Blackmagic Design has expanded its collaboration with Apple with the introduction of the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone ($1,049 on Amazon), a compact professional spatial audio recording system featuring an impressive array of 108 digital MEMS microphones. Developed during the companies’ collaboration on the URSA Cine Immersive camera, the new device incorporates Apple’s licensed microphone array geometry and ambisonic encoding technology. The microphone is designed for professional immersive filmmaking but can also operate independently with computers and iPhones ($1,119 on Amazon).

108 microphones in a palm-sized device

The Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone features 108 digital MEMS microphones arranged within a solid, faceted metal enclosure. Despite the unusually high microphone count, the device is compact enough to fit in the palm of a hand and can be mounted directly onto a camera. The system captures an entire three-dimensional sound field and converts the signals into seventh-order ambisonic audio in real time. Seventh-order ambisonics represents a particularly sophisticated form of spatial audio recording, using 64 spherical harmonic components to describe the surrounding sound field. This enables highly detailed directional audio reproduction, particularly useful for immersive filmmaking and head-tracked playback experiences. The most significant engineering achievement is the integration of the processing hardware directly into the microphone. An onboard processor uses Apple’s advanced encoding filters to convert signals from all 108 microphone elements into seventh-order ambisonics without requiring external encoding software, additional processing hardware, or a breakout box. The microphone connects through a single USB-C cable, which provides both power and audio transmission. It is also USB class-compliant, eliminating the need for dedicated drivers or plug-ins.

Apple provides the technology, Blackmagic develops the hardware

The collaboration between Blackmagic and Apple goes beyond conventional product compatibility. According to Blackmagic, Apple licensed its microphone array geometry and advanced ambisonic encoding filters, while Blackmagic handled the engineering and physical product design. Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty explained how the project emerged from the development of the URSA Cine Immersive camera:

This microphone started when we were collaborating with Apple on the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera. Apple licensed their array geometry and the ambisonic encoding filters, we did the engineering and design.

– Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty

The statement reveals an interesting aspect of the relationship between the companies. Apple is not simply supporting Blackmagic’s equipment through software compatibility. It is licensing underlying spatial audio technologies for integration into Blackmagic’s professional hardware.

Not limited to the URSA Cine Immersive

Although the microphone was developed as part of the URSA Cine Immersive collaboration, it is not exclusive to that camera. When mounted on the URSA Cine Immersive, it can record spatial audio directly into the camera’s immersive files, maintaining synchronization between image and sound. However, Blackmagic also supports additional recording workflows. The microphone can connect directly to a computer for real-time recording and mixing with Fairlight Live. It can also be used with an iPhone through the Blackmagic Camera app, expanding its potential applications beyond dedicated immersive cinema productions. Blackmagic has also announced a USB-to-SMPTE-2110 converter for advanced broadcast workflows.

Strategic impact: Blackmagic strengthens its immersive ecosystem

The announcement carries broader strategic implications for Blackmagic Design. The company has already established itself in professional cinema acquisition and postproduction through its digital cinema cameras, DaVinci Resolve, and Fairlight audio technology. Its collaboration with Apple on the URSA Cine Immersive extended those capabilities into immersive filmmaking. Now, the introduction of a dedicated spatial audio recording system addresses another critical component of immersive production. Instead of relying on separate recording, encoding, and synchronization solutions, filmmakers using the URSA Cine Immersive can capture spatial audio directly alongside their immersive footage. This strengthens Blackmagic’s position as a provider of integrated immersive production workflows, covering both image and sound acquisition. The microphone also expands the company’s presence in professional audio hardware. While Fairlight has long been part of Blackmagic’s postproduction ecosystem, the new microphone brings sophisticated spatial sound acquisition into its hardware portfolio. There is also a strategic advantage in Apple’s involvement. Licensing Apple’s microphone geometry and encoding filters gives Blackmagic access to technology associated with Apple’s immersive media initiatives, potentially strengthening its position among creators producing content for Apple Vision Pro. Nevertheless, immersive filmmaking remains a specialized market. The microphone’s broader compatibility with computers, iPhones, and broadcast workflows could therefore be significant to its commercial appeal.

Price and availability

The Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone is scheduled to become available in December 2026, priced at $1,695, excluding local duties and taxes, according to the official announcement. It will be available through Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.

Final thoughts

Blackmagic’s new 108-microphone array represents another step in its expanding collaboration with Apple and its ambitions in professional immersive production. Perhaps the most significant development is not the microphone count itself, but the integration of Apple’s advanced spatial audio technology into a compact, self-contained recording system. For Blackmagic, this is another opportunity to strengthen its ecosystem beyond traditional cinema cameras and post-production software. For filmmakers, it potentially simplifies one of the more technically demanding aspects of immersive production: capturing high-resolution, synchronized three-dimensional sound.