Sennheiser MKH 416 Short Shotgun Interference Tube Microphone

If you’ve watched a movie, binged a TV show, or listened to a broadcast in the last forty years, you've likely heard the MKH 416. It’s more than a microphone; it’s an institution in professional audio.

Designed for filmmakers who need dependable gear, this short shotgun mic has earned its reputation as the industry standard for exterior recording. Think of it as the audio equivalent of a reliable 4x4 — rugged, versatile, and ready to perform when the real work begins.

The Sound of Hollywood

Sennheiser didn't just build a mic that records sound; they built one that isolates it with surgical precision. The MKH 416 is engineered to cut through the cacophony of the real world, grabbing dialogue with a tenacity that standard cardioid mics just can't match. It offers a "reach" that brings distant subjects closer, ensuring your audio feels intimate and immediate, even when the camera is wide.

Laser-Like Focus: Thanks to its interference tube principle, the MKH 416 features a supercardioid pattern at low frequencies that tightens into a lobar pattern above 2kHz. This means it rejects noise from the sides and rear, focusing strictly on what’s in front of the lens.
Articulate Audio: Mumbled dialogue is the enemy of post-production. The MKH 416 has a tailored frequency response with a slight presence boost in the high end, ensuring consonants are crisp and speech is intelligible without sounding harsh.
Low Self-Noise: With an inherent self-noise of just 13 dB(A), this mic stays quiet so your quiet scenes stay tense, not hissy. It captures the silence as effectively as the shout.

Weather the Storm

Standard condenser microphones have a well-known Achilles' heel: humidity. When the air gets thick or the temperature drops, they can start to crackle and pop. The MKH 416, however, operates on a completely different level.

By utilizing an RF (Radio Frequency) condenser design, Sennheiser has created a microphone that’s practically immune to moisture.

RF Condenser Tech: Instead of a traditional DC bias, this mic uses a low-noise oscillator to generate polarization. In plain English? It doesn't care if it's humid, damp, or foggy. It just works.
Outdoor Reliability: Whether you're shooting in a steam-filled jungle or a frozen tundra, the MKH 416 remains stable. It is the go-to choice for outside broadcasts and location sound because it doesn't call in sick when the weather turns bad.
Feedback Rejection: Its high degree of directivity doesn't just help with clarity; it provides excellent feedback rejection, making it a safe bet for live sound reinforcement and PA applications where isolation is key.

Built for the Set Life

Film sets are dangerous places for delicate electronics, but the MKH 416 is built to survive the chaos. It’s a professional tool designed for daily abuse in the field, offering a level of durability that inspires total confidence.

All-Metal Construction: Housed in a rugged, matte black metal body, it looks stealthy on camera and can handle the bumps and scrapes of location work.
Transformerless Output: The fully floating, balanced output ensures that your signal stays pure and free from electrical interference, even over long cable runs.
Compact Form Factor: Measuring just under 10 inches and weighing only 6 ounces, it sits lightly on a boom pole, saving your operator’s shoulders during those long takes.

A Legend for a Reason

The Sennheiser MKH 416 combines directional precision, unwavering reliability, and broadcast-quality sonic character into a single, compact package. It is the microphone you buy once and keep for a career.

Sennheiser MKH 416 Features:

Pressure gradient receiver with short interference tube for excellent reach
Hypercardioid pick-up at low/mid frequencies; Lobar pattern above 2kHz
RF condenser design provides immunity to humidity and moisture
Very low inherent self-noise (13 dB A-weighted) for critical recording
High sensitivity ensures strong signal levels with less preamp gain
Transformerless and fully floating balanced output for signal purity
Rugged, all-metal body suitable for adverse climatic conditions
Matte black finish minimizes visual reflections on set
Includes MZW 415 windscreen and MZQ 100 microphone clamp

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING

WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

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