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Understanding Polar Patterns
The most important characteristic of any microphone is its directionality or “pick-up pattern”. There are three basic
categories of pick up patterns; omni, bi, and unidirectional. Omni mics pick up sound from all directions, bidirectional
mics pick up the sound directly in front and back of the microphone while rejecting the sound on the left and right sides,
and unidirectional (cardioid) mics pick up the sound in front of the microphone.
While omni and bidirectional microphones are very useful for a variety of applications, a majority of “miking” situations
in recording and live sound require unidirectional or cardioid microphones. The unidirectional pick-up pattern allows for
better separation of instruments in the studio and more control over feedback in live sound reinforcement. The ProCast
Mio’s pick-up pattern is cardioid, which offers even more side-to-side rejection. When positioned correctly, the cardioid
pick-up pattern allows you to pick up more of the sound you want and less of the sound you don’t want.
Microphone Placement
In order to maximize the sound quality, you must pay careful attention to the placement of your ProCast Mio and how it is
positioned for the instrument or vocalist that you are miking. Most microphones, not omni, but especially unidirectional
or cardioid microphones, exhibit a phenomenon known as “proximity effect.” Very simply put, the proximity effect is the
increase in low frequency response a microphone exhibits as it is moved closer to the sound source. Vocalist tend to love
this effect since when they get really close to the mic they get the “FM radio”, big bass sound. A good vocalist with good
mic technique will use the proximity effect to adjust their tonal response in real time. The key to developing the best
mic technique is experimentation along with awareness of the general principle that the closer your Mio’s microphone
is to a signal source, the greater the bass response. For most vocal applications you’ll want to position the microphone
directly in front of the artist. The same may be true for miking instruments, however, you can make some pretty amazing
equalization adjustments by slightly changing the angle of the capsule to the sound source. This can be a very useful
technique in capturing the optimum sound of drum set, acoustic guitar, piano or other instruments in a live room or
sound stage. Experimentation and experience are the best teachers in getting good sounds, so plug in!
Operating the ProCast Mio
Summary of Contents for ProCast Mio
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