Which microphone type captures sound from nearly every direction equally well?

The microphone type that captures sound from nearly every direction equally well is the omni-directional microphone. This design allows it to pick up sound from all angles around the microphone, which means it is sensitive to audio coming from the front, back, and sides equally. This characteristic makes omni-directional microphones particularly useful in situations where ambient sound is desired, such as in interviews, group discussions, or nature recording.

In contrast, directional microphones focus on sound from a specific direction, typically to isolate the sound source and minimize background noise. Dynamic microphones, while versatile and robust, do not inherently refer to a specific directionality; they can come in both omni-directional and directional varieties. Cardioid microphones are designed to pick up sound primarily from the front and reject sound from the sides and rear, making them effective for recording single sound sources but not for capturing ambient sounds from all directions.