From the course: Microphone Techniques: Essentials

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Polar graphs and sensitivity

Polar graphs and sensitivity

From the course: Microphone Techniques: Essentials

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Polar graphs and sensitivity

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- [Instructor] The polar response graph is an essential tool for evaluating a microphone. It shows us a visual image of the directionality of the microphone. If we look up here at zero degrees, that's the front of the microphone. That's the part you normally talk into. 180 degrees is the back of the microphone, the part of the microphone that points away from the source. Not all microphones hear in the same polar pattern. When we consider the polar pattern, there are a couple terms that we need to understand. One of those terms is on axis. When a source is on axis to a microphone, that means that the source is in front of the microphone or that the microphone's pointing at the source. In a polar response graph, zero degrees is on axis. If we consider a microphone like the Shure SM57 in this polar graph, zero degrees is on axis to the SM57 capsule. When we look at the back of the microphone, that's the part of a Shure 57 that doesn't hear as well, and that's called off axis. And 180…

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