The SCHOEPS SuperCMIT 2 U defines a new category of shotgun microphone, with directivity that goes beyond anything previously known. It offers the recording engineer entirely new possibilities.
Where would I use the SuperCMIT 2 U?
The SuperCMIT 2 U can be a problem-solver wherever diffuse sources of noise (such as street noise, wind noise, room sound, or audience and passers-by) might interfere with a recording. Unwanted noise is greatly reduced in level – even at low frequencies – without altering the tone color of front-arriving direct sound. Even a shotgun with a long tube can’t do that. This makes the SuperCMIT 2 U ideal for complex film sound applications and for sports events. The SuperCMIT 2 U also increases the “reach” of indoor recordings.
How does the SuperCMIT 2 U achieve this directivity?
Digital signal processing in the SuperCMIT 2 U recognizes sound energy arriving from various directions, and determines whether that sound has a discrete, persistent direction of arrival or not.
It uses this information to suppress diffuse sound and to focus on discrete sound. This allows the “reach” of the shotgun microphone to be increased significantly, without causing the usual sound-colouring artifacts. The SuperCMIT 2 U is the first microphone in the world to combine such high directivity with high sound quality.
- new type of digital shotgun microphone with increased directivity, based on SCHOEPS' extremely successful analog model CMIT 5
- diffuse sound is suppressed to an extraordinary degree
- completely new operating principle with two transducers
- patented digital signal processing algorithms from ILLUSONIC (patent pending)
- two-channel output, with SuperCMIT signal in channel 1 and (direct, single-transducer) CMIT signal in channel 2
- SCHOEPS sound quality: transparent sound
AES42 Interface
The SuperCMIT 2 U is a digital microphone. Its output signal format is AES42, Mode 1. This means that it runs on its own clock (48 kHz) and must be driven by an AES42 input with a sample rate converter (SRC). With the optional PSD 2U powering adapter, it can also be used with a conventional AES3 input having built-in SRC.
The AES42 standard defines the interface for digital microphones. In the simplest case AES42 requires only an AES-3 interface plus 10-Volt digital phantom powering (DPP). AES42 interfaces are available in some equipment such as the RME DMC-842 8-channel interface and the Sound Devices 788T, 664 or 633 as well as the AETA 4MinX.
| SuperCMIT 2 U | |
|---|---|
| Firmware version | 2.0 (details) |
| Sensitivity | -31 dBFS at 1 Pa |
| Equivalent noise level (A-weighted) | channel 1: 14 dB-A channel 2: 16 dB-A |
| Equivalent noise level (CCIR) | channel 1: 27 dB channel 2: 28 dB |
| Maximum SPL | 125 dB-SPL |
| Filter(s) | switchable: 80 Hz with 18 dB/oct. 5 dB lift at 10 kHz (shelving) |
| Powering | 10 V digital phantom powering (AES42) |
| Current consumption | 170 mA |
| Output | AES42, Mode 1, sample rate: 48 kHz, resolution: 24 bit channel 1: SuperCMIT channel 2: regular CMIT (shotgun signal only) |
| Latency period | at 1 kHz: channel 1: 3.4 ms channel 2: 1.6 ms |
| Length | 280 mm (11'') |
| Diameter | 21 mm (0.83'') |
| Weight | 112 grams (only 4 ounces!) |