Which microphone records in a heart-shaped pickup pattern?

• A. Omnidirectional Microphone
• B. Hypercardioid Microphone
• C. Cardioid Microphone
• D. Bidirectional Microphone

Answer: (C)

Cardioid microphones produce a heart-shaped pickup pattern: they are most sensitive in front, less sensitive to the sides, and reject sound from directly behind. This shape comes from how the mic combines the direct front sound with a portion of rear sound to create partial cancellation, shaping the response to emphasize what's in front of the mic while reducing room noise and feedback.

Omnidirectional mics pick up evenly from all directions, producing a round, all-around pattern. Hypercardioid mics are more directional than cardioid, with a narrower front pickup and a small rear sensitivity, not heart-shaped. Bidirectional mics pick up from both the front and back, with nulls at the sides, forming a figure-8 pattern.