Rycote Offers Expanded Range of Professional Microphones

In a surprise announcement for many audio recordists - and certainly for many manufacturers of professional microphones - British brand Rycote announced the launch of its own high-end range of professional microphones, designed for the film production, sport broadcast and field recording applications. The range includes condenser pencil-type microphones and hypercardioid shotguns, which Rycote now expanded with the BD-10, a new bi-directional microphone, and a long shotgun design named HC-35. Rycote Microphone Windshields has been developing and delivering the industry standard shock and wind protection for the extremes of field production sound for fifty years. The company makes specialty kits for many of the world’s leading microphone companies. Since Rycote was acquired by The Vitec Group now renamed Videndum in 2018, the company apparently entered a new stage of expansion, by designing and creating its own range of microphones in addition to producing industry-standard shock and wind protection tools. This is a very unusual strategy for a manufacturer that basically own a valuable market segment, and now decides to compete directly with all its existing customers.

As Rycote explains, all the microphones are designed in-house and are made at Rycote in its own factory in the United Kingdom. The company invested in manufacturing and testing for all its audio products over the past years and recently relocated to new facilities, expanding its manufacturing capabilities and efficiency. The facilities now include clean room and antistatic environments to further mic manufacturing capabilities, leveraging modular material and components design.

At NAB 2023, Rycote introduced a new bi-directional microphone called BD-10 made for stereo and field recording, mainly applied on ambient and dialogues, together with the HC-35, a new long shotgun microphone developed for sport broadcast and wide outdoor recordings and script TV. 

"These new microphones have been accurately designed to offer the same signature sound and low-self noise performance as all other recently launched Rycote microphones in the range, ensuring excellence and consistency in all productions. The new products perfectly complement the industry standard Rycote windshields and shock mounting accessories, positioning Rycote as a top choice in the industry that offers the most complete solution even in the most demanding applications," the company states in the announcement.

The Rycote BD-10 microphone features a capsule design optimized for capturing accurate stereo images with detail and clarity. It has an integrated suspension system which minimizes any handling noise or vibration, making it suitable for speech or ambience in film production as well as field recording applications. 

The HC-35 long shotgun microphone is specifically designed for sports broadcasting applications, such as football games or other sporting events where clear audio capture is mission critical. It offers superior off-axis rejection which helps reduce background noise from outside sources such as wind or crowd noise. Additionally, its lightweight design makes it comfortable and easy to handle during broadcasts. 

"We're very proud of what we've achieved with this microphone range," comments Bjørn Rennemo-Henriksen, Audio Sales Sr Director. "Our team worked hard to combine a great sound and accurate reproduction with an affordable price tag – something we believe sets us apart from our competitors."

Rycote is part of Videndum Media Solutions, a division of Videndum plc, an international group of companies serving the growing content creation market. Videndum Media Solutions designs, manufactures and distributes premium branded photographic and video equipment such as tripods; bags; filters; backgrounds; motion control; lights and microphones for professional and hobbyist photographers and video-makers; and content creators. Positioning Videndum Media Solutions as the leading global provider of accessories within the fast-growing digital multi-media content market, the portfolio includes the following premium brands: Audix; Avenger; Colorama; Gitzo; JOBY; Lowepro; Manfrotto; Rycote; Savage and Syrp Lab. All products are distributed on a direct basis in 11 markets across the world through Videndum Media Distribution, as well as many other markets through a network of qualified retail partners.
www.rycote.com