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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: fanofjam on June 19, 2025, 10:37:14 AM
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I don't need every Schoeps capsule made. My taping is limited to ambient audio recording of bands in bars and mid-sized sheds or festivals. I'm considering a package for bodies that includes a set of MK4 capsules, but I already have MK21's. My intuition tells me that, for the level of taping I do, the MK4 pair are overkill other than having a second set for parallel recording, which I do on occasion when at a festival and recording multiple stages. Any other reasons to have both?
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I've owned both and they sound different enough to warrant having both. 4's or 4v's were my go to. 21's only for outdoors, onstage or very good sounding rooms/PA. LF extension of the 21's is notable compared to the 4's.
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I agree with Craig T. Also have 41s for stadiums, big festivals and when I know to expect a crowd of idiots.
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always have as much gear as you are comfortable with and can afford.
If I had to pick just 1 set of mics, and only 1 set, I'd go wtih the DPA 4015gs/D:vice combination, because it basically always works, sounds good where I typically tape, and is very versatile. (subcard)
When I added a second set of mics, it was a pair of KK14s with a Deity PR2, for those shows where size is REALLY important. (cardiod)
When I added a third set of mics, it was the 4018as, because hypercards are great in bad locations, and can add clarity to ok locations.
I dunno why I have the mk4Vs and mk41Vs. Variety I guess.
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to me, i have used mk21s more the my mk4s, but that is also me making sure i can get in best spot. mk4s are more agreeable to less ideal spots IMO.
i should probaly sell the mk4s, and just keep the 41s and 21s, but alas they have been paid for for a decade or more. so i keep em
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Per my sig, I own and deeply love both pairs. They compliment each other very very nicely. The mk4 ALWAYS makes a tape I love, even in compromised locations or questionable sounding rooms. The mk21 is a bit trickier. It's extremely demanding of being in a good sounding spot and setting it up correctly, but when I get it right the results are jaw dropping on my stereo. I ran both the mk4 and mk21 at Phish this past Saturday, and I'm happy to have tapes from both pairs.
I also own a pair of mk2 omnis, and love them. The only mic I find myself wanting at the moment is a single mk8 to run MS.
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todd e and wforwumbo, one of my main things these past five-ten years has been to do research on early recording equipment and techniques from the past 100 years. The first generation of condenser microphones were all omnis, or (since they were so large, but were pressure transducers) omni in the bass, with the pattern becoming narrower as you went up in frequency. When figure-8 and cardioid condensers were invented in the 1930s, the new thing that was said about them was that their directional pattern was consistent across the frequency range, and they were recommended for recording in less-than-ideal acoustic spaces. What you've said in both of your last two messages reminds me very strongly of that nearly 100-year-old way of looking at things, and I think it still holds water.
Precise localization is a neat trick, and the manipulations that can be done with coincident stereo recordings (such as M/S) are very useful sometimes. But in terms of feelings, of the sheer "listenability" and attractiveness of a stereo recording, the thing that gets most people going is tone quality, while the thing that gets most people going about stereo is spaciousness. For me the MK 21 is a kind of ideal--I dislike the phasiness and indeterminacy of spaced omnis, especially widely spaced, and the so-called "wide cardioid" pattern offers most of the smoothness and ease of omnis while allowing a relatively closely spaced placement with decent, stable stereo imaging. But I rarely find locations where the reverberation balance allows me to use it and still get adequate clarity when larger ensembles and orchestras, etc., are involved. Much more often, the MK 22 and MK 4 (and still sometimes the MK 41) have been the best overall, practical solutions for me.
--best regards
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Steve,
MK22’s & MK41V would be my go to. The MK21’s in the perfect scenario will certainly sound amazing. Like you mentioned though, shows at bars and clubs are what you hit for the most part. So the MK4 will always bring it home for you. I was running CCM4V’s for lots of club shows and absolutely loved the results.
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I mainly use my MK41's and sometimes (if the spot is really good) MK4 and MK22
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I've owned mk22, mk41, mk4v and mk41v and still own the last two. All are great capsules and the mk22 sounds really good, but in my use cases (mostly small bars/clubs with the occasional outdoor show), I could not justify owning them. When they were ran indoors from "the section", the pull was useful only about 20% of the time when compared to my mk41v source.
If money were no object, I'd certainly have kept them!