Best Boundary Microphones: Top 10 Models and Brief Review!

Best Boundary Microphones

Introduction

A boundary microphone (or pressure zone microphone) is a number of small omnidirectional or cardioid condenser mic capsule(s) positioned close to or flush with a boundary (floor) similar to ground, desk, or wall. The capsule(s) are sometimes mounted in a flat plate or housing. The association offers a directional half-space pickup pattern while delivering a comparatively phase-coherent output signal.

The boundary microphone can be utilized as a piano mic by inserting it inside the piano lid, a strategy that may acquire a higher pickup of the piano’s mixture of sharp percussive transients and delicate undertones than different microphone picks. Boundary mics are used on hockey boards for body examination sound results.

When used to record a soloist or small musical ensemble together with the room acoustics (e.g. reverberation), a boundary microphone prevents phase interference between direct and mirrored sound, leading to a pure sound with a flatter frequency response than will be obtained with a stand-mounted microphone on the identical distance.

Boundary mics are normally inexpensive than different mics, though there’s nonetheless a variety of worth factors that varies, relying on the variety of capsules and the absence or presence of further options, similar to on-off switches, wireless capabilities, and levers to reposition the capsule(s).

We just want to let you know that we’ll list these Boundary Microphones reviews in no particular order. They’ll be randomized as we don’t wish to sort them from best to worst.

Listed below are our Top 10 Boundary Microphones:

1. Superlux E304 BK

The Superlux family of boundary microphones represents distinctive value and efficiency in the installed sound, sound reinforcement, and recording environments. The E304 is an expert answer for teleconferencing, distance studying, courtroom, convention, meeting rooms, stage, and council chambers.

Elegant and unobtrusive, the E304 contains a back electret Omni condenser, huge dynamic vary, low noise balanced inline preamplifier, and XLR connectivity with a removable cable. Available in black or white with a 10-meter cable the Superlux E304 has a prolonged frequency response and a switchable low-cut/high-pass filter. This versatile microphone is a superb alternative for any situation where high-quality sound and low-profile aesthetics are important.

Omnidirectional condenser microphone and strong development. It is extremely responsive and has good sound clarity. It reaches larger harmonics in excessive frequency very nicely. It doesn’t have a lot of proximity effect because it uses an Omni-directional capsule, so its sound may be very pure even when it’s near the sound supply.

It may be used for capturing acoustic environments, as a setup microphone, or desk microphone, and even has its place in instrument captures comparable to drum kicks, acoustic pianos, wind instrument sections, percussion, and more.

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	Superlux E304 BK	Delivery includes 7.5 m mini XLR – XLR male cable.	Buy on Thomann

2. Schoeps BLM 03C

The BLM 03 C is connected by its fixed cable to a Colette CMC microphone amplifier, thus leading to an entire microphone. All identified properties of the BLM 03 C are equivalent to these of the BLM 3.

It is suggested to make use of the BLM 03 C when the BLM 3 is just too massive (for example when recording for TV or movie) or too heavy (for example when gluing to the roof inside an automobile or below the lid of a grand piano). Because the BLM 03 C contains active electronics, it isn’t appropriate with different active equipment similar to RC, and KC.

The small dimensions of the BLM 03 C together with the matte grey Nextel floor allow a very discreet placement. Even fully invisible placement is possible if the microphone is hidden below a tablecloth fabricated from a lightweight cloth.

Due to its small dimension, nevertheless, it must be noted that the BLM 03 C ought to rest on a sufficiently massive, sound-reflecting floor. When recording a panel discussion, a desk could also be enough. For many music recordings, a bigger space is beneficial. The BLM 03 C can be mounted in a grand piano with the lid open or closed.

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	Schoeps BLM 03C	Includes active cable for connection to CMC 5 or CMC 6 Weight without microphone amplifier CMC: 233g	Buy on Thomann

3. Shure Beta 91A

The Shure BETA91A is designed to be used with kick drums, in addition to different conventional low-frequency functions including piano. Featuring an up-to-date microphone capsule, built-in preamplifier, and XLR connection, Beta 91A affords a robust low-frequency response and is particularly tailor-made for bass frequency functions.

The Beta 91A combines superior attack and punch for studio-quality sound, even at extraordinarily excessive sound pressure levels (SPL). The Shure Beta 91A is a boundary microphone that may double as a kick drum mic, as it could actually seize the punch and assault of low-frequency instruments comparable to kick (bass) drums.

It includes a large frequency response properly fitted to capture quite a lot of audio indicators comparable to organ and piano. The flat, boundary design additionally aids in producing a powerful, strong low-end response, in addition to making it simple to mount inside a bass drum. The Beta 91A is good for each recording and sound reinforcement alike.

The Beta 91A excels at picking every kind of low-frequency-intensive instrument; its response is tailor-made for bass frequencies. The Beta 91A’s built-in preamp makes it a really handy condenser, and its means to deal with excessive SPLs means worry-free use in any surroundings (even with the loudest live drummers).

