{"id":6271,"date":"2022-11-28T10:53:14","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/audioapartment.com\/?p=6271"},"modified":"2023-04-21T10:21:51","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T14:21:51","slug":"what-is-a-supercardioid-microphone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audioapartment.com\/instruments-and-equipment\/what-is-a-supercardioid-microphone\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Supercardioid Microphone? (Beginner’s Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you familiar with supercardioid microphones? These specialized microphones have a unique pickup pattern that allows them to capture sound from a specific direction, making them a popular choice for recording and live sound applications. Let’s dive in and find out what makes a supercardioid microphone so super!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we’ll explore what a supercardioid microphone is<\/strong>, how it works, and some of its important characteristics. We’ll also provide tips on how to use your supercardioid microphone and get the most out of it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a supercardioid microphone?<\/strong> A supercardioid microphone is a type of directional mic that has a narrow polar pattern. It is most sensitive to sound directed toward the mic’s on-axis because of the mic’s rear lobe, and the null points are at 127 degrees and 233 degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a supercardioid microphone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A supercardioid microphone is a kind of directional mic. The polar and pickup patterns of a supercardioid microphone are very narrow. It is most sensitive to on-axis noises, with a large rear lobe of sensitivity and null points at 127\u00b0 and 233\u00b0. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supercardioid microphones have a heart-shaped pickup pattern, which is more directional than that of a cardioid microphone but not as directional as a shotgun microphone. This allows them to capture a slightly wider area of sound than a shotgun microphone while still providing good isolation of the desired sound source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term “supercardioid” refers to the mic’s ability to produce a “super-directional” sound wave. This means that, unlike a normal microphone, this type of microphone simultaneously picks up sounds from everywhere<\/strong>. This extra data could improve the recording quality, making it easier to record voices and instruments<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the characteristics of a supercardioid microphone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A supercardioid microphone can be distinguished<\/strong> from other types of directional mics<\/a> through these characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. It is most sensitive to sound in the front and less in the back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pickup pattern of a supercardioid microphone is focused on what is directly in front of it. The angle at which a microphone picks up the most sound is known as its “acceptance angle,” and for a supercardioid microphone, it has a very directional supercardioid polar\/pickup pattern with null points at 127\u00b0 and 233\u00b0 and a rear lobe of sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A supercardioid microphone’s sensitivity is maximized depending on the sound source you direct it towards, making it ideal for close-miking. <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. It has a smaller pickup area than omnidirectional microphones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Supercardioid microphones have a considerably smaller pickup area than omnidirectional microphones, blocking off-axis sounds. They are most sensitive to on-axis sounds, where the mic “points,” and less sensitive to sounds from other directions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A supercardioid microphone’s sensitivity is maximized depending on the sound source you direct it towards, making it ideal for close-miking. This makes it a great choice for recording many instruments close together or isolating a single source in a noisy environment. But a supercardioid mic has a sensitive rear lobe, so it needs to be placed carefully to separate sound sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. It has null points at 127\u00b0 & 233\u00b0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The optimal supercardioid polar pattern contains cold regions of 127 degrees on each side of the on-axis line. Theoretically, the microphone won’t pick up any sound from the directions shown with null points. As a result, the sound level will drop a lot, especially at high frequencies. Sound can reach the microphone from non-null point directions due to the physics of sound, acoustics, and reflections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. It works on the pressure-gradient principle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pressure-gradient theory is at the heart of all directional microphones, including supercardioid mics. The diaphragm of a supercardioid mic is symmetrical, allowing sound to enter from any side. Diaphragm movement and a corresponding mic signal result from pressure differences on opposite sides of the mic diaphragm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pressure gradient method used by supercardioid microphones needs an acoustic labyrinth to change the sound waves’ phase before reaching the back of the diaphragm. Using carefully planned acoustic labyrinths that reflect off the back of the diaphragm, the arrival times of sound waves are changed. This is the actual mechanism responsible for the characteristic supercardioid polar pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. It has a 5:3 ratio of an omnidirectional and bidirectional pattern<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The supercardioid polar pattern may be thought of as a 5:3 ratio of the omnidirectional pattern to the bidirectional pattern, in contrast to a cardioid microphone’s 1:1 superposition of the omnidirectional and bidirectional polar patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image
Image of a black microphone on a stand with midi and black headphones. Source: los muertos crew, pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When is a supercardioid microphone used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A supercardioid microphone is typically used in situations where you need to isolate a sound source from a lot of background noise or other instruments. Supercardioid microphones have a more directional polar pattern than cardioid microphones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They pick up sound from a smaller angle in front of the microphone and reject more sound from the sides and rear. As a result, they can provide better isolation from room noise<\/strong> and nearby instruments and can be more resistant to feedback than cardioid mics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supercardioid microphones are commonly used in situations in live music. They are often used to pick up a specific instrument, such as a guitar or a snare drum while rejecting sound from other instruments on stage. In film and video production, they are often used as boom microphones to capture dialogue while rejecting noise from the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supercardioid microphones are a good choice when you need to isolate a sound source and reject noise from the surrounding environment, but they do require the user to maintain a more consistent position directly in front of the mic compared to cardioid mics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want even more tips and insights, watch this video called “Cardioid and Super-cardioid Microphones”<\/em> from the Pushing Faders YouTube channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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