Ian Marples has been playing guitar for over 10 years, and now runs the website http://www.uncleslinky.co.uk to help other guitarists learn how to succesfully record music at home.
For similar information to this article subscribe to his FREE Newsletter by sending a blank email to homerecording@uncleslinky.co.uk
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Related Q&A
Polar Patterns describe the way in which a microphone picks up the sound from around it. Some microphones are directional and only pick up from a particular direction whereas others will pick up from all around.
There are essentially five main polar responses or pick-up patterns, these are:
Cardioid -
With a Cardioid pattern (the name coming from the heart shape of the pattern) the vast majority of the sound is picked up from the front of the microphone with a reasonable amount from the sides. Very little, however, is picked up from behind.
As a result, you can point this mic at the sound you want to pick up. This is probably the most commonly used pattern you will come across as it is very versatile and can be used in practically all situations.
Hyper-Cardioid -
Hyper-Cardioid microphones have a similar pattern to cardioid but the response from the sides (referred to as off-axis) is less. This makes it more directional than the Cardioid. Hyper cardioid microphones are used when isolation between sound sources is important.
They are less sensitive to off-axis sounds and will not pick up near-by sources as easily. Another common use is when used live and there is a feedback problem. Hyper-Cardioid microphones are less likely to pick up sound spill from speakers due to their more directional nature and thus reduce the chances of feedback occurring.
Shotgun -
Shotgun microphones have a very tight pickup pattern and are highly directional. They are used primarily to pick up sounds from a distance. Common uses are in broadcast/film recording work where the mic can be held or suspended 'off-camera' and in the theatre for picking up actors on stage without having to individually mic them all.
Due to the sensitivity of these microphones, they are all condensers and, as such, require a phantom power supply.
Omni-directional –
Omni-directional microphones pick up sound from all directions equally as can be seen from the polar response. They tend to produce the most natural sound of all the pickup patterns, capturing the sound source plus all the other acoustic reverberations and nuances.
They are also not susceptible to the Proximity Effect as are Cardioids. As such, they are used mainly for recording work. Omni's are not normally used for live work, as they would pick up unwanted sounds such as the audience and sound from speakers, creating one horrendous feedback problem.
Figure 8 –
Figure-of-8 microphones again tend to find their use for recording work, picking up sound from the front and rear of the mic but not from the sides. They are often used when making stereo recordings.
How to Construct a Diminished Chord in Less Than 10 Minutes
By: Kyle Morrison Lovely | 07/01/2009Although not as common as major and minor chords, diminished chords are equally as important to understand. Learning how to build diminished chords is a crucial skill for musicians in all genres, and you can learn how to do it in just a few minutes.
Music Review of Freedom Wind by the Explorers Club
By: Darren Tan | 07/01/2009Freedom Wind by The Explorers Club awed us with the beautiful vocal “Forever”. The moment Jason sang, “She’s the kind of girl who’s in my thought, all night…”, along with James, David and Wally. It was really awesome!
Learn Guitar Notes
By: Ricky Sharples | 07/01/2009This article will serve as a kick-start to your understanding of guitar notes and their place in your musical progress.
Live Radio Realised to be a Dream Weaver on Websites
By: Nisha Garg | 07/01/2009Live radio is applauded across the world since its introduction on websites. People have started to enjoy listening to radio on websites that offer free services. The quality of sound and the number of channels available are also impeccable.
Increasing Number of Online Guitar Resources
By: Claude Johnson | 06/01/2009Learning to play the guitar can seem like a mammoth task for the complete beginner, but with a few tips in the right direction it doesn't need to be out of reach. The first thing to consider when learning playing the guitar is how often you are going to practice, and from where you will access your guitar.
Reading Guitar Tablature: a Beginner’s Guide
By: Presto | 06/01/2009This article provides a quick guide to how you can use guitar tablature to quickly learn songs.
5 Popular Latin-american Music Genres
By: Steve McMains | 06/01/2009Latin American Music has been enriched by the contribution of native music traditions European folk music tradition as well as African music. Some of the popular Latin Music genres include Samba, Son, Salsa, Tango and Bossanova.
Buying Vintage Guitars Online Has Benefits
By: Robert Meyer | 06/01/2009The article highlights the benefits of buying vintage guitars online including a world marketplace and the convenience of shopping from home.
Listening to your Home Recordings Using Monitors
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicMonitors are basically speakers that you use when mixing down, also known as "studio monitors". Studio monitors are designed to create an accurate audio image of your track, with no unnatural emphasis of particular frequencies, whereas hi-fi speakers are designed to make all audio material sound quite pleasing to the ear..
Home Recording Guitar Using a Compressor
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicA compressor is a device that reduces (compresses) the dynamic range in a sound sources softest point to its loudest point to smooth the output, and can bring your audio material up to spec with professional recordings. An instrument that goes from very quiet and very loud over the course of a song can be difficult to record and mix. Either the quiet parts get lost or the loud sections overload the recording.
Home Recording Guitar - Why you Need a Mic Pre-amp
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicThe signal that a microphone picks up is actually very low, and needs to be boosted for it to be used with your recording device. This is exactly what a mic-preamp does; it boosts the signal to a level that is useable for recording...
Using an Isolation Box When Recording Guitar
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicMost guitarists know that to hit the “sweet” spot of your amplifier it has to be a fairly high volume, but the question is; how do you achieve those high studio volumes when you’re living in a house with other people or in an apartment block? Well, there are a few different ways...
The Art of Microphone Placement When Recording Guitar
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicLike any other piece of kit, the same microphone can give tremendously different results depending on how it is used. To get the sound you are looking for takes a bit of expertise and a lot of experimenting. Even the best microphones available can sound “boomy” and unusable if not used correctly. So, is microphone placement an art or a science?
Microphones for Home Recording Guitar
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicThere are a lot of things to consider when it comes to the sound you get from your microphone, not only in terms of price and quality, but also where you actually place the mic in relation to your amplifier. That's what we'll be discussing today.
How to Record Guitar Indirectly
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicIndirect recording is what I would call the “old school” method of actually plugging into a real guitar amplifier, and using a microphone to record the sound. Minimally this method requires an amplifier, microphone, mic-preamp and a converter. However, a whole heap of other units can be added, for example eq’s, mixers, compressors etc.
How to Record Guitar Directly
By: Ian Marples | 30/12/2007 | MusicRecording directly basically involves plugging into some sort of interface or desktop unit that gets your guitar into the computer using a USB or Firewire cable. From then on in, everything such as speaker simulation, amp modeling, eq’s, effects, compressors is entirely software based in some sort of audio program.