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	Shure Beta 91A	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Sweetwater	Buy On Thomann

4. Audix ADX60

Pro pre-polarized condenser microphone, the ADX60 is designed for stage, studio, and broadcast purposes. The ADX60 is extremely delicate and in a position to deal with the space and area miking for numerous purposes including conferences, performances, theatre, and acoustic instruments.

The ADX60 has a uniformly managed cardioid polar pattern and is designed to seize a chosen area. This microphone requires a 9 – 52 V phantom energy for operation and is provided with a cable and phantom energy adapter. The cardioid polar pattern successfully minimizes off-axis residual noise and vibration.

The ADX60 boundary condenser microphone is simple to place, sturdy, and manufactured with a high-performance 12 mm capsule, metal mesh grille, and space-saving mini-XLR connector. The low-profile design is good for desk surfaces or instrument mounting in pianos and kicks drums.

The Audix ADX-60 is a flexible cardioid boundary microphone designed for general ambiance and instrument capturing. The microphone’s frequency and sensitivity traits are greater than appropriate for capturing meetings, conferences, and interviews as well as piano, kick drum, and rather more. The cardioid polar pattern minimizes residual off-axis surface-born noise.

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	Audix ADX60	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Thomann

5. Superlux E303B

The E303B microphone from Superlux is a high-quality condenser microphone of the boundary sort. It’s thus designed for placement in flat locations. The miniature capsule with a cardioid directional attribute supplies protection over a large frequency varying from 30 Hz to 18 kHz. The sound of those microphones is maximally clear and uncolored.

The Superlux household of boundary microphones represents distinctive worth and efficiency within the put-in sound, sound reinforcement, and recording environments. The E303 is a pro answer for teleconferencing, distance studying, courtroom, convention, assembly rooms, stage, and council chambers. Elegant and unobtrusive, the E303 includes a back electret cardioid condenser, broad dynamic vary, low noise balanced inline preamplifier, and XLR connectivity with a removable cable.

Accessible in black or white with a 10-meter cable the Superlux E303 has a prolonged frequency response and a switchable low-cut/high-pass filter. This versatile microphone is a wonderful selection for any scenario where high-quality sound and low-profile aesthetics are important.

The E303 boundary microphones are designed for flat floor placement that will not draw the viewers’ consideration. Appropriate to be used with newsroom, broadcasting, conferences, distant educations, and houses of worship.

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	Superlux E303B	Delivery includes: 7,5 m mini XLR – XLR male cable	Buy on Thomann

6. Beyerdynamic TG D71

The TG D71c boundary microphone is primarily used for miking kick drums whereas putting it simply with no extra mounting materials into the bass drum. The non-slip rubber backside makes sure that the microphone can not shift by itself.

As a consequence of its excessive impulse constancy, low attack time, and maximum sound pressure level of 148 dB, the TG D71c is appropriate for miking percussion elements. The rugged housing in a slim, compact design protects the microphone from damage within the tough everyday use on stage. For an everlasting setup on a floor, there are two mounting holes on the backside of the microphone.

Whereas the extraordinarily rugged housing ensures optimum safety throughout use on stage, the compact design permits the microphone to be positioned simply in a bass drum with no extra equipment.

With a slim and timeless design, it’s both a technical and a visible spotlight. A red, illuminating LED standing shows the utilized phantom energy, in addition to the working standing of the microphone. The microphone is equipped with a journey bag for shielding throughout transportation.

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	Beyerdynamic TG D71	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Sweetwater	Buy On Thomann

7. Sennheiser MEB 114 B

Wired desk boundary microphone with half-cardioid pickup pattern. Because of its sturdy housing and high-quality microphone capsule, the MEB 114 guarantees optimum speech intelligibility. The MEB 114 has received the iF Produkt Design Award for its trendy design.

The black Sennheiser MEB 114 is a cardioid boundary microphone designed to supply correct and intelligible speech replicas for meetings, conferences, and shows. It may be positioned quickly on a desk or completely mounted if desired. A cardioid pattern has a large directional attribute. Sound hitting the rear of the microphone is filtered out fully.

Its cardioid polar pattern rejects sound from behind the capsule, giving an extra targeted pickup zone. Its extensive frequency varies from 40 Hz to 20 kHz and an excessive SPL of 140 dB ships clear audio freed from distortion. The mic operates from 24 to 48V phantom power.

The MEB 144-S provides a programmable button on the enclosure, which could be set to push-to-talk, push-to-mute, On/Off, or everlasting On. Underneath the boundary mic is a TTL logic output that may be utilized to activate digital camera or media management techniques. The mic operates in a cardioid polar pattern and ships with a 9.8′ cable.

