Lightweight Switchable Shotgun Mic Provides Both Stereo and Monaural Operation

Targeting HD video production, Sony has introduced a lightweight switchable shotgun microphone that provides both stereo and monaural operation in a single device.
Sony’s ECM-680S MS (mid-size) electret condenser microphone, introduced at the recent AES audio show in New York City, incorporates newly developed capsules that provide high sensitivity, low inherent noise, and a flat-and-wide frequency response.

Capable of digital multichannel sound capture, the new microphone can switch from capturing voice and distant sound in highly directional monaural operation to a spatial stereo mode for natural environmental sound quality, said Paul Foschino, who heads Sony’s professional audio division in the U.S.

The mic-nearly 10 inches long and weighing 4.9 ounces-can be mounted on a boom or directly on the camera. Its large-diaphragm capsules with bi-directional characteristics provide sensitivity of -28 dB in stereo and 32 dB in mono. Noise is less than 20 dB SPL in both stereo and mono.

Modes can be switched from the microphone itself or from compatible Sony professional camcorders. In the stereo mode, the MS stereo microphone signal is internally decoded to left and right (stereo) outputs. The mic also includes an LED that illuminates when stereo mode is selected.

The shotgun has a frequency response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz in stereo and 40 Hz to 20 kHz in mono. There’s a built-in two-position low cut filter.

The ECM-680S MS is now available for $960.

For more information, visit www.sony.com/professional/.