Omnidirectional: Literally, from all directions. In audio, microphones are said to be omnidirectional if they can detect sound with equal sensitivity from all directions. Speakers are omnidirectional if they produce sound pressure level that is the same without regard to the position of the listener vis a vis the axis of the driver or port; this tends to be the case with subwoofers and low frequency drivers. Low frequencies, in general, tend to be omni-directional, unlike high frequencies, where directionality increases with frequency.

 

Related Words

Omnidirectional: Literally, from all directions. In audio, microphones are said to be omnidirectional if they can detect sound with equal sensitivity from all directions. Speakers are omnidirectional if they . . . View Full Definition

Omnidirectional Microphone: A microphone that is able to pick up sound equally from all directions.

Sidelobe Cancellation (SLC): Sidelobe cancellation determines the direction of the jamming signal and effectively steers a null into that direction to zero out the jamming signal. Planar array antenna systems can perfor . . . View Full Definition

Pickup Pattern: In microphones, the shape of the space in which the microphone is sensitive to sound. Common patterns include omnidirectional and cardioid.