Xarion optical microphone - the future of the recording process?

[Marcus]

This small Austrian spin-out company comes out with something that might be revolutionary for the audio recording process too.

XARION Laser Acoustics GmbH was founded in 2012 as a spin-out company by the Vienna University of Technology and the Knowles Corporation. The invention of the Optical Microphone dates back to 2006. Its technology was subsequently developed together with Philips/NXP Sound Solutions and ultimately led to the founding of XARION. At XARION, we are excited by the prospect of providing novel and path-breaking sensing capabilities. It is our mission to make this technology a key factor in such diverse application fields as acoustic metrology, non-destructive material testing, medical imaging, and consumer electronics.
XARION enjoys the dedicated support of a distinguished circle of stakeholders, including XARION’s largest shareholder Hans-Peter Porsche, Member of the Supervisory Board at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and Porsche Holding Salzburg; and Theodor W. Hänsch, Nobel laureate in physics, as head of the XARION Scientific Advisory Board.
XARION’s patent-protected sensor technology platform is to offer substantial advantages:

• Transducer with a perfectly linear frequency response. Although the enclosure needs to be carefully designed to minimize its influence on the sound field, the transducer itself is not frequency dependent.
• Sound detection in air and liquids
• Extreme ultrasound frequency range from 10 Hz up to 1 MHz in air, 25 MHz in liquids
• Qualification for ultra-high SPL (up to 190 dB)
• Outstanding mechanical stability and acoustical shock resistance
• Since no moving inert mass is involved, the Optical Microphone has a true temporal impulse response.
• For the fiber-coupled embodiment, operation in hazardous environments such as in high electromagnetic fields or explosion endangered areas is feasible.
• In array applications, the inherent phase match between the single cells can be a crucial advantage. Hence, targeting spatial resolution closer to the theoretical limit is possible.
• Due to its non-invasive principle of operation, the microphone is to exhibit a reduced susceptibility to wind noise and structure-borne sound.
• State-of-the art signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range, zero intermodulation distortion combined with a small device size.
• Cost efficiency due to wafer level optics technology (consumer electronics applications)

http://xarion.com/optical-sensors/advantages

[JCOConnell]

I'd like to hear a jazz clip recorded with the new mike

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks for posting the piece. I took a quick look at the website but I didn't see any sort of polar response there. Flat response is great but when one is talking about multiple instruments that have different FR dispersion patterns, that polar response is needed. Or does this mike polar response obsolete?

[JCOConnell]

I thought I read on the website that the polar response of the optical mic is highly directional. If you wanted a wide polar response, I assume you would have to use arrays of them.