Blackmagic’s radical new microphone has 108 ears

Blackmagic Design’s new Ambisonic Microphone packs 108 MEMS microphones into a palm-sized 7th order array that records spatial audio over one USB-C cable.

Blackmagic Design is doubling down on the immersive video product line started with the release of the URSA Cine Immersive by adding audio to the mix. The Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone is a 7th order ambisonic microphone array with 108 digital MEMS microphones that are positioned in a sphere to capture the entire sound field in all directions.

The microphones are mounted flush in a solid, faceted metal body small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and mount on a camera.

7th order ambisonics

And in case you were wondering, ‘7th order’ describes how precisely a mic can pin down where a sound comes from. The rule of thumb is that a mic needs at least (order + 1) squared capsules: four for 1st order, nine for 2nd, and so on. At 7th order that works out to 64 channels, which is what the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone outputs.

As far as we can tell, this is the highest-order commercial mic available, with the only higher-order mics confined to R&D.

“This microphone started when we were collaborating with Apple on the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera. 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,” says Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “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.”

One cable, built-in encoding, no breakout box

An internal processor running Apple’s encoding filters converts all 108 microphones to 7th order ambisonics in real time, so no encoding software or breakout box is needed.

Impressively, given all that complexity, the mic connects and is powered over a single USB-C cable. That helps it mount on the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive and record spatial audio directly into the camera’s immersive files for Apple Immersive content. It also works with a computer for recording and live mixing in Fairlight Live, and even records directly to iPhone using the Blackmagic Camera app. A USB to SMPTE-2110 converter will be available for broadcast workflows.

Pricing and availability

The microphone will be available in December 2026 for $1695 excluding local duties and taxes. Blackmagic lists it at $1909 in the US, which includes duties. The $2405 Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone Kit adds a dedicated Microphone Mount, a windshield, and a locking USB-C cable for secure attachment.