The Mikrodigi 360 Digital Microphone

It's hard to know where to begin. I've recently been given an opportunity to try out a new microphone from Mikrodigi (rhymes with "prodigy"), a small hi-tech startup firm in Boston that is specializing in micro-mechanical transducers. The CEO of Mikrodigi, Dr. Digger Michaels, an Irish-born MIT bio-physicist, has been working on what he calls "mechanical devices that work at the molecular level." The Mikrodigi 360 is the first product utilizing this fascinating new technology developed for a commercial application.

What it is, is nothing short of astounding, technologically. Hopefully, the readers of Recording know that I am a little skeptical of hype and claims like "major breakthroughs" and "awesome new technological developments that will revolutionize our field," etc., etc. So, I've got to tell you, I was surprised and a little doubtful when Micheals contacted me and asked if I would do a preliminary evaluation of this microphone. You'll see why!

First off, it's actually a digital microphone. This is to say, the transducer converts air pressure changes directly into numbers. There are no intervening stages. Second, it's a 32-bit microphone, which gives it an unprecedented dynamic range: 192 dB! Third, as an inherent feature of its design topology, it can distinguish the angle of arrival of all sounds into 360 discrete angles of arrival (spherically), and the digital multiplexed output is capable of combining that data into up to 360 discrete channels, if so desired, although the test version was restricted to the Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround Sound standard. Future products under development at Mikrodigi include a 360 element "transducer helmet" for virtual reality presentations of the microphone's output. Talk about a hoot! Normal coincident stereophonic and monophonic outputs are also included, of course. These are configured using two separate algorithms, Phase Intensity Spatial Summation (which does the mono) and Spherical Holographic Information Transcription (which creates the stereo signals). These permit you to select any directional pattern you desire, including drawing your own in addition to the standard omni, bidirectional, cardioid and shotgun patterns, eliminating the waste inherent to most single-function designs.

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