What is a Shotgun Microphone?

A shotgun microphone is a highly directional microphone designed to capture sound from a specific direction while rejecting noise from the sides and rear. It uses an elongated interference tube to focus on sound coming from directly in front of the microphone.

Because of its narrow pickup pattern, a shotgun microphone is effective at isolating sound sources that are farther away. This makes it especially useful in environments where background noise needs to be minimized.

Shotgun microphones are widely used in film production, television, video recording, broadcasting, and field recording. They are often mounted on boom poles or cameras to capture clear dialogue and focused sound from a distance while reducing surrounding noise.