Audio-Technica AT-802
An omnidirectional dynamic that news crews trusted to survive the field and sound right doing it.
Overview
The AT-802 is an omnidirectional moving-coil dynamic microphone with a nominal 600-ohm impedance and a sensitivity of -56 dB. Audio-Technica's catalog copy from the period is blunt about the intent. It was pitched as an essential part of a complete microphone collection, the sort of thing a broadcaster reaches for without thinking. The company's own literature called it a "workhorse," and that word covers it - rugged dependability, simplicity, and freedom from handling noise.
That last point is the one that counts. An omni dynamic used handheld in the field picks up everything, including the hand holding it. The AT-802's freedom from handling noise made it a favorite of news broadcasters for interviews and TV news teams. The omnidirectional pattern suits that job: no proximity weirdness as the talent moves off-axis, and no need to aim. It connects via XLR, and the impedance figure sits in the range most broadcast and reinforcement gear expects.
Pricing drifted over the model's life. A UK distributor listing from 1979 put the AT-802 at £37.56 with XLR termination. A US dealer sheet quoted a manufacturer's list of $110.00. Another dealer listed $165.00 list against an $88.00 street price. By March 1983 a Mix (Mix, March 1983, p.49) clearance ad still had AT-802 mics on the block at $85 list and $62 sale.
The AT-802 is not a studio condenser. The -56 dB sensitivity and dynamic element put it in the "make it loud, make it survive" camp, and the period literature positions it for broadcast, sound reinforcement, and recording alike.
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