Products of Interest

Zylia ZM-1 Microphone

Zylia’s ZM-1 microphone is designed for three-dimensional recording (see Figure 1). It allows the user to record sound scenes and separate single sound sources though a combination of microphone array technology and digital signal processing algorithms.

The spherical microphone has 19 capsules that each have an omni-directional polar pattern and that use Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. The durable casing features an LED ring status indicator. It is capable of recording at sample rates of 44.1 and 48 kHz and 24-bit sample depth. Gain adjustment controls in steps of 0.5 dB from −12 dB to +32 dB are provided. The microphone is 6.1 in high and 4 in in diameter. It weighs 15.5 oz. The ZM-1 has an integrated desktop stand and it can be mounted on microphone stands that use ¼-in and ⅝-inthreads. It connects to computers using a micro-USB port in the base.

Zylia Studio is a software application for recording and processing from the Zylia microphone. It can be used to balance and pan the multichannel recording and to separate it into individual audio tracks for use in a digital audio workstation (DAW), if required. Two separation modes are available, a virtual microphone mode and a high separation mode. The first of these mimics a directional microphone and allows any part to be isolated from the three-dimensional space. The high separation mode uses an additional process to mimic the behavior of a close microphone, reducing ambient sounds and background noise and giving even better sound source separation. The audio can be stored as PCM WAV files or using a lossless compression that reduces the size by half. The software is compatible with Macintosh, Windows, and Linux operating systems.

A PRO version of the software is available as a VST/AU plug-in. This provides spatial filtering and signal separation tools within a DAW and gives the user access to virtual microphones with different polar patterns and characteristics in post-production. A number of different group and surround sound presets are provided.

An Ambisonics converter can process convert multi-channel audio into b-format higher-order Ambisonics. It also supports FuMA or ACN channel ordering and SN3D or N3D normalization. It is also compatible with YouTube’s ambiX and Facebook’s TBE formats. The converter is available as a standalone application or as a VST plug-in.

Prices range from US$ 599 for the microphone and Studio Software, to US$ 1,299 for the PRO set, which includes the microphone, Studio software, Studio PRO plug-in, the Ambisonics converter, a 10-m USB cable, and a Rycote Windjammer. Contact: Zylia Sp. z o. o., Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznan, Poland; email record@zylia.pl; Web www.zylia.co.

Figure 1.

The Zylia ZM-1 19-capsule microphone.

Audio-Technica AT5047 Cardioid Microphone

Audio-Technica’s AT5047 is a four-diaphragm studio microphone (see Figure 2). The outputs of the matched 2-micron-thin diaphragms are summed to create a large rectangular element, which is said to provide more than twice the surface area of a regular 1-in circular diaphragm and a very low noise floor. The microphone’s output is transformer-coupled, with a constant load output impedance reported, even at high sound pressure levels.

The microphone has internal shock mounting that separates the capsule from the microphone body. It has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The maximum sound pressure level (SPL) is 148 dB at 1 kHz and 1 percent total harmonic distortion. The dynamic range is 142 dB and it has a signal-to-noise ratio of 88 dB (1 kHz at 1 Pa).

The hand-assembled microphone has aluminum and brass housing with a silver finish. It weighs 20.9 oz and measures 6.51 × 2.24 in. It has a 3-pin XLR male output connector. The microphone comes with the company’s AT8480 external shock mount and a custom hard-shell case with die-cut foam compartments.

The AT5047 is listed for US$ 3,499. Contact: Audio-Technica, 1221 Commerce Drive...