FOR A CLEAN BITE: Sennheiser MKE 400

A compact super-cardioid camera -mounted microphone for your home and journalistic sound bites

Success of video production depends much on the accompanying audio. We cannot ignore the importance of a well-reproduced reproduced audio track in conveying the various moods in a video. Casual and home video creators, along with freelance and citizen journalists often have difficultly in finding the perfect solution for their audio problems. The Sennheiser MKE 400 is a directional compact shotgun microphone specially designed for camera mounted and smartphone-aided operation.

If you are aware of Sennheiser’s MKE series of shotgun microphones, the MKE 400 is the big brother of the simple entry-level MKE 200. It has a compact mini-shotgun design and offers a built-in shock mount and wind protection mesh that effectively prevent handling and ambient noise spoiling your dialogue. Powered by two AAA batteries, the MKE 400 offers a cold-shoe mount with a threaded tripod receptacle. The device has a sturdy and lightweight design with a black polycarbonate outer shell in matte finish. The microphone offers a power button, a microphone gain switch and a low-cut filter switch on one side and a volume up/down rocker switch and 3.5 mm headphone output jack on the other. The bundle includes a three-pole (TRS) connection cable for D-SLR and mirrorless cameras and a four-pole (TRRS) connection cable for smartphones. It also includes a furry windshield, pouch and guides.