In these videos, brought to you with the support of Austrian Audio Julian Rodgers of Production Expert uses the free Polar Designer plugin to minimise spill between vocal and acoustic guitar mics. Hear how being able to create continuously variable polar patterns across up to 5 user definable frequency bands at the mix stage can be used to minimise spill, maximise the wanted signal, or both.
In this example he sets the polar pattern manually, auditioning the results in real-time.
Continuously variable polar patterns can be assigned across up to five user definable frequency bands. because the crossover filters are phase linear the bands reconstruct accurately and while these filters introduce latency there is a single band, low latency mode available for use while tracking.
The OC818 is a dual diaphragm condenser microphone which, like any multi-pattern microphone, mixes the output of both the front and rearward facing cardioid capsules to create any first order polar pattern, from omni through to figure 8. What is different about the OC 818 is that you can output the two diaphragms separately - the front via the main XLR and the rear via a miniature connector on the back. Capturing both of these signals to two separate tracks via two preamps you can use polar designer to create any combination of polar patterns you wish across up to five user definable frequency bands, you can even create rearward facing cardioid patterns.
Hear this in action in the two videos featuring a performance from Jack Kessel.
In this second video, Julian demonstrates the automated polar pattern selection available in Polar Designer using the Terminate controls. You can use these to quickly minimise spill, maximise the wanted signal or find the best compromise between the two.