What is a Figure-8 Microphone?

A figure-8 microphone is a microphone that uses a figure-8 polar pattern, meaning it captures sound from both the front and the back of the microphone while rejecting sound from the sides.

This pickup pattern gets its name from the shape of the microphone’s sensitivity pattern, which resembles the number 8 when viewed on a polar diagram. Sounds coming directly from the front and rear are recorded clearly, while sounds from the left and right sides are greatly reduced.

Figure-8 microphones are commonly used in interviews, duet recordings, mid-side (M/S) stereo recording techniques, and certain studio applications. Many ribbon microphones naturally produce a figure-8 pattern due to the way their ribbon element responds to sound waves.