Episode 110: The Proximity Effect | MIDWEEK SERVICE | With Prentiss L. Thompson

Prentiss L. Thompson breaks down The proximity effect  why its important to understand.

The basic explanation is this — in a directional mic, a signal is generated through the difference in pressure between the front of the diaphragm and the back of the diaphragm. If the pressure on each side is the same, the diaphragm doesn’t move.
Mics all handle proximity differently. As a general rule of thumb, the more directional a mic, the more pronounced the proximity effect will be. Ribbon microphones are a serious culprit here, and they have the most pronounced effect. Anything bi-directional will be pretty strong. Cardioids are next in line. And as mentioned before — Omnis exhibit no proximity effect at all. Anything with a variable polar pattern will be subject to this reality: the closer to omni you go, the less proximity effect — the tighter the polar pattern, the greater proximity effect