SCHOEPS microphones have been present on film sets for a long time. For the demanding location sound engineer, pristine sonic quality at all incident angles, as well as high directionality and shielding from RF interference are all essential on set. Additionally, microphones mounted on booms should be small and light, as well as elastically isolated from vibrations and protected from wind.
Our line of SCHOEPS supercardioid and shotgun microphones have established themselves as an international standard for location sound, and they can always be found on the set of large film productions, be it in Hollywood, London or Berlin.
Our CMIT 5 and MiniCMIT shotgun microphones, boasting high directionality and exceptionally natural off-axis sound pickup, are truly astounding outliers in their field. While these microphones do strongly reject off-axis sound, the attenuation rises quite steadily – with no coloration or sudden drops in sound level – meaning dialog recorded from the side is still usable. The digital SuperCMIT offers an even higher diffuse sound suppression. It has become a fixture in the industry for difficult shooting situations.
Our MK 41 and CCM 41 supercardioids are often used for interior shots due to their high directivity and the exceptional constancy of their directional pattern across the frequency range. This effectively provides a clean vocal sound in addition to natural room sound. Because of this, the CCM/MK 41 capsules are easily superior to any shotgun microphone for interior scenes – although many people don’t know this. It’s a real insider tip.
The MK 41 wuth the CMC 1 L is a true master of the understatement. Taking up just 47 mm in length, it is often the only microphone that works with particularly difficult camera angles. Together with our miniature elastic suspension MINIX (OSIX), and the portable windshield B 5 D – designed to block unwanted noise even with fast boom movements – the CCM 41/MK 41+CMC 1 L is the smallest professional boom microphone on the market today. The other versions of our miniature amplifiers CMC 1 KV and CMC 1 SO are particularly suitable as "plant mic".
Of course, with work on set being particularly demanding, a number of technical resources and accessories are needed that are specifically trimmed to the rough and hectic workflow of a film production. In addition to microphones, this includes filters, mounts and windshields that are all optimally designed for their respective microphone type.
For on-set sound, protection from unwanted RF interference is absolutely crucial. This is why we have developed the “SCHOEPS RFI Shield”, our own strict standard that successfully suppresses RF influence. We continually measure and compare interference levels among all currently operating transmitters.
SCHOEPS also offers professional solutions for MS recording. Our CCM 8 microphone (or CMC 1 + MK 8) – with a figure-eight pickup pattern and unrivalled studio quality – pairs well with our CMIT 5 and MiniCMIT microphones, as well as with our CCM 41 (or CMC 1 + MK 41), together in the same windshield. For Double MS, a mobile surround sound solution for documentaries and ambience recordings, a variety of complete setups are available, using just three microphones with a mount and windshield.
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