Microphones
Microphones play a vital role in recording audio. They are the only way of recording anything in the real world. There are a number of different types of microphones which play a crucial role is achieving the desired sound. Each microphone has what is known as a 'polar pattern'. This is a graphical representation of the directionality, which is the way in which the microphone picks up the sound. Some microphones are used more commonly than others with the choice depending on the application.