Sennheiser 001511 MKH 416-P48U3: Professional Short Shotgun Microphone

The Sennheiser MKH 416-P48U3 is a short shotgun interference tube microphone that has been an industry standard in professional audio production for decades. Its super-cardioid/lobar pickup pattern, achieved through the interference tube principle, provides highly focused directionality that captures on-axis sound with exceptional clarity while effectively rejecting noise from the sides and rear. With a sensitivity of 25 mV/Pa and an equivalent noise level of just 13 dB, the MKH 416 excels at recording clean dialogue and natural sound even in quiet environments where self-noise would be audible with lesser microphones.

Built with a matt black all-metal body, the MKH 416 is engineered to endure the rigors of location shooting in adverse weather, humidity, and temperature conditions. Its transformerless, fully floating balanced output ensures reliable, interference-free signal delivery over long cable runs common on film sets and broadcast locations. At 250mm in length and just 165 grams, it is compact and light enough for extended boom operation while remaining robust enough for permanent installation in broadcast studios. The microphone requires standard 48V phantom power and presents a minimum terminating impedance of 800 ohms, making it compatible with virtually all professional-grade recorders, mixers, and preamps used in film, television, and radio production.