Microphone polar pattern viewer
Explore omni, cardioid, hypercardioid and figure-8 patterns with directivity index and null angles.
Directivity index
4.77dB
Directivity factor Q
3
Distance factor (vs. omni)
1.73×
−3 dB angle
65.53°
Null (rejection) angle
180°
Rear sensitivity (180°)
−∞dB
Dashed orange lobes have inverted polarity. First-order pattern: g(θ) = a + (1 − a)·cos θ.
How it works
All first-order patterns are a blend of a pressure (omni) component and a pressure-gradient (figure-8) component. The blend factor a runs from 1 (omni) to 0 (figure-8); a cardioid sits at 0.5.
The directivity index tells how much a microphone favours on-axis sound over diffuse sound. A cardioid has 4.8 dB, a hypercardioid 6 dB. Dashed lobes pick up sound with inverted polarity.
Formulas
- g(θ) = a + (1 − a) · cos θ
- DI = 10 · log₁₀( 1 / (a² + (1 − a)²/3) )
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