A favorite of videographers, the AT897 is certainly a stout addition to your arsenal if you’re in the market for a shotgun microphone. Compared to other microphones in the same price range, the reviewer considers this a keeper. The AT897 uses the line+gradient technique, which focuses a lot of sound energy on the mic element and rejects a great deal of background noise. Outdoor audio is clean and natural while indoor interviews is just as clear and free of ambient noise from the room; this shotgun mic is of course most advantageous for distance pickup. With a sturdy build and a sound quality that other shotgun mics of the same price range would envy, the AT897 is a bargain at $250. If you were to choose one microphone for your video rig, it would certainly be this one.