Directional Microphone
A hearing aid microphone configuration that preferentially amplifies sounds arriving from the front of the listener while attenuating noise from other directions.
Full Definition
Directional microphones in hearing aids use two or more microphone ports separated by a small distance to create a polar pattern that favours sounds from the front (0° azimuth) and suppresses sounds from behind or the sides. This technology provides a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio in noisy environments, which is one of the most common complaints of hearing aid users. Modern devices offer adaptive directional systems that automatically adjust the directional polar pattern in response to changing noise environments. Editors should be aware that 'directional microphone' is not synonymous with 'noise reduction', which refers to a separate digital signal-processing feature. In product or clinical documents, the capitalisation of 'directional microphone' follows sentence case unless part of a proprietary brand name.
Usage
Usage note: Do not use 'directional mic' in formal clinical or technical documents. Distinguish clearly from digital noise reduction, which operates independently.
In Context
- "The audiologist recommended activating the directional microphone program when the patient dined in noisy restaurants." — Hearing aid fitting report
- "Directional microphone benefit was evaluated by measuring speech intelligibility at 0° and 180° azimuths." — Clinical research article