Audio-Technica PRO42 Boundary microphone

The PRO42 is a professional cardioid boundary microphone designed for surface mounting on flat surfaces such as conference tables, floors, piano lids, and stage platforms. By exploiting boundary effect, it delivers extended low-frequency pickup and a hemispherical coverage pattern that makes it an effective solution for conference rooms, theatrical sound reinforcement, and recording acoustic instruments from a surface-mounted position.

Boundary Effect Design

Mounting the PRO42 flush against a reflective surface aligns direct and reflected sound waves in phase, reinforcing bass frequencies and providing up to 6 dB gain over equivalent free-field microphones. This characteristic eliminates the comb filtering typical of microphones placed near surfaces, resulting in cleaner, more consistent pickup.

Low-Profile Form Factor

The flat, unobtrusive housing of the PRO42 blends into conference tables and stage floors without obstructing sight lines or drawing attention. At only 16 mm in height, it can be permanently installed in fixed installations or used as a portable surface microphone for events and presentations.

Phantom Power and Connectivity

The PRO42 operates on 11–52V phantom power and connects via a captive three-meter XLR cable. The cardioid polar pattern provides front-to-back discrimination of approximately 15–20 dB, rejecting noise from the opposite direction and keeping ambient background noise to a minimum in open-plan environments.