Blackmagic Design ATEM Microphone Converter

Blackmagic Design ATEM Microphone Converter

The Blackmagic Design ATEM Microphone Converter is a high-fidelity analog-to-digital interface designed to expand the audio capabilities of ATEM switchers via MADI. It allows you to add four professional transparency-grade microphone or line-level inputs to your production over a single BNC connection, bypassing the need for complex analog snakes or external mixers.

Core Functionality

• 4-Channel MADI Expansion: Converts 4 analog XLR/TRS combo inputs into a digital MADI stream. It connects to the MADI input of switchers like the ATEM Television Studio HD8 or Constellation series.

• Daisy-Chain Capability: Features both a MADI Input and MADI Output. This allows you to link multiple converters together (up to 16 units) to support 64 channels of audio over a single BNC cable back to the switcher.

• HDMI Status Monitoring: A unique feature among audio converters, it includes an HDMI output that displays live scrolling waveforms (60-second history), VU meters, channel names, and phantom power status on any standard monitor.

• Invisible Digital Preamps: Uses a 32-bit float digital preamp design with an extremely wide dynamic range. Instead of traditional analog gain stages that can add noise, it captures the "RAW" audio and allows for precise gain adjustments within the switcher's software.

High-End Audio Engineering

• 8 ADCs Per Input: To achieve its massive dynamic range, each of the four inputs uses eight separate audio converters working in parallel. This technique virtually eliminates the noise floor and prevents clipping even with highly dynamic sources.

• Extreme Low Noise: Boasts a noise floor of -129dBV and a dynamic range of 131dB(A), rivaling high-end dedicated studio recording interfaces.

• Stable Digital Gain: Provides ±0.1dB gain steps that are totally inaudible, processed at 32-bit depth for maximum precision before being sent to the 24-bit MADI stream.

Technical Specifications

Operational Insight

In 2026, the ATEM Microphone Converter has become a staple for podcasting and corporate town halls. Because it uses MADI (which can travel up to 100 meters over 75-ohm coaxial cable), you can place the converter on a stage or in a podcast booth while your ATEM switcher remains in a distant rack room.

The HDMI monitoring output is particularly useful for front-of-house engineers or floor managers; they can glance at a small screen to verify that a mic is active and not clipping without needing to see the main switcher's Multiview.

Network Note: The unit can be managed remotely over Ethernet. If you have several daisy-chained units, you can name each individual channel in the Blackmagic Converter Setup utility, and those names will automatically appear on the HDMI monitor output and in the ATEM Software Control audio mixer.