Direction

• "Cardioid" microphones have a heart-shaped response pattern, meaning that they pick up sound directly in front of them--the point of the heart--as well as some sound to the sides--the shoulders of the heart. Super-cardioid microphones have an exaggerated version of the same pattern with greater emphasis on picking up sound directly in front.
  
  

Uses

• Super-cardioid microphones are sometimes referred to as "shotgun" microphones because of their aptitude for picking up sound accurately at distance when pointed gun-like at the subject. They are useful for recording animal sounds from a safe distance, as well as for picking up one instrument at a time in a band or orchestra.
  
  

Drawbacks

• Shotgun microphones record little or no background noise, and so can produce isolated, artificial sounding results. It can also be difficult to keep the sound consistent as the subject must remain still within the microphone's narrow area of response.