There are different types of microphones, some of which are designed to pick sound equally from all directions, while some are designed for picking sound from some particular directions. Polar patterns help in determining the sensitivity of microphones towards sounds that arrive from different directions.

The polar pattern helps in determining the area around the microphone where the pick up is excellent. For the output of the audio to be of high quality, the sound source must be placed within this area. The sound out of this pattern, although picked by the microphone, will be of a lower quality of audio.

Depending on the polar pattern or the direction of pickup, the polar patterns are classified as omnidirectional, unidirectional and bidirectional polar patterns. The microphones are designed by using various principles to achieve the desired polar pattern.

The omnidirectional polar pattern is also known as non-directional polar pattern. In this polar pattern, the sound is picked from all the directions i.e. from 360 degrees. This polar pattern produces uniform frequency response to frequencies of all ranges and from all directions.

The microphones which have omnidirectional polar pattern allow sound from all directions and hence, are not good at blocking the unwanted sound. The microphones with this type of polar pattern are especially good for live performances and for recording the crowd noises since they produce a very natural sound.

Microphones with unidirectional polar patterns can pick up sound from one particular direction rejecting all the other sounds. These microphones must be aimed in the direction where the sound source is. This type of polar pattern rejects the sound that is produced at the sides or rears and hence produces output with desired sound only. This feature makes it best suitable for use in television broadcasting.

The polar pattern produced in bidirectional polar patterns is of shape ’8′ which is why they are also referee to as figure-8 patterns. The microphones with bidirectional polar patterns pick up the sound from two directions, namely the front and the rear. These microphones reject the sound from the sides. The natural sound that the bidirectional microphones produce makes them suitable for use as studios and broadcast microphones.

Cardioid polar pattern is one of the most common unidirectional polar patterns. Cardioid microphones are so called this because the polar patterns produced by these are heart shaped. Cardioid microphones pick up sound from within 120 degrees of the direction in which they are faced. The Cardioid pattern helps in recording the sound that is directly in front of the microphone and produces a rich and high quality sound.

A combination of an omnidirectional and a bidirectional microphone is what makes the cardioid microphone. At the back, there is a negative signal of the bidirectional microphone and a positive signal of the omnidirectional microphone. They both cancel each other. At the front there are positive signals from both and hence add up.

A Stereo pattern is the combination of two patterns typically cardioid. In this pattern, two microphones are integrated into one single unit. This type of unit is used for broadcasting or field recording.

PureFret.com provides a complete line of microphones, articles, and reviews. Check out a condenser usb microphone.

When we started our Pro Tools workshops a couple of months ago, we had no idea they would be so wildly popular! We originally devised these workshops to help round out our students’ education on the three areas they’ll need to master in order to become successful voice over artists: voice-over technique, marketing skills, and recording & editing skills. We booked workshops all over the country to give students the opportunity to get live experience on their own equipment. One of Such A Voice’s best engineers from the Post Production department, Aaron Sullivan, leads all of the classes.

Faith Cripps, a student from our Boston workshop, says, “I found out about the Pro Tools Workshop in an email, and because it was being held through Such A Voice I knew they would teach me just the information I need to know about recording and editing voice overs — and not a bunch of other information that I wouldn’t care about or use.”

All students are asked to bring their computers to the Pro Tools workshops so that they get hands-on experience navigating and troubleshooting with their own equipment. The workshop begins with a 2-hour general tutorial in which Aaron goes over the foundations of recording, editing, mixing and bouncing different files that voice actors might use for voiceover jobs.

“Aaron was extremely knowledgeable and taught the class in language we could understand,” Faith says. “He was open to any and all questions and was able to answer them without making me or anyone else feel like it was a stupid question.”

The workshop continues from there on out in small groups of three or four. Aaron spends four hours with each group, working on their personal equipment and helping them troubleshoot, record and edit right there on the spot. Students get his personal attention, and they also have the advantage of watching him work with other students on other related material.

“The best part of the whole thing was Aaron made it seem simple!” Faith says. “Prior to taking the workshop, I was so frustrated because I seemed to always run into some kind of problem while trying to learn Pro Tools on my own … The skills I learned in that class are what make it possible for me to use my home studio. Prior to the class I had the equipment but didn’t know how to use it. Now I can use my home studio to produce my own work and get it to the client. Things feel possible for me now and that is exciting!”

We suspect that Faith isn’t the only voice-over artist who struggles with the technical component of being a professional voice actor! If you think you could benefit from the Pro Tools Workshops, please click here to find a city near you. Also, stay tuned for more dates and locations in the coming months!

Get professional voice over training today to get your career on track! If you would like to start getting more voice over jobs, come learn the details and information that will help you get there today!

