H2O, the original post says, "I recently acquired a pair of MK2's ..." and I take the apostrophe to indicate the plural--in other words, two capsules of type MK 2, not of type MK 2 S. The MK 2 is free-field equalized, which means that it's designed for situations in which the predominant sound energy is picked up on axis. The OP wrote, "I will be using these MK2's mostly in blues clubs and other smaller venues where I am very close" which fits the definition very well.
The "free" in "free-field" means "a sound field free of physical obstacles that would cause sound to be reflected before it reaches the microphone." The practical opposite of "free-field" equalization is "diffuse-field" equalization, which in the Schoeps line is represented by the MK 3. I bet that few people here run those, although for relatively distant pickup they could be quite useful, I think, particularly if mounted in KA 40 accessory spheres.
Between the characteristics of the MK 2 and MK 3 there are three good choices. One is the omni setting of the MK 5; the other two are the MK 2 H and the MK 2 S. Those are very useful for the typical medium-distance recording that occurs at live performances when the room sound is decent, so you want roughly equal amounts of direct sound and reflected sound in your recording. The MK 2 H is designed for slightly closer placement than the MK 2 S, all other things being equal.
People should realize that published frequency response curves show the on-axis characteristics of the microphone or capsule. With microphones of normal size (i.e. large enough to have good enough signal-to-noise ratio for professional-quality music recording in quiet settings), an omnidirectional capsule can't possibly be omnidirectional at high frequencies--the laws of physics don't allow it. Thus any high-frequency "peaks" that you see on the published graphs are on-axis only; the sides and back won't have them. If you are recording with omnidirectional microphones from relatively far away, only a relatively small amount of sound will reach the microphones within the angle that that "peak" occurs in. So when an omnidirectional microphone or capsule of normal size is "diffuse-field equalized," it won't have a high-frequency peak in its overall, integrated response--and that response is what you are mainly relying upon when you record from distance.
Attached is a composite of the frequency response curves of the Schoeps MK 2, MK 2 H, MK 2 S and MK 3 (top to bottom). But these are just the on-axis curves, and the effective response of an MK 3 when used at appropriate distance (causing sound to arrive at all angles about equally) is essentially the same as the effective response of an MK 2 when used at appropriate distance (causing sound to arrive mainly on axis).
Please, please, please, if anyone here doesn't understand this principle, let's talk it through until you do.
--best regards
Topic: I have MK2's - Need Advice On Active Cables and a Tinybox (Read 3711 times)