Choosing the right microphone will make a world of difference in your sound. We can help you select the right one to best suit your needs. Here are some helpful definitions:
Cardioid - Heart shaped. Imagine a microphone aimed downward into the "v" at the top of a heart shape. The heart shape is what the pattern will be. It is the widest of the directional patterns. Its wide pattern also can pick up surrounding noise.
Supercardioid - Similar to Cardioid with a taller narrower heart shape. They are narrower in pattern than cardioid. These microphones will also have a small pickup from the back of the mic so beware of handling noise. The narrower pattern is better for rejecting surrounding noises.
Hypercardioid - Similar to Supercardioid with still taller and narrower heart shape. These microphones have a narrow pick-up pattern and a larger pick-up from the back of the mic. These are best for rejecting surrounding noise, but lose volume quickly when the desired sound is not directly into the microphone.
Condenser - This style of microphone "condenses" sound, or picks up from farther away. There is less proximity effect when used at close distances. Condensers require phantom power to operate
Dynamic - These microphones pick up from a short distance only. They are great for hand held situations and do not require phantom power.
Omni or omnidirectional - Picks up sound equally from all directions.
Phontom Power - A small amount of current sent from the mixing console or an onboard battery that supplies voltage to power the microphone.
Proximity effect - Some microphones progressively emphasize low frequency when moved closer to the sound source.
We hope these help you select the perfect microphone for your needs. If you still have a question or two, please call us at (888) 667-7474. We are glad to help!