds bad, the usual cause is that it is set to omnidirectional for solo or remote-call recording, and recommends switching it to cardioid. If you are still deciding what kind of microphone to buy for that job, the [USB vs XLR microphone comparison](https://soundforgepro.com/usb-vs-xlr-microphone/) covers the trade-offs beyond the pattern.

## What to check before trusting a chart

Before you use a polar pattern as a placement rule, confirm five details in the microphone documentation:

- Which end or side of the microphone is the front reference?
- Which frequencies are shown, and are the traces measured under the same conditions?
- Does the chart show a typical pattern or the exact model and selectable mode?
- Are rear rejection, side rejection or acceptance-angle values defined in the document?
- Does the microphone's operating principle change the proximity-effect expectation?

The spec terms in that list have plain meanings. The LEWITT guide linked above defines the acceptance angle as the zone in which sensitivity falls by no more than 3 dB and gives about −20 dB as a typical cardioid rear rejection, which means sound from behind is picked up at roughly a tenth of the front sensitivity. It describes the distance factor as how far a directional microphone can sit from the source, compared with an omni, while keeping the same ratio of direct and reflected sound. A figure quoted without its frequency tells you less than the plot it came from.

A good example is the [Neumann U 87 Ai documentation](https://www.neumann.com/en-us/products/microphones/u-87-ai), which lists omni, cardioid and figure-eight modes and publishes separate official diagrams. The diagrams are useful model evidence, but they should not be presented as a universal picture of every microphone with the same pattern label.

## The short answer

Choose a polar pattern by asking where the desired sound is, where the unwanted sound is and how much room you want in the recording. Use cardioid for a practical front-focused starting point, omni for an open response in a suitable room, figure-eight for front-and-rear pickup with side rejection, and supercardioid or hypercardioid when a narrower front response is worth managing the rear lobe.

Then read the exact microphone's plot. Check the nulls, frequency traces, off-axis tone and proximity-effect conditions before you lock the stand position. If you are checking the resulting input rather than the pattern itself, the [SoundForgePro microphone test](https://soundforgepro.com/microphone-test/) covers level, clipping and noise as a separate signal check.