The RCA Type BK-5 Uniaxial Microphone is a dependable, high-quality ribbon instrument possessing an improved unidirectional characteristic, and is designed for broadcast use in AM, FM, and TV stations. The microphone has a frequency response that is essentially uniform from 50 to 15,000 cycles. Its excellent response and frequency range, combined with its unexcelled cardioidal directional characteristic, makes it ideal for reproducing both speech and music.

The microphone has been engineered with the television studio in mind. Since maximum sensitivity lies on the major mechanical axis, it is a one-axis, or uniaxial type microphone. This directional characteristic simplifies microphone and camera placement problems. Incorporated in the unit is a blast filter which reduces damage to the microphone from gun blasts and other violent noises. In addition, the small size, light weight, unobtrusive yet attractive gray finish and appearance render it especially suitable for television, but it is also admirably suited to general broadcasting and high-fidelity sound systems.

The Type BK-5 Microphone is a unidirectional microphone in which the moving element is a thin corrugated metallic ribbon clamped under light tension to cause it to vibrate at its own resonant frequency. The ribbon is placed between the pole pieces of a magnetic circuit. One side of the ribbon is open to the atmosphere and the other opens on an acoustical labyrinth which has phase-shift openings giving the instrument its improved unidirectional characteristics. The labyrinth of the microphone houses an impedance matching transformer and switch for selecting response characteristics for voice or music.