The MC550 features
In Mono mode infinite(!) directional patterns can be created (omni, cardioid, wide-cardioid, hyper-cardioid, figure-8 – and everything in between!). A console or DAW can combine the two cardioid signals to produce any desired pattern, so the recording engineer can tweak the pattern to fit the exact needs!
The ultra-thin gold-coated diaphragms are made of polyethylene-terephthalate film and give the MC550 a warm, brilliant, and transparent sound. It has excellent transient response, a low self-noise level of only 4 dB-A, and the ability to handle very high sound pressure levels up to 142dB. All capsule components have passed a special artificial ageing process to guarantee long-term stability. The internal construction is elastically mounted to attenuate handling noise. Additionally, the capsules are fixed on special shock absorbers to further reduce noise.
The amplifiers are Class ‘A’ transformerless designs utilizing input transistors hand-selected for minimal noise. A switchable low-cut filter is provided to reduce low frequency interference and/or proximity effects. The MC550 performs especially well when the sound source is grouped around the microphone. It operates on 48V phantom power. A small LED indicates front position and shows when phantom powering is active.
The microphone body is made of brass with a grey non-reflective paint finish on an epoxy base. This makes it inherently immune to mechanical and atmospheric influences. A 3-layer metallic grille effectively protects the transducers from mechanical impacts and contamination by microscopic dust particles.
Two breakout cables are included:
a) XLR-5 to 2x XLR-3 connectors) and b) XLR-5 to 1x XLR-3
The microphone comes in a fine hardwood box.
Directional_pattern | Stereo: 180° 2x cardioid Mono: switchable: omnidirectional or fig.8 Additionally fully variable directional pattern (see text for explanation) – omni, cardioid, wide-cardioid, hyper-cardioid, figure-8 and everything in between! |
Acoustic operating principle | Pressure gradient transducer |
Frequency range | 20 - 20.000 Hz |
Sensitivity | not less than 20 mV/Pa |
Rated impedance | 20 ohms |
Rated load impedance | 1000 ohms |
Equivalent noise level (A-weighted) | 4 dB-A (cardioid) 7dB-A (omni, fig. eight) |
Signal-to-noise (A-weighted) | 134 dB |
Max SPL (THD<0.5%)@ 1kHz: | 142dB 152dB (with -10dB switch) |
Supply voltage | 48V |
Current consumption | switchable: 4-8 mA |
Matching connector | a) 5-pin XLR-type (male) to 2x 3-pin XLR-type standard Front: White | Rear: Red b) 5-pin XLR-type (male) to 1x 3-pin XLR-type standard |
Weight output stage | 320 g |
Diameter | body: 30mm, head: 50mm |
Length | 178 mm |
Available Colours | brass with a dark-grey non-reflective paint finish |