A directional microphone whose pick-up pattern resembles the figure 8, meaning that it is insensitive to the sides but has full sensitivity at the front and back. As the polar pattern resembles the shape of a cosine curve, the figure-eight microphone is sometimes also called a cosine microphone. Figure-eight mics were traditionally ribbon mics, but now they can also be condenser mics. Also called a bi-directional microphone.
