Nat 5HigherAdvanced Higher
Figure-of-eight polar pattern
A figure-of-eight microphone pattern picks up sound from the front and back while rejecting the sides.
Also called: Figure of eight, Bidirectional
Level relevance: introduced at Nat 5; tagged for every later level where the same concept remains useful.
Explanation
Figure-of-eight patterns are useful in some stereo and multi-microphone techniques. They require careful placement because they capture strongly from two opposite directions.
Topics
MicrophonesRecordingPolar patterns
Curriculum statusofficial concept
Review statusdraft
Sources
- National 5 Music Technology course specification, May 2023, version 3.0 · accessed 2026-07-08
Used for National 5 technology skills, technology concepts, and music concepts.