Okay, it seems there's some misunderstanding or confusion around what Schoeps gear is required for making a functional rig. In the hopes of clarifying, these are the necessary components in order to run Schoeps mics:
[1] mic capsThe mic caps, designated MKx, provide different pickup patterns. MK4 = cardioid, MK4V = vertically oriented cardioid, MK41 = supercardioid, MK21 = subcardioid, etc.
[2] active cables 1Active cables provide the ability to run the mic caps [1] remotely from the mic bodies [3]. The active cables chosen - from the
Schoeps list - will depend on the mic bodies [2] used.
[3] mic bodies (aka mic amplifiers)Mic bodies amplify the signal from the mic caps [1] and pass the signal along to the next device in the chain. Mic bodies require power to function, either <a> phantom power from an external phantom power supply (like the Denecked PS-2 or most microphone preamps), or <b> an internal power supply, i.e. battery.
Mic bodies - one of those listed at Schoeps - are required, unless using custom gear containing their equivalent, like the NBox or Sonosax SX-M2/LS2 preamps. (If someone knows of an alternative solution to the Schoeps mic bodies and NBox / SX-M2/LS2, please let us all know).
1Note: active cables are NOT required in all cases. For example, one could attach the MKx caps directly to the CMC6 mic bodies, without the active cables. But this thread seems focused on active cable solutions, so...I've included them.
Edit to add...After [1-3] above, the other components of gear listed in the Where To Begin forum's
Start Here! thread are still required:
[2] Mic Power (unless using an internally powered Schoeps mic body)
[3] Gain
[4] Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC)
[5] Storage Devices