What is the scientific reason behind proximity effect?

[Nubus]

Good stuff Dan. Is there then a general rule to this, like the mic with most PE is fig. 8 and then next would be super, then hyper, then cardioid and lastly omni with a PE of nothing?

[dagosto]

Yes. I'm not sure which one is more directional between hyper and super though.

[Whoopysnorp]

Originally Posted by dagosto

So then you switch the mic to hypercardioid, this turns up the volume of the back capsule. This allows a bit more of the sound coming from the back of the mic to the output but more of the sounds that off axis from the back are rejected.

Very interesting. So then, does this mean that a hypercardioid mic will actually pick up a small amount of signal coming from directly behind the address side of the mic?

[dagosto]

Originally Posted by Whoopysnorp

Very interesting. So then, does this mean that a hypercardioid mic will actually pick up a small amount of signal coming from directly behind the address side of the mic?

Exactly. You can see this in the polar plots.

Cardioid pattern:



Hypercardioid pattern:

[Nubus]

Originally Posted by Whoopysnorp

Very interesting. So then, does this mean that a hypercardioid mic will actually pick up a small amount of signal coming from directly behind the address side of the mic?

Sure thing. The uni-directional patterns all have a bit of pickup from the back.

Oh that is not hyper but it is cardiod

[Whoopysnorp]

I didn't know that--that is news to me. I suppose in the typical handheld hypercardioid mic it is not particularly perceptible, since the actual body of the mic is in the way of that rear pickup zone.