To collect target sounds to be collected in a high S/N even in a case where the position of a sound source sequentially varies.

A sound collecting device comprises two bidirectional microphones of which the directional main axes are orthogonal and one non-directional microphone, adds signals outputted from the microphones in a preset addition ratio and outputs the result. The present invention relates to a directional characteristic control apparatus which sets directional characteristics to the sound collecting device, including a storage means previously storing a plurality of addition ratios representing different directional characteristics, and a control means which adds signals outputted from the microphones for each of the addition ratios stored in the storage means and performs processing for setting to the sound collecting device an addition ratio representing directional characteristics corresponding to the direction of a sound source discriminated from a strength of the signal at predetermined time intervals.