Microphones are often differentiated according to their directional characteristic. When you look at a microphone, you will often see one of the terms omnidirectional, cardioid or directional. Here we will explain what the differences are.
The directional characteristic indicates from which direction the microphone picks up sounds and tones.
Cardioid
Cardioid microphones are the most common type. The sound is mainly picked up from the front, so you have to stand directly in front of it to get the best sound.
Omnidirectional
Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound evenly from all directions. This is an advantage, of course, when several people are sitting around a microphone and all need to be recorded with the same quality. This type is often used in lavalier microphones to pick up everything evenly.
Directional
These microphones pick up sounds only from the direction they are pointing, other directions are usually suppressed by the microphone. This is helpful with many environmental sounds, as only the targeted object is picked up.