Sony has announced the ECM-AX10, a USB-C microphone that records spatial audio straight into a smartphone. It uses four omnidirectional capsules to capture sound from all around the phone, rather than just in front of it.

There are three capture modes: Ambisonics, binaural and stereo. Ambisonics records a full 360° sound field that can be played back as immersive audio, and Sony says the files are ready for YouTube playback using Eclipsa Audio. Binaural is designed for headphone listening, and stereo is there for conventional use. Dedicated buttons switch between Spatial and Stereo.

Made for phone video

A built-in accelerometer detects which way the mic is facing and adjusts the sound field to match, and a SELFIE switch flips the orientation for front-camera video. That’s a thoughtful touch, as getting spatial audio the wrong way round would undo the point of using it.

Practical controls are well covered too. There’s switchable noise-cut and low-cut filters to reduce wind, air-conditioning hum and handling rumble, auto gain control, an attenuator switch and peak indicators. A 3.5mm headphone output allows zero-latency monitoring, which is a rarity on phone mics. Settings can also be controlled with Sony’s Spatial Audio Video Tool app.

Sony includes a windscreen, an extension cable and a shoe-mount holder in the box, so the mic can also be moved away from the phone or mounted on a rig.

Most phone video still sounds flat, and spatial audio is one of the few areas where a phone setup can do something a traditional camera mic can’t. It’s a niche, but an interesting one for travel and documentary creators.

Sony ECM-AX10 specifications

Sony ECM-AX10 price and availability

The ECM-AX10 is available to pre-order in the US for $249.99, with shipping due to start on 19 October. More details can be found at the official product page