Guidelines for Selection of Microphones

マイクロフォン選択ガイドライン

Which is the best microphone for ... ?

SCHOEPS is often asked to recommend a microphone for a particular instrument or application. Some microphone manufacturers readily answer such requests. That might make sense if a microphone has a frequency response that is tailored to the characteristic sound of a given instrument. But the possible applications for such microphones would then be restricted significantly.

Our opinion

In our opinion a good microphone ought to sound natural, just as one expects a good audio amplifier to sound; thus it should be suitable for any instrument. This requires flat frequency response and a directional characteristic independent of frequency. There will be no difference in sound quality whether the pickup is on- or off-axis.
Obviously this ideal can be achieved only to a finite degree. With directional microphones, proximity effect causes the low-frequency response to vary significantly while with nearly all microphones (especially omnidirectional microphones), the polar pattern is rarely ideal at the highest frequencies.

Only in rare cases can “the” correct microphone be chosen unequivocally, since ? according to experience ? one must also consider the aspects of taste, recording location, position of sound sources and the microphone, and the atmosphere of the music or other program material. Any absolute prescriptions would thus be of limited value at best. However, we would like to offer some ideas to help orient the choice that must be made.

Some basic observations

The microphone type that comes closest to the theoretical ideal is the classic pressure transducer. It has an omnidirectional pickup pattern, reproduces even the lowest audio frequencies with full sensitivity, and has no proximity effect.
In practice some degree of directionality is generally considered desirable and the most commonly used pattern for medium-distance pickup is the cardioid (MK 4/ CCM 4 oder MK 4V/ CCM 4V). In particular situations, however, there may be good reasons to make a different choice, which could include:

• increased directivity either for the sake of a “drier” recording or for the suppression of sound from adjacent instruments: supercardioid type “41” (= MK 41 or CCM 41), assuming that there is no nearby sound source or loudspeaker behind the microphone, since it has a rear lobe
• for decreased directivity or very natural sound quality even for sound arriving at the sides, or for improved low-frequency reproduction: the type “21” wide cardioid
• for essentially perfect pickup of low-frequency information and “room” sound:
  the omnidirectionals, type “2H” or “2S”
• for very close miking: With directional microphones it is necessary to compensate for proximity effect by means of a corresponding bass rolloff. This is especially true when miking instruments; see our recommendations.
  For voice: try type “4S” or “4VXS."
  For instruments the omnidirectional type “2” may be of interest (no proximity effect, low sensitivity to “popping” or to solid-borne noise); for grand piano, the BLM 03 Cg.
• for very distant miking with essentially perfect bass response and/or as an “ambience” microphone: omni type “3.”
• for outdoor recording if directivity is not required
  (at close miking distances): omni type “2S” + windscreen W 5 or W 5 D (advantage: low sensitivity to wind, “popping” and handling noise).
  for high directivity: type “41” with W 5 D, W 20 R1, or WSR MS (“basket”-type windscreen with built-in elastic suspension for mono or stereo).

As a starting recommendation:

the switchable omni/ cardioid capsule MK 5 plus CMC 6 Ug microphone amplifier of the modular “Colette“ Series, or the corresponding Compact Microphone CCM 5.

　

Applications（用途） 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Recommendations（推奨）

Speech, speakers　（スピーチ、アナウンス） on a lectern：　講演 type “4” (cardioid) with close-speech guard B 5 D conference recording：　会議録音 type “4” (cardioid) with close-speech guard B 5 D TV speaker’s table：　TV卓上アナウンス type “4” (cardioid), no popscreen required at distances greater than 0.5m radio announcer：　ラジオアナウンス type “4V” (cardioid with lateral pickup) with pop filter PR 120 SV noisy environments：　騒音環境下 (super-)cardioid for close pickup (10 - 20 cm) with bass rolloff: types Typ “4S”, “40”, “41S” TV “round table” discussion：　TV討論 type “4” (cardioid) or boundary-layer capsule BLM 03 Cg (hemisphere) church：　教会 type “40” (cardioid), perhaps as boundary layer microphone with BLCg or BLM 03 Cg stage：　ステージ radio microphone HXiR (Audio Ltd.) with MK 4 (cardioid) or MK 2 S (omni) and popscreen B 5 D news reporting：　ニュース解説 MK 5 (omni/ cardioid, switchable) with windscreen B 5 D or W 5 D or W 20 R1 (the omni setting if there is strong wind; cardioid if other nearby sound needs to be reduced)

Vocals　(ボーカル） stage, moveable：　ステージ（可動） radio microphone HXiR (Audio Ltd.) with MK 4 (cardioid) or MK 2 S (omni) and popscreen B 5 D stage, fixed：　ステージ（固定） type “4” (cardioid) on RC Active Tube with windscreen B 5 D, vocalist microphone CMH 64 (cardioid) studio：　スタジオ type “4”, “4V” (cardioids) with pop filter PR 120 S, PR 120 SV

Instruments　（楽器） all except organ and deep percussion：　オルガン、パーカッション type “4” (cardioid); to pick up room sound as well, or an organ: type “21” (wide cardioid) especially when the room’s character is less than optimal, or type “2S” (omni) tympani, bass drum, etc.：　ティンパニー、バスドラムなど type “2” (omni) instruments with adapters：　アダプター付楽器 flute: type “8” (figure-8), violin: type “4V” (cardioid), saxophone: type “4” or “4V” (cardioids) accent miking (spot mike)：　アクセントマイク in the orchestra: type “4” (cardioid), “41” (supercardioid), but also “21” (wide cardioid) or “2” (omni)

Stereo　（ステレオ） orchestra, chorus ORTF microphone MSTC 64; for best low-frequency reproduction, A/B recording e.g. with type “2S” or with BLM 3g or BLM 03 Cg; in particularly good acoustic, sphere microphone KFM 6 small orchestra/ ensemble M/S with RCY Active Tube, boundary-layer microphone or modular microphones, X/Y, in particularly good acoustic: sphere microphone KFM 6 film and video dialog/ effects M/S with type “41” (supercardioid) in the M-channel or X/Y on a boom, boundary layer with BLM 03 Cg e.g. under a thin tablecloth or in a car under the top

Surround　（サラウンド） orchestra OCT surround, KFM 360 film and video dialog/effects double M/S on a boom

　Type “4”= CCM 4 or MK 4 + CMC 6

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