Sony has introduced its ECM-778, a compact shotgun microphone designed for high-quality audio recording in film, television, and content production in general. The small mic is powerful enough to be used in high-end productions, and compact enough to be useful to small creators. The Japanese tech and media company is also dropping newer and faster memory cards and readers.
Sony drops the mic
The mic’s biggest selling point is its compact size. At 176mm long and weighing 102g, it’s incredibly portable. This allows it to be used as a lightweight traditional boom mic or mounted on a compatible DSLR (with an XLR terminal), through the included mic holder and stand adapter. It also comes with two different wind screens: a foam-type for indoor or quieter environments, and a fur-type which offers greater wind protection. It’s equipped with a low-cut switch to reduce wind and handling noise.
The ECM-778’s aluminium frame is intended to suppress external vibrations and electrical noise. It contains a high-end brass acoustic tube for more accurate recording, which also suppresses sound coming from the sides. Sony says the mic still has good forward directivity, despite its size. It also has a newly designed circuit board that supposedly enhances sound quality, though to what extent, it doesn’t say. Sony reckons the ECM-778’s sound profile is defined by “spacious high frequencies and stable mid-low frequencies.”
Alongside the microphone, Sony also released two CFexpress Type A memory cards: the 1920 GB CEA-G1920T, 960 GB CEA-G960T, plus the MRW-G3 card reader. These CFexpress 4-compatible cards offer fast read speeds of over 1800 MB/s and support stable video capture at 400 MB/s. Built to withstand harsh conditions, the cards feature enhanced resistance to drops, bends, dust, water, and heat.
The ECM-778 microphone, with the memory cards and readers, will become available for purchase in South African stores later in October.
