Sennheiser unveiled its new MK 8, large-diaphragm, condenser studio microphone at NAB 2014. The new microphone features five selectable polar patterns. They are: omni-directional, wide cardioid, cardioid, super-cardioid, and figure-of-eight. The MK 8 also has a low cut/roll-off filter and selectable pad.
The MK 8 was designed and manufactured in Germany. It echos the sleek design of the MK 4 studio microphone. The fixed cardioid MK 4 was designed for plug-and-play simplicity. The multi-pattern MK 8 offers additional control for the refined recording engineer.
The new microphone has a one-inch, dual-diaphragm capsule, precisely spattered with 24-carat gold and elastically mounted to reduce structure-borne noise. It also has a three-position filter that allows the user to either eliminate low-frequency noise below 60 Hz (-18 dB/octave, low-cut position) or introduce a softer roll-off effect from 100 Hz down to compensate for the proximity effect in close miking (-6 dB/octave, roll-off position).
The MK 8 is encased in a sturdy metal housing. This gives it relatively low sensitivity to humidity, as the impedance conversion is done within the capsule. It is packaged with a microphone clip and protective pouch. Optional accessories include an elastic suspension, a foam windshield, a pop filter, and a hard case. The new MK 8 microphone will be available in late summer of 2014.