The more I read the description of this product the more I just feel ignorant. What's the ideal application for this thing?

Core Sound — TetraMic (http://www.core-sound.com/TetraMic/1.php)

A single point multi-microphone placement for recording surround sound.

Andrew

Read up on Ambisonics (specifically) and surround sound (generally).

Two good places to start:

Ambisonics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambisonics

An Introduction to Ambisonics
https://www.creativefieldrecording.com/2017/03/01/explorers-of-ambisonics-introduction/

And RODE's been teasing an on-camera ambisonic mic (stemming from their acquisition of surround audio pioneers SoundField). I don't see the right link on the Rode website, so check out this text + video:
https://www.dvestore.com/rode-videomic-soundfield-on-camera-ambisonic-microphone/

Fun stuff. A lot of work to record and post...

Jim "done a little surround audio work, but not much...yet" Feeley

Also have a look at the Calrec Soundfield history as they marketed the system in the 1970's and we still us their mics on most sports in the UK.

I heard a wonderful demo of the last night of the proms from the Albert Hall 25 years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundfield_microphone

More here: http://decoy.iki.fi/dsound/ambisonic/motherlode/source/The%20Calrec%20Soundfield%20microphone%20system_Nigel%20Branwell_dB_1982.pdf

Ambisonics is great for VR work, because just like VR cameras have a camera pointing in each direction, so do these microphones, they point a mic in each direction.

Then just like when you're seeing 360VR content you only see a portion of the whole image, using the cameras mixed together in the direction you're looking in, so is the same with VR audio, you only hear the audio mixed appropriate for the direction in which you're looking.

I've been using a SoundField SPS200 myself for the past week on VR shoots, great fun!

And RODE's been teasing an on-camera ambisonic mic (stemming from their acquisition of surround audio pioneers SoundField). I don't see the right link on the Rode website, so check out this text + video:
https://www.dvestore.com/rode-videomic-soundfield-on-camera-ambisonic-microphone/

Got announced quite a while ago, yet sadly still is not available for sale :-(

As I'd be very curious about what its price is, and its real world performance.