Specifications

Tips on Using Shotgun Mics: Shotgun mics can be positioned either

slightly above, below, or to the side of the sound source, so that the mic

does not appear in the camera frame. Try to avoid aiming the mic at a hard

surface, such as a tile floor, brick wall, or hard ceiling. These surfaces reflect

sound waves, and may reflect background noise into the microphone or

cause the sound to be slightly hollow. A heavy blanket can be placed on a

reflective surface to provide some temporary sound absorption. Shotgun

mics are more sensitive to wind noise than standard microphones, so try to

avoid moving the mic rapidly and use a foam windscreen if possible. Larger

“zeppelin” or “blimp” type windscreens are usually necessary outdoors.

Also, it’s a good idea to use a rubber-isolated shock mount to control

handling noise that may be transmitted through a stand or boom.

DIRECTIONALITY

Directionality is one of the most frequently misunderstood characteristics

of a microphone. Simply put, directionality describes how a microphone

responds to sounds arriving from different directions or angles. Some

microphones pick up sounds equally well from all angles, while others favor

sounds from a particular direction. Understanding the significance of a

microphone’s directionality is vital to getting the most from its capabilities in

any given miking situation.

The most common way of illustrating a microphone’s directionality is with

a polar pattern. This is a circular graph which illustrates the relative sound

pickup from different directions. Although many different polar patterns are

possible, the most common ones fall into two general categories:

omnidirectional and unidirectional.

Omnidirectional — An omnidirectional

microphone picks up sound

equally from all directions (the prefix “omni” means “all”). An omni mic will

pick up sound from above, below, in front of, behind, and to the side of the

mic in a 360 degree sphere. The polar pattern for an omni, then, is roughly

Polar pattern diagrams

CARDIOID (UNIDIRECTIONAL) MICROPHONE OMNIDIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE