Audio-Technica has introduced the BP880R, a contact microphone designed to capture impact and vibration through the surface to which it is attached. Because it is much less sensitive to airborne sound than a conventional microphone, it can isolate mechanical or sporting action in noisy venues.
The housing uses dezincification-resistant brass with a corrosion-resistant coating. It is rated IPX7 and supplied with a fixed 20-metre cable, allowing placement in water or ice, beneath a floor or in a buried position where an ordinary microphone would be exposed.
A piezoelectric element feeds an internal phantom-powered preamplifier. The resulting balanced, low-impedance output is intended for longer cable runs, and several mounting options support repeatable coupling to different surfaces.
European availability is planned for October 2026. The announcement does not specify frequency response, sensitivity, maximum shock level, self-noise or the permitted duration and depth of immersion, so location-sound teams should test both the mounting and the acoustic result before a live deployment.
