shotgun microphone: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical / Professional / Specialised
Quick answer
What does “shotgun microphone” mean?
A highly directional microphone, typically long and tubular, designed to pick up sound primarily from the direction it is pointed while rejecting ambient noise from the sides and rear.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A highly directional microphone, typically long and tubular, designed to pick up sound primarily from the direction it is pointed while rejecting ambient noise from the sides and rear.
In broader professional contexts, any microphone with an extremely narrow pickup pattern used for isolating a specific sound source at a distance, often seen on film/TV sets, in wildlife recording, or in challenging acoustic environments.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in both dialects; the term is a technical compound noun with no regional variation in meaning or application.
Connotations
Carries strong professional/technical connotations in both regions, associated with film, broadcast, and high-quality audio production.
Frequency
Equally common in professional audio contexts in both the UK and US; rarely used in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “shotgun microphone” in a Sentence
[operator] + points/aims + shotgun microphone + at + [sound source][shotgun microphone] + is + mounted/attached + on/to + [boom/pole][shotgun microphone] + picks up/captures + [audio/dialogue]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “shotgun microphone” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The sound recordist will shotgun the dialogue from just off-camera.
- We need to shotgun this interview due to the noisy pub background.
American English
- The mixer decided to shotgun the scene for cleaner audio.
- Can you shotgun the actor's lines from behind that bush?
adverb
British English
- The dialogue was recorded shotgun-style.
- He placed the mic shotgun, directly above the presenter.
American English
- They decided to record the scene shotgun, for maximum isolation.
- The audio was captured shotgun, pointed down the corridor.
adjective
British English
- He preferred a shotgun microphone setup for the outdoor shoot.
- The shotgun mic technique is essential for reality television.
American English
- We're using a shotgun microphone solution for the crowd noise.
- She has expert shotgun microphone skills.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in budgeting and equipment lists for audio-visual production companies.
Academic
Discussed in film studies, media production, and acoustics engineering courses.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation unless discussing professional filmmaking or advanced hobbyist recording.
Technical
Central term in audio engineering, film sound, broadcast technology, and field recording specifications.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “shotgun microphone”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “shotgun microphone”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “shotgun microphone”
- Using 'shotgun microphone' to refer to any microphone on a boom pole (some may be cardioid, not shotgun).
- Pronouncing 'shotgun' as two separate, equally stressed words instead of the compound 'SHOT-gun'.
- Confusing it with a 'rifle microphone' (not a standard term).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Often, but not always. A 'boom mic' refers to any microphone attached to a boom pole. That microphone could be a shotgun, a cardioid, or another type. Shotgun describes the polar pattern; boom describes the mounting method.
The name comes from its long, tubular shape, reminiscent of a shotgun barrel. Acoustically, the metaphor is somewhat inverted: while a shotgun shell spreads, the microphone's sensitivity is focused into a narrow 'beam'.
Use a shotgun microphone when you need to record a specific sound source from a distance while minimising ambient noise from the sides and rear, such as in film/TV production, wildlife recording, or noisy interview environments.
Its highly directional nature requires precise aiming; if the subject moves off-axis, the sound quality drops significantly. It can also exhibit pronounced proximity effect and may produce unnatural, hollow-sounding off-axis colouration.
A highly directional microphone, typically long and tubular, designed to pick up sound primarily from the direction it is pointed while rejecting ambient noise from the sides and rear.
Shotgun microphone is usually technical / professional / specialised in register.
Shotgun microphone: in British English it is pronounced /ˈʃɒtɡʌn ˈmaɪkrəfəʊn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈʃɑːtɡʌn ˈmaɪkrəfoʊn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On a shotgun (meaning: using a shotgun microphone for a recording).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a film director shouting 'Action!' and a sound engineer aiming a long microphone like a shotgun at the actors to 'shoot' their dialogue clearly.
Conceptual Metaphor
AUDIO CAPTURE IS HUNTING / TARGETING; the microphone is a weapon aimed to 'capture' the specific 'target' sound.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary functional characteristic of a shotgun microphone?