Mic Archive

Omni

Omni

A mic that picks up equally from all directions. It has no proximity effect and handles wind and pops better; it also picks up more of the room. The polar patterns, with drawings Wikipedia (Microphone › Omnidirectional)

Measured

The 64 omni mics in the archive with a polar plot, each as a thin line, as its maker or an independent lab measured it; the thick line is the ideal omni. Rings at 0, −10 and −20 dB.

AKG C 12 VR, omniAKG C414 B-ULS, omniAKG C414 XLS, omniAKG P420, omniAston Spirit, omniAudio-Technica AT2050, omniAudio-Technica AT4022, flatAudio-Technica AT4050, omniAustrian Audio OC818, omniBlue Cactus, omniBlue Kiwi, omniCAD M179, omniCountryman E6, +8 dB "very bright" capCrown GLM-100DPA 4006A, near-field gridDPA 4006-TL, free-field gridDPA 4041-SPDPA 4060, soft boost gridDPA 4061, soft boost gridDPA 4066, soft boost gridEarthworks M30Earthworks QTC40, on axisLawson L47MP Mk II, omniMicrotech Gefell M 221Neumann KM 131, as suppliedNeumann KM 183Neumann M 149 Tube, omni, low cut 20 HzNeumann M 49 V, omniNeumann M 50Neumann TLM 107, omniNeumann TLM 127, omniNeumann TLM 170 R, omniNeumann TLM 50, low cut offNeumann TLM 67, omniNeumann U 47, omniNeumann U 67, omniNeumann U 87 (U 87 i), omniNeumann U 87 Ai, omniNeumann U 89 i, omniNeumann USM 69 i, omniRØDE K2, omniRØDE NT2-A, omni (2023 datasheet)RØDE NT55, omniSanken CO-100KSanken COS-11DSchoeps MK 2Schoeps MK 2SSchoeps MK 5, omnisE4400, omniSennheiser MK 8, omniSennheiser MKH 20 P48, flat (near field)Sennheiser MKH 800, omniSennheiser MKH 8020Shure Beta 181, omni capsuleShure Beta 53, standard cap (gold mesh)Shure KSM141, omniShure KSM44, omniShure KSM44A, omniShure MX183Shure MX202, omni cartridgeSony C-100, omni-directionalSony C-38B, omni-directionalSony C-800G, omni-directional, independent measurementStudio Projects C4, omni capsule (OC1)
1 kHz: 64 mics
AKG C 12 VR, omniAKG C414 B-ULS, omniAKG C414 XLS, omniAKG P420, omniAudio-Technica AT2050, omniAudio-Technica AT4022, flatAudio-Technica AT4050, omniAustrian Audio OC818, omniBlue Cactus, omniBlue Kiwi, omniCAD M179, omniCrown GLM-100DPA 4006A, near-field gridDPA 4006-TL, free-field gridDPA 4041-SPDPA 4060, soft boost gridDPA 4061, soft boost gridDPA 4066, soft boost gridEarthworks M30Earthworks QTC40, on axisLawson L47MP Mk II, omniMicrotech Gefell M 221Neumann KM 131, as suppliedNeumann KM 183Neumann M 149 Tube, omni, low cut 20 HzNeumann M 49 V, omniNeumann M 50Neumann TLM 107, omniNeumann TLM 127, omniNeumann TLM 170 R, omniNeumann TLM 50, low cut offNeumann TLM 67, omniNeumann U 47, omniNeumann U 67, omniNeumann U 87 (U 87 i), omniNeumann U 87 Ai, omniNeumann U 89 i, omniNeumann USM 69 i, omniSanken CO-100KSanken COS-11DSchoeps MK 2Schoeps MK 2SSchoeps MK 5, omnisE4400, omniSennheiser MK 8, omniSennheiser MKH 20 P48, flat (near field)Sennheiser MKH 800, omniSennheiser MKH 8020Shure Beta 181, omni capsuleShure Beta 53, standard cap (gold mesh)Shure KSM141, omniShure KSM44, omniShure KSM44A, omniShure MX183Shure MX202, omni cartridgeSony C-100, omni-directionalSony C-38B, omni-directionalSony C-800G, omni-directional, independent measurementStudio Projects C4, omni capsule (OC1)
10 kHz: 59 mics

Up high, omnis stop being round. The capsule's own body shades sound from behind, and a switchable mic's omni, two diaphragms back to back, loses the sides: the Neumann U 87 Ai on omni hears 16 kHz from the side more than 20 dB quieter than from the front, in Neumann's plot and in an independent measurement.

Recommended for

The instruments sources name the most omni mics for, with how many: Violin (10), Piano (9), Voice (8), Acoustic guitar (7), Chamber choir (7), Drum kit (7), Electric guitar (7), String section (7), Bansuri (6), Didgeridoo (6).

The omni mics sources recommend most: Neumann U 87 (U 87 i), DPA 4006A, Oktava MK-012, DPA 4060, Neumann U 47, Audio-Technica AT4050, DPA 4041-SP, Neumann U 67.

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