The nickel finished MK 21 Microphone Capsule from Schoeps has a directional pattern between omni and cardioid. The capsule combines the advantages of the cardioid with those of the omni. This results in a pickup pattern which blends the two sets of characteristics. It has fuller and more extended low-frequency response than a cardioid, with less proximity effect, while picking up more room sound than a cardioid.

The directivity of the MK 21 capsule is only slightly dependent on frequency, delivering unaffected sound output.

Wide cardioid

Consistent directionality throughout its frequency range

Preferred for use as a spot microphone, or as the main pair for overall stereo pickup

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. When using this in RAW (mid and side recorded separately, to balance later in post, rather than blending while recording) on the H5, can the H5 still record a second back-up track at reduced gain? From the little I've read on the tech of mid-side, I'm thinking it could work: capsule's stereo file 1 of 2 is mono-mid on left channel and mono-side on right channel, leaving capsule's stereo file 2 of 2 to record same at -12dB. Good guess, or wishful thinking?

A: Yes!

Q: 2. Does this, like the Zoom SSH-6 Stereo Shotgun Microphone Capsule, allow the H5 to record in RAW, to allow mid-side balance in post?

A: Yes!

Q: 3. Can we mix the directional shotgun mono with the stereo ambience in post? Or is the mix embedded into the audio track as set on the device?

A: The mix will be a mid-side stereo track. You would need mid-side decoder plug-in software to separate the mono mic and the bi-directional mic stereo track in post production.

Q: 4. What are the exact dimensions of the ssh-6 microphone?

A: Exact dimensions for the Zoom SSH-6 Stereo Shotgun Microphone Capsule for H5, H6, U-44 and Q8 have not been provided by Zoom.

Q: 5. Is it possible to record the M and S mics on separate channels for matrixing in post? Can you do this with the Q8? Thanks in advance.

A: There is an option to either enable or disable the mid-side matrix. If you disable it and you record in MOV+WAV format, one of the WAV channels will be the shotgun mic and the other will be the side mic. Please note side is a single source in a figure-8 pattern, not two different sources (left and right side). If you are going to do post-processing and want to control the ambient sound in the mix, definitely disable the matrix. It is quite straightforward then to mix in the ambient sound in post production. You may have to split the stereo WAV file, depending on what DAW you are using.

Q: 6. which one is best zoom ssh-6 or zoom sgh-6 ? if ssh-6, can i use only directional separately if i don,t want the ambience sound?

A: Both the Zoom SSH-6 and SGH-6 are excellent mic options to use with the Zoom H5/H6 recorders. Which you use depends on your application. The SSH-6 is stereo, and the SGH-6 is mono. The stereo mic will be great for recording ambience, special effects, music at a distance. The mono mic is useful for dialogue recording, especially in high noise environments.

Q: 7. Would this mic work well with a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera? Many thanks for your answers!

A: If you are connecting this mike to a Zoom H5, H6, or Q8, and you wanted a stereo shotgun mic (as opposed to a standard mono shotgun mic) then it will work with virtually any camera. But it will not connect directly to your BMPCC without first going through a Zoom recorder.

Q: 8. Considering a shotgun mic for my H6. Would there be any reason to own both the SSH and SGH versions? Is the SSH just an SGH with stereo side recording capabilities?

A: Both the SSH-6 and SGH-6 are shotgun microphones, capable of capturing audio at farther distances than a traditional handheld microphone. The benefit of the SSH-6 is that it captures audio in stereo; a benefit mostly used in music and ambient sound recording. If you are just recording dialogue, the SGH-6 would be more than adequate.

Q: 9. I'm wondering: is the SSH-6 as good as the SGH-6 in terms of directional 'power'? Or do i need to move it closer to the subject than with the SGH-6?

A: I conducted several tests using both the SGH-6 and the SSH-6. The SSH-6 is 1 inch longer than the SGH-6. The end of the microphone was moved back by 1 inch for each SSH-6 test. So, the distance from the end of the microphone to my mouth was always the same for both. I conducted the tests at 6 inches, 1 foot, 2 feet, and 3 feet. In each case to achieve a level above 12 dB but below 6 dB I adjusted the gain on the microphone. In all cases the two microphones required the same gain. The side stereo level on the SSH-6 was set to 0 dBfor all test. So, I would say to your question, Yes, the power and beam for the shotgun portion of the two microphones are the same.

Q: 10. Does this work with the H8?

A: Yes, this will work with the H8.