Which microphone type is designed to pick up sound predominantly from one direction?

A unidirectional microphone is specifically designed to capture sound primarily from one direction, making it ideal for situations where you want to minimize background noise and focus on a single sound source. This directional capability is particularly useful in settings like interviews, live performances, and recording vocals where isolating the speaker's voice is critical. The design of the microphone allows it to reject sounds coming from the sides and rear, enhancing clarity and quality of the intended sound source.

In contrast, bidirectional microphones can pick up sound from two opposite directions, which is useful in scenarios like duets or face-to-face interviews but does not focus on a single direction. Omnidirectional microphones, on the other hand, capture sound equally from all directions, making them suitable for ambient sound recording but not for isolating specific sound sources. Condenser microphones refer to a type of microphone that can be either directional or omnidirectional, depending on its design features, so it doesn’t inherently possess directional characteristics exclusive to the unidirectional type.