Sennheiser MKE 400 and MKE 600 Microphones Bring Pristine Audio into a Visual World

Over the last several decades, sound mixers and boom operators have come to rely on both vintage and modern classic shotgun microphones from Sennheiser — including the ME 66, the MKH 416 and MKH 8060 — to make their films ‘come to life’ with dialog, effects and music.

As devices such as DSLRs and smartphones continue to proliferate the consumer market — and as the use of innovative content sharing platforms such as Vine and Instagram become commonplace among consumers, Sennheiser is now bringing its microphone technology to an entirely new generation.

According to a press release by Transparency Market Research, digital cameras represent one of the most popular segments of the consumer electronics products market, and the worldwide digital camera market is projected to grow to 138 million units by the year 2015. Meanwhile, applications such as Vine and Instagram bring elements of immediacy and authenticity that were simply not available to the general videomaking consumer in the past. For amateur and semi-professional filmmakers, this means there has never been a better time to create and share video.

Enter the MKE 400, MKE 600 and KA 600i
Just as it has provided premium solutions to professional filmmakers for the last several decades, Sennheiser recently made its MKE 400 and MKE 600 shotgun microphones available to would-be filmmakers and video enthusiasts all around the world. These solutions, designed to be used in combination with camcorders, DSLRs and now smartphones, help content creators realize the dream of ‘no-compromise audio.’  These microphones focus on sounds in front of the camera, while attenuating unwanted sounds coming from the sides and rear. Both the MKE 400 and MKE 600 feature a universal shoe mount and have low cut filters, which help minimize wind noise in demanding situations.

With the KA 600i, Sennheiser makes it possible to capture high qualtiy audio with simply a smartphone, when used in conjunction with the self-powered MKE 600 microphone. As smartphones become more and more powerful, and applications become more creative and flexible, the KA 600i places an unprecedented amount of power into the hands of both amateur videographers as well as professional journalists and others capturing video while ‘on the go.’

What does sound mean to you?
Starting this week, Sennheiser is launching a contest directed to both amateur and semi-pro filmmakers. Entrants must answer the question “What does sound mean to you?” and will submit responses through the Vine app for iPhone and Android.

One grand-prize winner will win a premium Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun microphone, and second and third place winners will take home a new Sennheiser MKE 600 shotgun microphone. Interested participants should visit the Sennheiser website between now and October 7; entries will be judged on creativity, originality, and use of audio.