SoundField MKV + SP451 — Complete Self-Contained Surround Sound Recording System

Up for sale is a rare and complete SoundField MKV microphone system paired with the SP451 Surround Processor — together forming one of the most capable and historically significant surround sound recording systems ever made. This is the full package: a genuine, professional, self-contained surround sound solution in just two units.

I will ship but you have to contact me first.

RECENT PROFESSIONAL USE:

This microphone was most recently the centrepiece of a professional album session, where engineer Kevin Frieden used it to record the Maynooth Chamber Choir for Dermot Kennedy's album 'The Weight of the Woods'. The first track features the SoundField almost exclusively, alongside just two room microphones. All four capsule channels were recorded separately in B-Format, with the system delivering both individual capsule recordings and a stereo mix — exactly the kind of demanding, high-profile application this microphone was built for.

WHAT'S INCLUDED & CONDITION:

• SoundField MKV microphone head (Excellent)

• MKV Processor/control box — housed in a beautiful bespoke wooden desktop case (Excellent)

• SP451 Surround Processor — decodes B-Format to full 5.1 surround (V. Good)

• Wooden case sits inside a dedicated flight case for safe transportation (Excellent)

• Original microphone cables: 6, 15 & 100 meters (V. Good)

• Original manuals

• Shockmount (Fair)

• Set of XLR adapter cables for use in a tie-line / patch bay system

CONDITION:

Overall Very good. Minor cosmetic wear consistent with careful professional use. Recently used on a major professional album recording. Fully functional — the imaging, spatial control, and tonal accuracy this system delivers is exceptional.

THE SYSTEM:

The SoundField MKV microphone uses four hand-assembled capsules in a tetrahedral array to capture a true three-dimensional soundfield from a single point source — something no conventional stereo or multi-mic setup can replicate. The MKV is the top model in the SoundField range, offering simultaneous B-Format and stereo XLR output, giving you the complete SoundField experience in one system.

The SP451 Surround Processor takes the MKV's B-Format output and decodes it into six discrete channels — Left, Centre, Right, Surround Left, Surround Right, and Sub Bass — delivering full 5.1 surround sound from a single microphone. Together, the MKV and SP451 occupy just 3U of rack space and form a complete, self-contained surround recording package unmatched in elegance and simplicity.

Because everything originates from a single point source, the audio is perfectly phase coherent — meaning the surround recording can be collapsed to stereo or mono without any of the phase cancellation or frequency imbalance that plagues multi-microphone surround setups. Stereo width, image angle, 360-degree pan, vertical positioning, and polar pattern can all be shaped in real time, or adjusted in full after recording if the four B-Format channels are recorded to separate tracks.

This is a genuinely rare opportunity. The MKV and SP451 are frequently sold separately, and finding both together — with original manual, shockmount, wooden desktop case, flight case, and XLR adapters — is exceptional. If you are serious about surround sound recording, this is the system.

SHIPPING: This will need special shipping arrangements. Please contact me with your location so I can get a quote. Realistically, I think this should be placed on a half pallet.