[fit2rule]

Disclaimer: I work for a professional microphone manufacturer.

I wonder how long it'll be until this technique becomes feasible for recording professionally? Like, instead of capsules and diaphragms, we just have a laser that gets the cleanest, clearest possible signal it can, from the room around you ..

[phjesusthatguy3]

Do you guys have R&D working on moving the digitalization of audio into the mic? Like having a laser inside the mic read the ribbon and spit out a digital stream?

[mannykannot]

Isn't one of the benefits of high-quality microphones that they can reject or attenuate the ambient sounds and reverberations that you do not want?

[CharlesW]

Higher-quality microphones tend to pick up more ambient sound because they're more sensitive and/or have a larger frequency response.

"Worse is better" sometimes applies to mics as well. For example, new podcasters are often advised to use cheap dynamic mics since it forces them to get close to the mic (improving their signal-to-noise ratio) and doesn't pick up audio over 15 kHz (which is not meaningful for voice recording).

[mannykannot]

more sensitive and with a wider frequency response but also directional and with fewer resonances than what OP was suggesting.