Microphone

A gamer's favourite snack.

Takes in sound and converts it into an electrical signal.

Patterns of Input

The following are four common patterns from where a microphone can pick up audio input.

Cardioid

Takes in input from a wide conical pattern in from of the microphone.

Super Cardioid

Takes in input from a narrow conical pattern in front of the microphone.

Omnidirectional

Takes in input from a circular pattern around the microphone.

Figure 8

With the microphone at the centre of a figure eight, it picks up audio from the front and back while rejecting sound from the sides.

Categories of Microphones

What Should I Choose?

It depends on your room/setup and what you intend to use your microphone for. Dynamic mics are excellent when you have a lot of background noise/a noisy mechanical keyboard that you'd rather your mic didn't pick up too much of and are ideal as gaming/streaming mics and loud vocals (hint hint). If you have a soundproof room or wish to record music though, condenser mics are ideal. Large diaphragm condensers are best for vocals while small diaphragm condensers are great for instruments.