14/9/2016
6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
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6 Microphone Pickup
Patterns Every
Filmmaker Should Know
AUDIO EDITING
FILMMAKING
ROUNDUPS
TUTORIALS
VIDEO PRODUCTION
FILMMAKING
BY CALEB WARD
JANUARY 11,
2016
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14/9/2016
6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
Dont pick the wrong
mic!Find outwhen to
use certain
microphonesby
learning these six
essential microphone
pickup patterns.
A lmis only as good as its audio. While
it can be easy to get captivatedby the
visual side of a lm, audio should be
high on the priority list of any director
or producer. Bad audio can quickly turn
off an already distracted audience, so
its important to pick the right mic for
the job. Letstake a look at six essential
microphone pickup patterns that every
lmmaker should know.
There is no one-size- ts-all solution
when recording audio on a lm set.You
will likely want to bring a good
assortment of lavs and shotgun mics to
accommodate different shooting
scenarios on set.
1. Omnidirectional
Perfect for:interviews, moving subjects
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
Omnidirectional mics are the easiest to
understand. Simply put,
omnidirectional mics record audio
from every direction. Typically you will
want to use an omnidirectional mic
when recording audio that you cant
control very well (likeambience, a press
conference, or a moving talking head).
Omnidirectional mics are themost
exible mics, but they are also the
noisiest. Its certainly a balancing act
when on set. In a lmmaking context,
you will almost exclusively see
omnidirectionalpickup patterns in lav
mics.
Notable omnidirectional mics:
Polsen OLM-10- $22
Rode smartLav+ $79
Sennheiser MKE-2-PC $399
Sennheiser EW112-P G3 Wireless
System $629
2. Cardioid
Perfect for:documentary recording,
weddings, events
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
A cardioid pickup patternis a highly
exible pickup pattern that is great for
all-purpose use. Cardioid microphones
come in all shapes and sizes.A cardioid
mic, while slightly directional, should
not be confused with a hypercardioid or
supercardioid mic.Cardioid mics will
still pickup background noise if they are
not in a controlled environment.
Notable cardioid mics:
Polsen SCL-1075 Shotgun Mic $55
Rode VideoMicro $59
Audio-Technica Pro 70 Lavalier
$129
3. Hypercardioid (MiniShotguns)
Perfect for:on-camera mics,
documentary recording, and instrument
recording
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
A hypercardioid pickup pattern is a
directional pickup pattern that is great
for isolating audio. While you may nd
some lav mics with hypercardioid
pickup patterns, youll typically only see
this pickup pattern in shotgun mics.
While every brand is different, the
biggest difference between a
hypercardioid mic and a supercardioid
mic is how much of the rear and side
noise is picked up. Hypercardioid mics
are typically used for instrument
recording.
Notable hypercardioid mics:
Audix SCX1-HC $479
Sennheiser MKH-416 $999
4. Supercardioid (Shotgun)
Perfect for:reality television, scripted
content
Supercardioid mics are the most
popular types of microphones for indie
lmmakers because theygive users the
ability to isolate audio while still
allowing for a slight margin of error.
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
Supercardioid pickup patterns are
typically only found in shotgun mics
which are used on boom poles or
mounted to the top of a camera. It
should be noted that a supercardioid
pickup patterndoes pickup some audio
from behind the microphone. So if you
mount a supercardioid mic to your
camera, youll need to keep your
operating noise to a minimum.
w
e
Notable supercardioid/shotgun mics:
Rode VideoMic Pro $193
q
v
Rode NTG2 $269
Schoeps Colette $1,622
5. Lobar (Unidirectional)
Perfect for: narrative lm, controlled
sets
While there is technically no such thing
as a true unidirectional mic, a lobar
pattern is the most directional pickup
pattern you can use.While it may be
appealing to a lmmaker to get
amicrophone with a lobar pickup
pattern, you should seriously consider
how dif cult itwill be to use a lobar
microphone.
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
The only microphone that can have a
lobar pickup pattern is a shotgun mic, so
youll almost always need someone to
assist you when operating a microphone
with a lobar pickup pattern.If
yourboom pole is typically operated by
a careless PA, you might want to opt for
a supercardioid mic instead, as the
pickup pattern will be more forgiving.
Notable lobar mics:
Sennheiser MKE 600 $329
Sennheiser MKH 8060 $1,249
6. Bidirectional (Figure 8
Pattern)
Perfect for:podcasts, radio interviews
A bidirectional microphone is a mic
designed to pickup audio equally from
the front and back of the mic. Typically,
bidirectional microphones are used for
radio interview recording or podcasting.
You will probably not nd much use for
a bidirectional microphone on a lm set,
but they can sometimes be used as a
backup mic for talk shows when placed
on the hosts desk.
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
Notable bidirectional mics:
Blue Yeti $99
Studio Projects B3 $159
Rode K2 $699
Overview of Mic Pickup
Patterns
If you want to learn more about
microphone pickup patterns (andhear
audio examples of each mic in action),
check out this awesome video created
by Videomaker. The videotouches on
all of the microphones included in this
post.
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8/12
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
Microphone Picku...
Whats your favorite microphone to
use?Let us know in the comments
below.
Audio,
Boom Mic,
COMMENT ON THIS
Cardioid,
Lav, Lav
Mic,
lavalier,
Microphone
Pickup
Patterns,
Pickup
Patterns,
Shot gun
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
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6 Microphone Pickup Patterns Every Filmmaker Should Know
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Daniel J. Lewis 8 months ago
Great write-up! Though I disagree about the
conclusion of what's best for podcasters. If
podcasters want quality, they should go for a
dynamic cardioid microphone for each participant.
Many companies misunderstand podcasters and
recommend omnidirectional or bidirectional
condenser microphones (such as those from Blue),
but they're horrible for most podcasters.
Reply Share
Steve Brul 8 months ago
I think the MKE-600 is closer to super-cardioid. It's
not that hard to keep it on target. Keep up the great
blogging!
Reply Share
Tom Lim 8 months ago
Great blog post, and that video really makes it clear!
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