What is a Shotgun Microphone?
Video Transcript What is a Shotgun Microphone? The next mic we’re going to set up, most people know as a shotgun mic. The two mics I’m going to show you, through, are technically a cardioid and a supercardioid. What does that mean? Basically, that the pick up pattern for these microphones is mostly in front. Unlike our Lavalier, which is technically an omnidirectional mic, it picks up in all directions, and the Lavalier’s mainly a small area. A cardioid, like this one right here, is picking up a heart-shaped pattern in front of it, it’s pretty wide, but you’re not getting a whole bunch of stuff behind it. Essentially, you’re pointing the microphone at your subject and that’s mainly what you’re hearing. You’re not hearing the band playing behind them. Super cardioid, or is sometimes called a hypercardioid, is truly a shotgun mic. That just means the pickup pattern is almost, very much, directly in front of the microphone. It’s just a much skinnier pattern and you point this directly at
