What type of microphone receives sound from one direction?

What type of microphone receives sound from one direction?

• A. Omnidirectional microphone
• B. Shotgun microphone
• C. Unidirectional microphone
• D. Cardioid microphone

Answer: (C)

Unidirectional microphones are designed to pick up sound mainly from one direction while minimizing noise from the sides and rear. This focused pickup makes them ideal for isolating a single source, like a speaker or a solo instrument, in a noisy environment or where feedback is a concern. A common example of this pattern is cardioid, which emphasizes the front while rejecting sound from behind, with tighter variants like supercardioid and hypercardioid offering even more rear rejection. In contrast, omnidirectional mics pick up from all directions, which wouldn’t meet the “one direction” requirement, and shotgun mics are extremely narrow and far-field, used for long-distance pickup. That’s why the mic that receives sound from one direction is the unidirectional type.

Unidirectional microphones are designed to pick up sound mainly from one direction while minimizing noise from the sides and rear. This focused pickup makes them ideal for isolating a single source, like a speaker or a solo instrument, in a noisy environment or where feedback is a concern. A common example of this pattern is cardioid, which emphasizes the front while rejecting sound from behind, with tighter variants like supercardioid and hypercardioid offering even more rear rejection. In contrast, omnidirectional mics pick up from all directions, which wouldn’t meet the “one direction” requirement, and shotgun mics are extremely narrow and far-field, used for long-distance pickup. That’s why the mic that receives sound from one direction is the unidirectional type.