Good story telling in film and video demands high-quality audio. Aputure just released a new pro-level shotgun mic that you can get on Amazon for $359. Shotgun mics are incredibly helpful on-set, especially in Hawaii where we constantly deal with airplanes, traffic, noisy birds, and crashing waves. Shotgun mics reject most of the sound that you don’t want, while still maintaining a natural sound that is hard to get from a lavalier mic.

We found a great first look from Ogy Stoilov from 4KShooters.net 

“Aputure seem be coming out with all sorts of exciting new products at a rapid pace – you may know them mainly from their budget DSLR monitors like the 7-inch VS-5, and LED panels and more recently their awesome Light Storm LS C120t LED or their miniature pocket-sized M9. However, Aputure are no strangers to audio, and despite the fact they haven’t been making audio kit for ages, they are bringing out some really exciting new products to help you get better quality audio without maxing out your credit cards (or hiding your loot from your wife/significant other).

A while back you may remember, we posted about the Aputure A.Lyra digital lavalier for mobile devices, but this time around Aputure have a new pro-grade XLR shotgun microphone that can be used in a variety of shooting situations from sit-down interviews, to documentaries and corporate/event gigs.

Unlike the company’s previous compact directional mics like the V-Mic D2, which was designed for DSLR shooters with its 3.5mm connector and lightweight compact size, the new Aputure Deity is a professional shotgun condenser microphone with an XLR connector priced at just $369.

The Deity mic features a hyper-cardioid pickup pattern (which is great for dialogue), measures about 25 cm in length and only 19mm in diameter. The mic weighs in at just 198 grams and features a solid brass body design with rugged coating. CNC-machined from a solid brass piece, the Aputure Deity uses a high-end capsule and electrical components as well as a gold coated PCB board.

Aputure Deity Features

  • Low-Coloration of Off-Axis Sonic Characters
  • Super-Cardioid Pattern
  • Low Inherent Self-Noise
  • All-Brass Body with Rugged Coating
  • Top Electric Components, Gold Coated PCB Board
  • Good Weather Resistance Design
  • Add-on Kit with Rycote Shock Mount with Handel
  • Coming with Waterproof Safe Case
  • 24V or 48V phantom powering
  • Price (for North America)
    • $369 or $429 with a Rycote Windshield/Lyre Kit

Aputure Deity Shotgun Mic Specifications

  • Polar Pattern: Super Cardioid
  • Maximum SPL: 130dB SPL(@1KHZ,1% THD into 1K)
  • Frequency Range: 50~20kHz
  • THD: ?0.5%
  • Nominal Impedance: 75?
  • Minimum Terminating Impedance: approx. 800?
  • Sensitivity: -32±2dB re 1V/Pa @1kHz
  • Equivalent noise level: 12dB ( A-weighted ), 24dB ( CCIR 268-3)
  • Input Voltage: 24V or 48V phantom power
  • Current consumption: 1.5mA
  • Operating Temperature range: -10? to +70
  • Physical Dimensions: ?19 x 250mm
  • Output Connector: XLR
  • Weight: 198g

To get a better idea of how this microphone sounds, check out the Aputure Deity review by our good friend Curtis Judd from Learn Light & Sound.

The Aputure Deity is said to feature a good off-axis rejection and is apparently also well build. While it may not replace the Sennheiser MKH-416 (which is of course a broadcast/Film workhorse that costs about a grand) in a pro sound recordist’s kit bag, the Aputure Deity certainly is a huge step up in quality for Aputure and a great sounding budget shotgun mic for content creators working on a tighter budget.”

See the original article here.

[source: 4kshooters.net]