Whether you’re taping a wedding, a family vacation, an interview, or a rock concert, sound is crucial to getting the job done effectively. Using the right microphone in the right situation can help you create a usable piece of video that has good sound quality.

Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound from all directions at the same time, and at the same level. There is one exception to this rule: The body of the microphone blocks sound, so the shape of an omnidirectional microphone matters. Omnidirectional microphones provide close to 360 degrees of sound pickup around the microphone.

Unidirectional microphones pick up sound best from the front -- the direction in which the microphone is pointed. Sound from the side and rear of the microphone is audible, but not as loud as that in front. Unidirectional microphones come in four flavors; the difference has to do with the pattern, or shape, in which the microphone picks up sound. The four types are:

• Sub-cardiod: Sub-cardiod microphones give you about 170 degrees of audio pickup around the front of the microphone.
• Cardiod: These are the most common directional microphones and are designed to give about 120 degrees of pickup.
• Hyper-cardiod: A hyper-cardiod microphone has 100 degrees of audio pickup.
• Line: This microphone creates a 90-degree shape in audio pickup.