Why let other musicians clog-up your iPhone with their music when you’ve got a catalog of your own killer tunes just waiting to be made. The best iPhone apps for musicians put all the power in your hands and transform your iPhone from a music playing device to a music making device. Practicing, recording and editing your own tracks couldn’t be simpler and whether you’re a budding Elvis or Michael Jackson, these iPhone music apps will get you closer to a hit record than you ever thought possible. Here are the Best iPhone Apps for Musicians:

Musician’s Practice Journal Practice, track and save the progress of all the songs you’re trying to learn with this iPhone music app. This application allows you to get a piece-by-piece breakdown of each song and the graphing feature is great for keeping you motivated in your quest to emulate your musical idols.

4 Tracks Audio Recorder 4 Tracks Audio Recorder is the perfect iPhone music app if you’re a budding singer, songwriter or producer. It doesn’t matter whether you’re jamming in the park or tucked away in your room dreaming up your next musical masterpiece, this iPhone music app is like having a recording studio in your pocket. The software allows you to burn four simultaneous beats on one track and the inbuilt metronome and tracking features help turn that rough tune into a smooth beat.

Metronome TS Click, click…click click click. Whatever tempo you need, this handy metronome app will keep you in time. Metronome TS has the ability to keep tempos from 30 to 250 bpm and the swinging pendulum animation creates an authentic looking application. Users can also input their own beats by tapping the screen which makes this the perfect digital music aid.

Chord Play Having trouble with that tricky guitar chord sequence but don’t want to keep disturbing your musician friends? Well, Chord Play is an iPhone music app that accurately mimics the set-up of a standard 6 string guitar and helps you to improve your hand positioning without ever needing to pick up your axe. Multiple guitar sounds (including acoustic and electric) are available and you are able to have 12 simultaneous chords on display at any one time. You’d better get your hands on this app if you want to play awesome chords.

Johnny Jams Piano Take any notion you have of a traditional instrument and throw it out of the window because Johnny Jams Piano is unlike anything you’ve seen before. The unique application turns your iPhone into a full scale melody maker that you can play with both hands. The iPhone’s tilt technology makes it possible to slide up and down the full musical scale and the simple user interface makes mastering this instrument far easier than the piano or guitar. This app hits all the right notes for beginning musicians.

RelativePitch “An interval is the gap between two notes” is all you need to know to start learning relative pitch. This iPhone application makes music theory easy and teaches you everything you need to know about the range of musical pitches. Start off in basic mode and work through the levels of complexity, testing yourself at each point, until you have the harmonic ear of a concert composer. You will be performing and appreciating music even more with this perfectly pitched app.

Play on Cue Your waiting in the sound booth, just as the grand finale of the theatre’s biggest production is about to start and disaster strikes: you can’t find the right song. If only you had an iPhone music app that made it so simple to play the right track on cue, you’d be saved. Play on Cue is a nifty little application that allows you to pre-load a track order and start playing the tune with one touch of the screen. Each song stops playing after the last note, which leaves you free to prepare yourself for the next cue. Even if you’re a sound technician with ADHD, this iPhone app for musicians couldn’t make your job any simpler.

Local Concerts The iPhone has a vast array of great apps for helping to improve your own musical talents but sometimes you just want to be able to listen to the best do their thing. Local Concerts is a great free iPhone music app that tells you exactly where and when your favorite artists are in your area. This is one of the best iPhone apps for musicians because it uses the contents of your music library and quickly and effortlessly directs you towards the best places to buy tickets for all the gigs near you. Neither you nor you friends need miss a concert again with this amazing application.

Blue Note Music Flash Cards If you know your alphabet you can easily learn the notes of the musical scale and with Blue Note Music Flash Cards the job is easy. The intelligent system randomly plays a note and asks you to identify (by touching the screen) which note: A, B, C, D, E F or G it is. The software recognizes which notes you are having difficulty with and will provide you with more practice on them until you can nail them every time.

LyricPad Sometimes the perfect lyrics strike when you least expect them and if you don’t have a pen and paper handy, that killer line could be lost for eternity. LyricPad turns your iPhone into a pen, notepad and MP3 player in one. With one of the best iPhone apps for musicians, pen a new song or edit an existing masterpiece over the top of your favorite tune; whenever inspiration strikes, never be at a loss for words with LyricPad.

Checkout our roundup of top iPad music apps.

Learning to interpret and play jazz piano chords is necessary whether you are a beginner or an expert musician. Jazz notes are not like ordinary chords, which are heard in most music styles. Playing jazz involves several notes, such as the major, diminished, minor and augmented chords. A basic understanding of music may help, but playing with a swing rhythm is even more necessary in playing this style of music.

