New to the Engineered Sound line of mics, the Audio-Technica ES963 Three-Element Multidirectional Boundary Microphone features full, flexible coverage designed to work well for a variety of applications so that fewer microphones are required for the same job.

The ES963 is designed specifically for the engineer working with surface-mount applications such as high-quality sound reinforcement, conferencing, professional recording, television, and other sound pickup applications in the installed sound and sound contracting markets. The microphone can cover large table areas and in turn provide a more streamlined mic setup.

This mic has three cardioid condenser elements mounted inside the housing, each factory set with an angle of 120 degrees between them to provide 360-degree coverage. Two positioning levers on the mic's base allow two of the three elements to be reoriented (with no tools or disassembly required) to offer angles of 90 / 90 / 180 degrees between elements, which for example, would be ideal for positioning at the end of long conference tables.

You can power and use elements individually or in combination to suit the application at hand, according to the manufacturer. For example, with two elements powered, the ES963 can provide a Figure-8 polar pattern, while with a single element powered, the microphone functions as a standard cardioid boundary microphone. Four indented recessed pathways on the base of the ES963 let you route the cable any which way, again without the need for tools or disassembly.

The new ES963 includes a 24.6-foot long permanently attached output cable that can interface with a variety of equipment. Small-diameter capsules near the boundary eliminate phase distortion and deliver clear, high-output performance, notes Audio-Technica.

What's more, the ES963 mic is equipped with UniGuard RFI-shielding technology, which offers rejection of radio frequency interference (RFI). The microphone requires 11V to 52V DC phantom power for operation, and the ES963’s heavy die-cast case and non-slip silicon foam bottom pads minimize coupling of surface vibration to the microphone. Output is low-impedance (Lo-Z balanced).

On the exterior, the microphone features a low-profile design and a low-reflectance black finish. It comes with a soft protective pouch.

The new Audio-Technica ES963 Three-Element Multidirectional Boundary Microphone will be available in the summer of 2010 for $495 (MSRP) with a five-year warranty. For more information, please visit audio-technica.com.