Which microphone type captures sound from two opposite directions?

A bidirectional microphone is designed to capture sound from two opposite directions, typically from the front and the rear. This characteristic makes it particularly useful for situations where sound sources are located on either side of the microphone, such as in interviews where both the interviewer and interviewee are speaking directly into the mic. This type of microphone utilizes a polar pattern that focuses on sounds coming from the two specified directions while rejecting noise from the sides, allowing for a more focused and clearer audio capture of the desired sources.

In contrast, unidirectional microphones are sensitive primarily to sounds coming from one direction, making them ideal for isolating a single sound source. Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound equally from all directions, making them versatile but less effective at isolating sounds from specific directions. Hypercardioid microphones have a more focused directionality than cardioid microphones, but they still aren't specifically designed to capture sound from two opposite sides like bidirectional microphones do.