Blackmagic Design announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone on Thursday featuring a 7th order ambisonic microphone array and internal encoder that streams spatial audio over a single USB-C cable.
The Fremont, California-based hardware maker built the 7OA mic array with 108 digital MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) microphones mounted flush inside a solid, faceted metal sphere, as Mixonline reported. The device runs Apple’s advanced encoding filters on an internal processor to convert audio signals from all 108 capsules into 64-channel 7th order ambisonics in real-time.
Users do not need a breakout box or complex encoding software to capture professional spatial audio. The hardware is USB class-compliant, requiring no drivers or plug-ins to operate.
Metal Body Design Offers Multiple Recording Workflows
The faceted metal body is durable for professional field use while remaining small enough to mount directly on top of a cinema camera. A higher-order ambisonic signal yields a much more precise position for each sound source when decoded for headphones or speaker arrays, according to CineD.
Operators can deploy the hardware in three primary ways depending on the production workflow.
On the URSA Cine Immersive camera, the microphone mounts on top, plugs in via USB-C, and records spatial audio directly into immersive files in precise sync with video.
Users can also connect the microphone to a computer to record and mix in real-time using Fairlight Live software. A third option routes the audio straight to an iPhone running the Blackmagic Camera app.
Collaboration with Apple Drove Microphone Development
Company executives said that the project originated during joint work on immersive camera hardware.
“This microphone started when we were collaborating with Apple on the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO, as Mixonline reported.
“I heard a high-resolution spatial audio capture for the first time and it was like hearing an acoustic reality; I was totally blown away. Apple licensed their array geometry and the ambisonic encoding filters, we did the engineering and design, and the result is an ambisonic microphone where you just plug in one cable and capture true spatial audio.”
Blackmagic Design also announced a USB to SMPTE-2110 converter for advanced live broadcast workflows, though pricing and a release date for that adapter remain unannounced.
Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone Ships December 2026 for $1,695
The Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone will ship in December 2026 for $1,695, excluding local duties and taxes, through company resellers.
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