Schoeps Stereo Set With MK22 Capsules

What's in the box

The MK22 Capsule

The "Open Cardioid" directional pattern, occupying a point on the spectrum between the wide cardioid and classic cardioid patterns, was developed by SCHOEPS in 2008. The response is -5 dB at 90° and there is 16 dB suppression of rear-incident sound. It is in essence a variant cardioid which balances a very natural sound quality with a good degree of directionality.

The years of experience which many recording engineers have had with the various types of SCHOEPS cardioid microphones have played a large role in the design process. The MK 4 cardioid is often relied upon as a reference microphone, even in difficult recording situations; its sonic transparency and outstanding suppression of rear-incident sound make it a universal problem-solver. The MK 21 wide cardioid offers an alternative when its lower directivity fits the recording situation, e.g. for the first desk of strings or for solo piano. This capsule type is prized for its sonic character (similar to that of a pure omnidirectional microphone) and its relative lack of proximity effect. Then the wish arose for a “middle way” which would combine these characteristics into a single capsule. The result is the MK 22 Open Cardioid.

The capsules of condenser microphones (the only type which Schoeps manufactures) can't be connected directly to microphone cables or inputs; a microphone amplifier is required in between. Thus a complete microphone of the Colette series comprises any of the twenty available types of capsules combined with an amplifier.

The CMC6 Amplifier

The Schoeps CMC 6 Amplifier is designed for standard 48- and 12-Volt phantom powering. Its circuitry recognises the supply voltage and adjusts itself automatically. Its performance characteristics remain essentially the same either way; mainly, the difference is that the current drawn at 12 Volts is greater than at 48 Volts. However, the 12-Volt mode consumes less power and might be preferred for battery-powered recording.

The microphone amplifier provides the electrostatic charge which the capsule requires in order to produce a signal. Since only a minuscule amount of current is contained in this signal, amplification of the current is required. To avoid interference to the signal on the way from the microphone to the input of the mixer or preamp, the signal is conveyed at low impedance and in balanced form. The CMC 6 amplifier offers a symmetrical, transformerless, direct-coupled Class A output stage with low impedance, low distortion, and high freedom from interference.