What is the difference between cardioid and hypercardioid

The polar pattern loses its null points at lower frequencies Hz. It also loosens up a bit and begins looking a bit subcardioid at 8, Hz. Link to check the price of the Beyerdynamic M on Amazon. The Audix D4 is a top-address moving-coil dynamic mic with a very-low-mass diaphragm and a hypercardioid polar response pattern. It excels at isolating instruments with solid low-end frequencies, whether in a live studio room or on stage.

The D4 excels on percussion instruments and drum kits, bass guitar cabinets, and many other instruments. This dual-diagram polar response graph shows the low-end frequencies on the left and the high-end frequencies on the right. On the low-end, the D4 appears to exhibit a subcardioid pattern from Hz to about 1, Hz. This also means a rear lobe of sensitivity begins developing. At the high-end, the D4 becomes almost hemispherical rather than truly hypercardioid.

The rear lobe of sensitivity is nearly negligible, though technically there. In the upper-frequency range, noted by 16, Hz, the D4 becomes extremely directional. Link to check the price of the Audix D4 on Amazon. The Audio-Technica ATB is a top-address externally polarized DC bias small-diaphragm condenser microphone with a hypercardioid polar response pattern.

This high-quality transformer microphone is a go-to for any professional application that requires the isolation of a single sound source. As the frequencies increase, the hypercardioid pattern tightens up. This is what we would expect from a microphone.

The Earthworks SR40V is a top-address handheld condenser microphone, marketed as having a hypercardioid polar response pattern. This microphone is intended to capture and reinforce live vocal performances, providing superb clarity and presence along with excellent off-axis rejection of extraneous stage noise and monitor projections. Immediately, the null points stand out to me when looking at the polar response graph of the SR40V.

On top of that, the side attenuation is around dB across the frequency spectrum, whereas typical hypercardioids are more directional with dB of side attenuation.

So the SR40V looks like a modified supercardioid or hypercardioid polar pattern. For an in-depth definition of all the polar response patterns listed above and much more , check out my article The Complete Guide To Microphone Polar Patterns.

What are cardioid microphones best used for? Cardioid microphones are often ideal any time a single sound source must be captured. They are unidirectional and provide excellent isolation and gain-before-feedback.

What is the function of a microphone? A microphone is a transducer of energy. Its function is to convert mechanical wave energy sound waves into coinciding electrical energy audio signals. In other words, mics turn sound into audio. There are various methods to achieve this conversion, but all have some sort of vibrating diaphragm. Choosing the right microphone s for your applications and budget can be a challenging task. Check it out for help in determining your next microphone purchase.

He's an audio engineer by trade and works on contract in his home country of Canada. When not blogging on MNM, he's likely hiking outdoors and blogging at Hikers' Movement hikersmovement.

Check out his Pond5 and AudioJungle accounts. Boiling water is usually associated with cooking or blanching. You will probably not hear the phrase "boiling strings" very often in everyday lingo. Why do guitarists and bassists boil their If you've been a guitarist or bassist for a long time, the chances are that you've restrung your guitar or bass numerous times.

This means that you may have a lot of string sets saved somewhere if Skip to content. Ideal Hypercardioid Polar Pattern. Cardioid microphones are used in applications where sound needs to be picked up from the front and sides but not the rear. A Supercardioid polar pattern is more directional than Cardioid ; Hypercardioid even more so. Unlike Cardioid , both of these polar patterns have sensitive rear lobes smaller in the Supercardioid that pick up sound, which can make positioning these highly-directional mics somewhat tricky.

Asked by: Ilinka Hohnschild asked in category: General Last Updated: 23rd April, What is the difference between cardioid and supercardioid microphones? Supercardioid microphones have a tighter reception pattern making them more directional. What are the four types of microphones? There are 4 main types of microphones: cardioid, super cardioid, omni and figure 8. These names describe where and how much the mic will pick up.

Cardioid: Imagine a Japanese fan coming from the tip of the mic. When would you use a hypercardioid microphone? Hypercardioid microphones are thus considered even more directional than cardioid microphones because they have less sensitivity at their sides and only slightly more directly behind. Hypercardioid microphones are frequently used in situations where a lot of isolation is desired between sound sources. What are condenser microphones best for?

Condenser microphones are most commonly found in studios. They capture a larger frequency range and have a good transient response, which is the ability to reproduce the "speed" of an instrument or voice. They also generally have a louder output but are much more sensitive to loud sounds.

What type of microphone should I buy? A microphone with a frequency response range of around 80 Hz to 15 kHz would make a good choice for a vocal mic. However for miking snares and toms, you would look for a range that starts lower, at around 50 Hz, and for a bass drum mic, you will want a low end of 40 Hz or even lower, down to 30 Hz. What is the best condenser mic for home studio? In other words, your singer had better keep that mic pointed at their mouth!

While a cardioid polar pattern is least sensitive at the rear degrees off-axis , a supercardioid mic is least sensitive at degrees and the hypercardioid at degrees; you will need to take this into consideration when placing stage wedges.

Also, the amount of sensitivity from the rear of a hypercardioid mic is greater than that of a supercardioid - meaning you need to take extra care of any sound coming from directly in front of the singer or sound-source. While this is the case for many microphones on the market, Shure's KSM9 cartridge uses a dual diaphragm element, which helps keep the proximity effect under control.

Sometimes referred to as 'wide cardioid', subcardioid is a rather obscure polar-pattern. Their directionality is actually quite close to omni — but not quite — resulting in a very natural, open sound suitable for performances with low stage volume where a more organic sound is desirable.

Subcardioid polar patterns are also much less prone to the proximity effect - particularly when combined with a dual diaphragm element such as the KSM9 described above. They are, however, more susceptible to feedback - think low-volume, small acoustic gigs when considering a subcardioid. When compared side-by-side hypercardioid and subcardioid polar patterns are chalk and cheese. We have one that's perfect for loud stage environments, and another that's better suited to quiet conditions.

Combine them together, and you've got a pretty versatile mic on your hands. The KSM9HS is a multi-pattern condenser microphone that can switch between hypercardioid and subcardioid at the flick of a switch.