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CL5 Polar Characteristics
Every microphone has a characteristic polar pattern that determines how well it
accepts or rejects signal coming from various areas around the microphone. For exam-
ple, bi-directional or figure-eight microphones pick up directly from the front and
back while rejecting the signal at the sides and omnidirectional microphones accept
all signals regardless of where those signals originate (in front of the mic, behind it, to
the side, etc.). In contrast, directional cardioid mics are specifically designed to accept
mostly signal coming from directly in front, and to reject signal coming from behind
or from the side. The CL5 's cardioid polar pattern is ideal for live sound stage appli-
cations. Below is a description of the Cardioid pattern and how it's used in different
applications.
While Omni and Bi-directional microphones are very useful for a variety of specialty
applications, the majority of miking situations in recording and live sound require uni-
directional or cardioid microphones. The uni-directional pick-up pattern allows for
better separation of instruments in the studio and more control over feedback in live
sound reinforcement. When positioned correctly, the cardioid pickup pattern allows
you to pick up more of the sound you want and less of the sound you don’t want. In
live sound situations, the polar pattern also determines how prone a particular micro-
phone is to inducing feedback. Feedback is that characteristic nasty howling sound
that occurs when a mic is placed too close to a loudspeaker—the signal from the loud-
speaker is fed into the mic, then into the loudspeaker, then into the mic, over and over
again until an oscillating tone is generated. The cardioid pattern utilized by the CL5 is
so good at rejecting signal not coming from directly in front of the microphone, you’ll
find that use of the CL5 greatly minimizes feedback problems.
Operating the CL5