Audio
Polarity vs Phase
01 — Definition
Two things that get confused constantly. Polarity is the absolute orientation of a waveform: flipping it swaps positive and negative peaks instantaneously, across all frequencies equally. Phase is a time-domain relationship at a given frequency, caused by filters, distance or processing. The Ø button on a console flips polarity — not phase.
02 — In the field
Two mics out of polarity on the same source, and you lose low frequencies when they sum. Always check polarity as soon as you have two mics on one source. If flipping makes it worse, the problem is timing: move the mic.