Shure, a manufacturer of audio solutions, has advanced the field of audio capture for broadcast with the DCA901 Planar Array Microphone. Designed for sports, studio, and live event production, DCA901 delivers frontrow sound to viewers while reducing the number of microphones and cables required. With digitally steerable lobes and onboard digital signal processing, engineers can isolate sources, reduce ambient noise, and maintain total control over the mix.

DCA901 is the first product in Shure’s new Arqos portfolio. which is designed with the vision of bringing together array microphones, signal processing and software to deliver cleaner and more precise audio acquisition, remote management, and efficiency for productions.

Said Dave Grundtvig, senior audio supervisor, remote: “The DCA901 can completely change workflows in any broadcast sport because it provides ultimate capture flexibility and allows you to change things in an instant if needed. It won’t compromise any element of the show. I deployed them in an NBA game and was completely shocked at the amount of coverage: that two arrays could cover the whole NBA floor. I would have needed twelve mics to try to capture the same thing. It was unbelievable.”

Available next year, DCA901 replaces traditional workflows and complex setups with a streamlined, high-fidelity solution. DCA901 represents a strategic milestone, expanding Shure’s presence in digital broadcast and sports audio capture, aligning with the company’s vision of seamless, scalable, and software-driven audio systems.

“Conventional methods for capturing audio have become increasingly complex as broadcast production standards and audience expectations continue to rise,” said Nick Wood, associate vice president of global marketing and product management at Shure. “With DCA901, audio engineers can now do more with less, delivering sound that pulls viewers even closer to the action with fewer microphones and cables.”

DCA901 lays the foundation for the future of experiential audio capture, delivering unmatched detail, superior control, and simplified workflows.

DCA901 advances immersive experiences and multichannel audio by capturing previously elusive elements like talent dialogue and on-set or on-field movements. Its digitally steerable lobes isolate voices and action, minimizing crowd noise and bleed. DCA901 provides wider coverage than analog sources, and delivers up to eight isolated channels of focused, high-fidelity audio. Additionally, DCA901 can simultaneously and seamlessly capture 5.1 and stereo conversion, supporting both modern and traditional broadcast formats.

DCA901 provides full command of the audio environment with real time digital tools that can adapt instantly. Integrated DSP with automixing, EQ, compression, and delay deliver consistent quality audio with minimal post-processing.

Designed for ease of use and engineer-friendly deployment, DCA901’s digitally steerable lobes can replace multiple shotgun or parabolic mics, reducing complexity and onsite setup time. A single-cable Dante or AES67 connection simplifies routing and reduces cable infrastructure, combining audio, power, and control into one source.

Remote control capabilities allow audio professionals to adjust pickup zones without onsite intervention, while also supporting REMI workflows and alternate feeds with flexible routing. The low-profile, all-black design blends seamlessly into stadiums, studios, and mobile sets without disrupting camera-ready environments.

Shure is collaborating with Edge Sound Research to pair DCA901 with the startup’s Virtual Sound Engine software. Working in tandem, the two tools adapt in real time to follow the movement of players, referees, or the ball, individually or in combination. Together, DCA901 and Virtual Sound Engine reveal moments that were once buried in the mix, giving engineers unprecedented adaptability and creative control.

Ian Vysick, AMV audio development specialist, commented: “The audience sounded so natural and present, some people assumed it was pre-recorded. That’s how real it felt. The DCA901 was our primary capture source, and it gave us a clean, balanced sound that made the entire mix more immersive.”

Brian Robertson, a broadcast audio engineer for the MLB, NBA, NHL and PGA, said: “While the sound of the microphone was, in my opinion, much different than what I am used to with my parabs, I would have to say that it is better. The sound that I was hearing was a more natural replication of a wooden bat hitting a baseball. It had more definition to it, and I would have to say captured the sound of the ball hitting the bat better than the current parabolic microphones.”

Visit Shure on the IBC 2025 show floor at Booth 8.C32 to explore DCA901 and to learn more about the Company’s vision for the next one hundred years.