Owners Manual

6
Understanding Polar Patterns
Perhaps the most important aspect of using your C1, or any other microphone, is to understand its polar pick up pattern.
Every microphone has a characteristic polar pattern that determines how well it accepts or rejects signal coming from
various areas around the microphone capsule. There are many types and variations of polar patterns but the three most
common are omniderctional, bi-directional or figure-eight and unidirectional or cardioid. Omnidirectional microphones
produce a linear response regardless of where the sound source originates (in front of the mic, behind it, to the side, etc.).
A bi-directional or figure-eight microphone picks up directly sound from the front and back while rejecting the sound at
the sides. In contrast, cardioid mics are specifically designed to accept the sound coming from directly in front, and to
reject sound coming from behind or from the sides. The C1’s MK1 capsule provides a cardioid polar response, which is
ideal for most recording and live sound applications.
While Omni and Bi-directional microphones are very useful for a variety of applications, the majority of miking
situations in recording and live sound applications require uni-directional or cardioid microphones. The cardioid
pick-up pattern allows for better separation of instruments in the studio and more control over feedback in live sound
reinforcement. When positioned correctly, the cardioid pattern allows you to pick up more of the sound you want and
less of the sound you don’t want. In live sound situations, the polar pattern also determines how prone a particular
microphone is to inducing feedback. Feedback is that nasty howling sound that occurs when a mic is placed too close to
a loudspeaker—the signal from the loudspeaker is fed into the mic, then into the loudspeaker, then into the mic, over
and over again until an oscillating tone is generated. The cardioid pattern utilized by the C1 is so good at rejecting signal
not coming from directly in front of the microphone, you’ll find that use of the C1 greatly minimizes feedback problems
when used in loud sound applications.
Operating the C1