Making up rhythms spontaneously is necessary when playing the piano. Musicians who are naturally talented in improvising will find it easier to learn this playing style. It may help to have an innate ability to create rhythms on the spot.

The most helpful thing you can do to sharpen your craft as a musician is to listen. Playing records from great musicians creates a deeper enjoyment for this music style. Listen to any record you can find, even those from the swing era. Fusion artists add a touch of diversity to your listening experience. You can even pick up a few pointers from up-and-coming musicians.

There are countless ways to interpret these instrument notes. The best thing about this style of music is that it can be played in a variety of ways. Depending on the mood of the musician, the same song can be performed in many different ways. Improvisation is a key factor when playing. The same piece can be performed several times, yet it would always come out differently.

One must know the most basic musical instrument notes before he can play. Unlike other genres, this style of music involves more than just basic minor or major notes. One of the most commonly used notes is the sixth. Chord charts may present this chord as Cadd6 or C6. This sound is produced by playing A-G-E-C at the same time.

The 7th is another popular note. This is played by adding the 7th note of the scale, then lowering it by a half-step. The major 7th, on the other hand, requires the player to add the 7th note of the scale to the original chord. These two notes are often mixed up. You will learn to tell them apart with more practice.

Remember to keep practicing even if your instrument-playing sounds terrible at first. It does not have to come out perfectly during the first few tries. Your efforts will be rewarded with enough time and practice. Just relax and let loose. Soon, you will notice that you are playing without even thinking. Remember that this style of music is all about spontaneity.

Need help figuring out piano chord? Check out our awesome piano chords chart.

For someone who wants to learn a piano chords lesson, there are a lot of ways to do that. All it takes when you will want to start learning how to play piano is a little dedication and of course, some time. But you should know that there are some things that you will have to take care of before you go ahead and proceed to learning the piano chords.

So before you will get to attempt on learning the piano chords, you will need to find out what a keyboard is actually made of. You will see that on the piano you will find the black and white keys. For example, on a piano with eighty eight keys, you will find that the left most key is A. You will find out that this is indeed the lowest one you can find on the piano. Also, another thing that you will notice when you will look at a keyboard is that the black keys will be aligned in groups of 2 and 3.

So, you will first see one group of 2 black there and after that you will see a group of 3. Each one of the lefts keys of the 2 black ones is named C. You will also find there are 2 black keys in the middle of the piano. The black one you will be able to spot on the left is named middle C. You will find the music notes to run in groups of seven.

So what are piano chords? Well, a chord is practically a combination of multiple notes that are played at once. After you will delve into your piano chords lesson and you will get to have enough experience to play it without any further problems and difficulties, you will be able to take on the chords easily. You will find that there are simple chords that feature three notes and there will also be four to five and even greater chords. One thing in mind when you will be learning about the chords is that there are 3 chords that are connected to each major keys, minor keys and also the seventh chord.

Within your piano chords lesson you should try and find something to keep practicing and learning continually, as its this dedication and practice that make beginners great pianists.

Need help figuring out piano chord? Check out our awesome piano chord chart.

Playing Piano has been one of the greatest things that I have been blessed to actually learn how to do in my life. There are lots of ways to learn how to play the piano but there is definitely a few that are WAY more successful. If you want to learn how to play piano chords then you are actually one step ahead of the rest in my opinion. Most traditional students fail at piano lessons. The ones who learn how to play piano chords are the ones who usually play for life.

Learning how to play piano chords is actually very, very easy. Once you know the tricks, you can find any major or minor piano chord in no time at all. Below is a detail on how to find piano chords so that you can learn how to play piano chords which will in turn allow you to play the piano faster than you have ever dreamed possible.

1. How to make any MAJOR chord is as simple as finding 3 things. a. Root, Major Third, and a Fifth

THE ROOT: of any chord we know as the actual key of that chord. So if we want to find the root of the C chord, we simply start at the C key.

FINDING THE MAJOR THIRD: Go 4 half steps up from the root and that is the major third. For example E is the major third of the C Chord, it lies 4 half steps above the root C.

FINDING THE FIFTH: Go 3 half steps up from the major third. So in this example we will go up from the E 3 half steps which lands us on the G key. So C,E,G makes up the C major Chord.

2. How to make any MINOR chord is as simple as finding 3 things a. Root, Minor Third, and a Fifth

SIMPLE TRICK: to make a major chord a minor chord, take the major third a half step down – that’s it!!! Sounds “darker”

There is no reason to make it any harder than it needs to be. Just take your major third down a half step to find your minor third and complete the minor chord.

Need help figuring out piano chord? Check out our awesome piano chord chart.