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	Sennheiser MEB 114 B	Especially geared for meetings and church altars Dimensions (W x D x H): 85 x 100 x 25 mm Weight: approx. 291g	Buy on Thomann

8. Shure MX393/O

The boundary microphone gives high-quality sound for a variety of purposes because of its interchangeable condenser cartridge. It options programmable, silent membrane switches, LED indicators, and a low-profile design.

The black Shure MX393/O Microflex is an omnidirectional boundary microphone designed to seize high-quality speech and voice for sound reinforcement and teleconferencing installations in governmental, institutional, non secular, and enterprise settings. The MX393/O can be completely installed on convention tables, desks, or lecterns. Its modern, low-profile design is good for convention rooms and different places where minimal mic visibility is of excessive precedence and aesthetics are necessary.

The microphone options an omnidirectional polar pattern best used for a number of individuals sitting in a circle around a desk. The mic takes benefit of the boundary impact to capture clear speech with lowered room ambiance for intelligibility. The interchangeable capsule design offers the installer better flexibility and makes it potential to simply reconfigure microphone protection as the necessity arises.

The MX393/O is provided with a programmable, silent membrane swap with a bicolor LED that signifies the standing of the mic. The mic resists interference from devices equivalent to cell telephones and two-way communication gadgets. It requires from 11 to 52V phantom power to function. Contains an easy-to-use paint mask for custom-color installations.

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	Shure MX393/O	Buy on Sweetwater	Buy on Thomann

9. AKG PCC-160

The PCC160 is a professional boundary layer microphone and an industry-standard stage flooring microphone. It’s able to withstand as much as 120dB SPL without distortion. A bass-tilt swap permits the person to tailor the low-end response for specific functions.

PCC (Phase Coherent Cardioid) know-how uses diaphragms so small that any section cancellations are above the audible range. This leads to a large, clean frequency response freed from section interference. The PCC160 uses a super-cardioid polar pattern that improves gain earlier than suggestions and reduces unwanted room noise from the rear.

The PCC160 Microphone from Crown Audio is a rugged phase-coherent, surface-mountable boundary microphone designed for correct pickup and sign copy on levels, lecterns, news desks, convention tables, and extra. The microphone includes a phase-coherent, half-super-cardioid pickup that minimizes pickup behind the capsule, leading to excessive gain-before-feedback. Boundary mounted miniature capsule gives correct signal reproduction.

The PCC160’s efficiency, variety, and reliability make it a favorite for theatrical and efficiency seizing. Its elevated sensitivity gives correct signal reproduction, with a frequency response tailor-made to present minimal low-frequency noise and rumble. A “Bass Tilt” swap additional reduces low-frequency noise. The half-super cardioid polar pattern successfully eliminates indicators at off-axis positions, similar to orchestra pits.

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	AKG PCC-160	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Thomann

10. Shure Centraverse CVB B/O

Installed boundary microphone guards in opposition to RF interference from transportable wireless elements are offered in cardioid or omnidirectional patterns. Its low-profile design and black or white coloration scheme match seamlessly inside any design aesthetic.

Its low-profile design matches seamlessly any design aesthetic. The omnidirectional condenser component yields a frequency response of 70 Hz to 16 kHz, which naturally attenuates low frequencies which might be usually produced by vibration and rumble. It’s powered by 11 to 52 VDC phantom energy.

The black Shure CVB-B/O is a Centraverse Sequence omnidirectional boundary condenser microphone designed to supply optimized-for-speech frequency response and discreet desktop setup for presenters and audio systems in convention rooms, company occasions, homes of worship, and conferences. The low-profile microphone options CommShield expertise to reject RF interference and a hooked up 12’ XLR cable for compatibility with most mic preamps.

With an omnidirectional pickup pattern, the Shure Centraverse CVB-B/O boundary microphone is good for mounting flat on a convention desk or desktop. Designed for desktop-installed sound reinforcement functions, Shure’s Centraverse Boundary Condenser Microphones seamlessly match any design aesthetic.

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	Shure Centraverse CVB B/O	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Thomann

Conclusion

The boundary microphone, additionally known as a pressure zone microphone or PZM microphone can present superb efficiency for a number of purposes. Boundary microphones are sometimes used with pianos which are usually tough to record successfully.

They’re additionally usually mounted on partitions to file a full room sound. They might even be used to file music in a room together with the room acoustics. Via its operation, the boundary microphone can forestall phase interference between the direct and mirrored sound, and this leads to an extra pure sound.

It’s discovered that for a 1dB discount in acoustic loss, the gap between the boundary and the microphone diaphragm has to be only 1/13 of a wavelength. In actual phrases, this equates to a distance of solely 0.13 centimeters for frequencies of 20kHz on the high of the usually accepted frequency vary. Then for a 3dB drop, the gap has to be lower than 1/8 wavelength which equates to 0.22 centimeters.

Boundary mics have a comparatively flat profile, they’ve got the benefit of being much less visually obtrusive, resembling when they’re positioned on a convention desk or the ground or a musical theater stage.

In case you are having any questions in terms of these microphones, please let us know in the comment section below.