A Simple Polar Pattern Guide
Written by Harman Test
Updated at March 4th, 2025
The term polar pattern describes how a microphone picks up sound. More specifically, it describes how sensitive the microphone is to sound waves coming in from different directions. A microphone's polar pattern is an important consideration when it comes to figuring out if a microphone is the right or wrong tool for a particular situation.
Simple 2 dimensional drawings are printed on the microphones
These drawings show the microphone's Active Area.
These Active Areas are 3 Dimensional from the front of the microphone, represented here in blue:
