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ShotgunAudio-Technica AT897

Shotgun Condenser Microphone

Part of Audio-Technica’s “Broadcast & Production” series, the AT897 is a “line + gradient” short shotgun microphone.

It is designed to be mounted atop a video camera for use in general field recording.

The output is balanced and low-impedance, via 3-pin XLRM.

It can be powered by phantom power (11VDC minimum) or by a single AA/UM3 battery. Performance is slightly better on phantom power than battery power; for example, the mic’s sensitivity rises from 8.9 mV/Pa to 10 mV/Pa, and the max SPL rises from 115 to 129dB.

Battery life for an alkaline cell is estimated at 1200 hours.

Audio-Technica

Audio-Technica’s AT897 is designed for field audio acquisition in film/TV/video production, professional recording, wildlife recording and broadcast applications. It mounts conveniently on a DV camcorder without adding noticeable heft, and remains out of the frame even with compact digital cameras. This high-performance short shotgun offers outstanding long-distance audio pickup due to narrow acceptance angle of line + gradient design. It also features smooth, natural-sounding on-axis audio quality and excellent off-axis rejection of sound arriving from the sides and rear of mic.

The mic includes a hard mount (A-T p/n AT8405a), a foam windscreen (p/n AT8134), an AA battery, and a soft pouch for storage.

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The mic was released in 2004.

Specifications

Frequency Response - ShotgunClick Graph to Compare!
AT897 Shotgun Frequency Response Chart
Pickup Patterns Pads & Filters
Shotgun (10.0 mV/Pa; 20 - 20,000 Hz)
  • Filter: HPF: -12dB/octave @ 80Hz (Via Switch)
Capsule Dimensions Impedance SPL/Noise
Diameter n/a
200 Ohms (Low) Max SPL: 129 dB
Self-noise: 17.0 dB(A)
Weight Length Max Diameter Interface(s)
145g (5.11oz) 279mm (10.98'') 21mm (0.83'')
  • 3-pin XLR male (1)
Power Specifications
  • Requires phantom power
  • Has battery compartment (1.5V AA/UM3)
  • Phantom voltage: 11-52v

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