What type of microphone captures sound from all directions?

An omnidirectional microphone is designed to capture sound equally from all directions. This means it picks up audio sources from the front, back, and sides, making it ideal for situations where the sound source may be moving or when ambient sound is desired. This type of microphone is commonly used in settings like panel discussions, group interviews, or in scenarios where background noise is an important part of the recording—such as capturing the natural sounds of a location.

In contrast, a directional microphone is engineered to focus on sound from a specific direction, making it less effective for capturing audio from all angles. A lavalier microphone, frequently used in interviews or presentations, is typically a small, clip-on mic that may be omnidirectional or unidirectional, but it is often used with the intent of capturing only the speaker's voice. Dynamic microphones are a type of microphone that can be either directional or omnidirectional but are mainly known for their robustness and ability to handle high sound pressure levels, rather than specifically capturing sound from all directions.