Schoeps CCM 21 Wide Cardioid Compact Microphone

Schoeps introduced the world’s first wide cardioid microphones and capsules some twenty years ago. This pattern combines the advantages of omnidirectional and cardioid characteristics in an optimal manner. To an extraordinary extent the directionality is independent of frequency, which means that regardless of its direction of origin, sound will be picked up free of unwanted coloration.
The wide cardioid is very well liked as a musical instrument microphone. Its sound quality, compared with that of a cardioid, is “warmer” and more “open.”

• wide cardioid with especially consistent directionality throughout its frequency range
• pleasant sound image, often described as “warm”
• often preferred for use as a spot microphone, or as the main pair for overall stereo pickup

This type of microphone has a directional pattern between omni and cardioid. The basic idea in designing the CCM 21was to combine the advantages of the cardioid with those of the omni. This results in a pickup pattern which blends the two sets of characteristics in a useful manner. It has fuller and more extended low frequency response than a cardioid, with less proximity effect, while attenuating side- and rear-incident sound less than a cardioid.

The polar diagram shows the directivity of the MK 21 to be only slightly dependent on frequency. This contrasts with omnidirectional capsules, whose directivity increases with rising frequency, and with cardioids (at least smaller ones), which tend to accentuate high frequencies that arrive at oblique angles. The MK 21’s orientation is less critical than with a cardioid, since direct sound arriving on axis and reverberant or other sounds off axis are both reproduced accurately. This lack of coloration in the off-axis pickup produces a “warm” and natural sonic impression.

When used as a spot microphone, the CCM 21 must be placed somewhat closer to the sound source than a cardioid would be, due to its lower directivity. Its uniform off-axis response helps to blend nearby instruments seamlessly into the overall mix. For wide pickups where some directivity of the microphone is advantageous, as in acoustically difficult rooms where the bass would be too strong when using omnis, the CCM 21 can be especially helpful. The low directivity of this capsule type prevents it from generating large enough level differences for X/Y use, though M/S and near-coincident spacings are often successful. Together with the cardioid and supercardioid, this is one of the most preferred types among our capsules.

CCM Series User Manual