Using the Microphone Polar Pattern Interactive Tool
Start by selecting a microphone pattern. The graph immediately redraws its idealized response. You can then move the source around the microphone by dragging the turquoise source marker or by adjusting the angle slider.
Keeping the source in one position while switching between patterns is especially useful because it provides a direct visual comparison. A source at 90°, for example, occupies the same physical direction while the simulated directional response changes according to the selected pattern.
- Select cardioid, omni, figure-8, supercardioid or hypercardioid.
- Drag the source around the polar graph.
- Rotate the virtual microphone independently.
- Compare the relative response percentage and dB value.
- Change source distance without confusing it with the polar shape.
- Switch patterns while keeping the same source position.
Understanding 0°, 90° and 180°
Polar diagrams describe direction relative to a microphone's reference axis. In this simulator, 0° is directly in front, 90° is one side, 180° is directly behind and 270° is the opposite side.
Rotating the microphone changes that relationship. A source can stay in the same position on the virtual stage while its relative angle to the microphone changes.
Cardioid microphone polar pattern
The simplified cardioid model used here follows the familiar first-order shape produced by combining omnidirectional and bidirectional components in equal proportions. Its normalized response is strongest at 0°, lower at the sides and reaches an ideal null at 180°.
This makes the interactive graph useful for learning why a source directly behind an ideal cardioid occupies a very different part of the pattern from a source directly in front.
Omnidirectional response
The omnidirectional model is represented as a circle because its normalized mathematical response does not depend on angle. Move the source around the graph and the directional percentage remains unchanged.
This does not mean that every real omnidirectional microphone behaves as a perfect circle at every frequency. The simulator intentionally shows the underlying ideal pattern so that the directional concept remains clear.
Figure-8 microphone pattern
Figure-8, or bidirectional, response has two lobes: one toward the front and another toward the rear. In the ideal mathematical model, the sides at 90° and 270° are nulls.
Because polarity reverses between the front and rear lobes, the graph uses the magnitude of the response for its level display. The simulator is concerned with directional sensitivity rather than displaying electrical polarity.
Supercardioid and hypercardioid
Supercardioid and hypercardioid patterns are represented here with standard first-order combinations that create a narrower forward region than cardioid while introducing a rear lobe.
Their rear behavior is important to notice visually. “More directional” does not simply mean that everything behind the microphone disappears. The shape and position of the nulls change with the pattern.
What the dB readout means
The simulator first calculates normalized amplitude for the selected direction. That amplitude is then converted to a relative decibel value using 20 log10 of the amplitude magnitude.
A value of 0 dB represents the maximum normalized directional response of the selected model. Lower values indicate attenuation relative to that maximum. At an ideal mathematical null, the response reaches zero, so the interface displays −∞ dB.
dB = 20 × log₁₀(|response|)
Why distance is separate from the polar response
A microphone polar pattern describes directional sensitivity. It should not be confused with the change in sound level that can occur when a source is physically moved farther away.
For that reason, the simulator shows source distance as a separate geometric control rather than multiplying it into the normalized polar-pattern percentage. You can move the source closer or farther while still seeing which part of the directional pattern it occupies.
Real microphones can differ from ideal patterns
The curves in this tool are mathematical reference shapes. A real microphone's published polar response can change with frequency and can differ from these ideal curves because of its acoustic and mechanical design.
The surrounding environment also matters in practice. A polar pattern describes microphone directionality; it does not remove room reflections or turn an acoustically reflective space into an anechoic one.
Using microphone direction with instruments
When working with an instrument, the direction from which useful sound and unwanted sound arrive can be part of microphone placement decisions. The simulator gives a simple way to visualize those directions before considering the much more complex frequency response of an actual instrument and microphone.
For broader practical reading, see Music Recording and the guide to recording different music styles.
Polar patterns for vocals and speech
The same directional concepts apply when the source is a singer or speaker. Turning a microphone or changing the direction of another nearby sound changes where those sources fall on the polar response.
If you are exploring vocal workflows, you can continue with How Long Does Vocal Recording Actually Take?, the Vocal Recording overview or Voiceover Recording material.
Microphone polar pattern simulator online for learning
An interactive polar-pattern tool makes the diagram easier to read because the source is not permanently fixed at one angle. You can deliberately test front, side, rear and intermediate positions and see the result immediately.
Try placing the source at 180° and switching from cardioid to figure-8. Then move it to 90°. The contrast between those positions makes the difference between a rear null and a side null visually obvious.
Directionality and mixing are different stages
A microphone pattern describes how a microphone responds to sound arriving from different directions. Faders, panning and channel balance operate later in the audio path and solve different problems.
To experiment with those controls separately, use the Interactive Online Audio Mixer or Mixer Console Simulator.
Building a clearer recording workflow
Understanding the microphone before reaching for processing can make it easier to separate capture decisions from later production decisions. Direction, source position, room sound, performance and processing are related, but they are not interchangeable.
The Musician Psychology and Recording Confidence guide approaches preparation from the performer side, while Mixing and Mastering covers work that happens after sound has already been captured.
What this simulator can and cannot predict
The simulator can show the mathematical relationship between source angle and several standard ideal polar patterns. It can also make null positions, front and rear lobes, and microphone rotation easier to understand.
It cannot predict the exact output of an unspecified real microphone. For that, its actual frequency-dependent polar data, source spectrum, placement and acoustic environment would all matter.
For more browser-based experiments, browse Audio Tools for Recording, Mixing, and Ear Training. If your project includes spoken content, the Audio Content Recording overview provides additional practical context.