What Is a Figure-8 Microphone? Pattern and Uses

A figure-8 microphone, also called a bidirectional microphone, picks up sound equally from its front and its back while largely ignoring sound arriving from the sides. Drawn on a polar diagram, its pickup looks like the number 8 or two touching circles, which is where the name comes from. This guide explains the pattern, where it is useful, and how to set it up and check your recording.

How the figure-8 pattern works

The front and rear of a figure-8 capsule are equally sensitive, but the rear lobe is opposite in polarity to the front. At 90 degrees to either side there is a deep null, a zone where pickup drops sharply. That null is the pattern's most practical feature: anything placed squarely at the side of the microphone is reduced in the recording.

Ribbon microphones are naturally figure-8. Many large-diaphragm condenser microphones offer it as one setting on a multi-pattern switch, alongside cardioid and omnidirectional. Like other directional microphones, figure-8 designs show proximity effect: the closer the source, the more the low end is boosted.

Common figure-8 microphone uses

• Two people facing each other across a single microphone, such as an interview or a duet, each on one lobe.

• Rejecting a nearby sound source by placing it in the side null, for example keeping a second instrument or a noisy device at 90 degrees.

• Mid-side (M/S) stereo recording, where a figure-8 microphone serves as the side mic paired with a forward-facing mid mic.

• Blumlein stereo, which uses two figure-8 microphones crossed at 90 degrees.

• Capturing a source plus the room behind it, when some natural room sound is wanted.

The same openness at the back makes the pattern a weaker choice for solo voice work, video calls or streaming in an untreated or noisy room, because reflections and background noise behind the microphone are picked up as strongly as your voice. In those situations a cardioid setting is usually the safer starting point.

Before you start

Recording with a figure-8 microphone runs entirely locally through your microphone, audio interface or mixer, and recording software; no online service is involved. Check these points first:

• Confirm the microphone actually offers a figure-8 pattern. Look for the figure-8 symbol on the body or a pattern switch, and check the manufacturer's documentation if unsure.

• Check the powering requirements. Condenser microphones normally need phantom power. Ribbon microphones vary: some active models require phantom power, while passive ribbons may be damaged by phantom power combined with faulty cables or patching. Follow the manufacturer's guidance for your model.

• Make sure your interface or preamp has enough clean gain. Passive ribbon microphones often have low output.

• Have closed headphones available as an output device for monitoring while you position the microphone.

Step-by-step instructions

• 1. Note the current pattern switch position so you can return to it later, then set the switch to figure-8. On microphones with a fixed pattern, skip this step.

• 2. Connect the microphone and enable phantom power only if the microphone requires it.

• 3. Select the interface or mixer as the input device in your operating system and in the recording or calling app. Select your headphones or interface outputs as the output device.

• 4. Check the sample rate. Keep the interface and the project or app at the same rate to avoid errors or pitch problems; 48 kHz is common for video work and 44.1 kHz for music, but use what your project requires.

• 5. Position the source on the front axis. For two speakers, place one in front and one behind the microphone at a similar distance.

• 6. Turn the microphone so unwanted sources, such as a fan, a second instrument or a noisy computer, sit as close to 90 degrees from the front as possible.

• 7. Set the distance with proximity effect in mind. Move closer for a fuller low end, farther back for a more natural tone and more room sound.

• 8. Set the input level while the source performs at its loudest expected volume. Leave headroom so peaks do not reach the top of the meter.

For mid-side recording, place the figure-8 side mic so its null faces the source, with the mid mic pointing at the source. In your software, duplicate the side channel, invert the polarity of the copy, pan the two side channels hard left and right, and keep the mid channel centred. Adjusting the side level changes the stereo width. Some recording software and plug-ins include an M/S decoder that does this for you.

Check the output

Make a short test recording and listen back on headphones. Speak or play from the front, then from the back, then from the side. Front and back should sound similarly present, while the side should sound noticeably quieter and more distant. How deep that reduction is depends on the exact angle and on reflections in your room, so treat the null as a reduction rather than complete silence.

Watch the meters during the loudest part of the test and confirm there is no clipping. If the figure-8 microphone is combined with other microphones on the same source, listen for thin or hollow sound, which can point to polarity or phase interaction from the rear lobe. For mid-side or Blumlein recordings, also check the mix in mono to confirm it still sounds full.

Common problems and next steps

• Too much echo or room sound: move the microphone closer to the source, add absorption behind it, or switch to cardioid if rear pickup is not needed.

• Boomy or muddy low end: back away from the microphone to reduce proximity effect, or apply a high-pass filter in your software.

• Background noise still audible: rotate the microphone so the noise source sits more precisely at the side, and check whether the noise is reaching the rear lobe instead, for example by reflecting off a wall behind the microphone.

• Very low or noisy signal from a ribbon microphone: raise preamp gain gradually, and consider an interface or inline preamp with more clean gain if your current one runs out.

• No signal at all: confirm the correct input device is selected in both the system and the app, check the cable and channel, and verify phantom power is set as the microphone requires.

• Second voice sounds weaker in a call or recording: balance the two speakers' distances from the microphone, and note that some calling apps apply noise suppression or automatic level control that can affect the quieter talker. Check the app's audio settings if this happens.

When you finish, return the pattern switch to its previous setting if the microphone is shared or normally used in another pattern.