When Would You Use a Cardioid Microphone?

Cardioid microphones are great for recoding vocals and anything that's supposed to sound “dry” and “close”. Figure-8 microphones are equally sensitive to sound from the front and from the rear, but have great rejection for sound coming from the sides.

When should you use a cardioid mic?

Cardioid mics capture everything in front and block everything else. This front-focused pattern will let you point the mic to a sound source and isolate it from unwanted ambient sound, making it ideal for live performance and other situations where noise reduction and feedback suppression are needed.

Where do you put a cardioid mic?

To place a cardioid microphone, cover one ear and cup your hand behind the other ear and listen. Move around the player or sound source until you find a spot where the frequencies from the instrument are the most balanced. For a stereo pair, cup your hands behind both ears.