FEATURES:

• Subcardioid (wide cardioid)
• Directional pattern only slightly dependent on frequency
• Pleasant sound image, often described as "warm"

The directional pattern of the MK 21/CCM 21 lies between that of the omni and the cardioid and so it is sometimes referred to as a "wide cardioid."

Our basic idea in designing this capsule was to combine the advantages of the cardioid with those of the omni; consequently, the bass reproduction of the MK 21/CCM 21 is better than that of the MK 4/CCM 4 cardioid and the proximity effect is less marked.

The polar diagram shows the directivity of the MK 21/CCM 21 to be only slightly dependent on frequency. This is in contrast to omnidirectional microphones, whose directivity increases with frequency, and to cardioids, which tend to accentuate high frequencies arriving at oblique angles.

The orientation of the MK 21/CCM 21 is less critical, 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 sound image.

When used as a spot microphone, its distance to the sound source must be somewhat less than that considered normal for a cardioid due to the less directional pattern of the MK 21/CCM 21. 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 MK 21/CCM 21 can be especially helpful.

When used as a stereo main microphone (e.g., X-Y), the low directivity of the MK 21/CCM 21 does not produce large enough intensity differences for coincident arrangements to be practical, although near-coincident spacings are successful.

MK 21
Dimensions:
     length: 22 mm
     diameter: 20 mm
Weight: 17 g

CCM 21
Dimensions:
     length: 45 mm
     diameter: 20 mm
Weight: 33 g

MK 21/CCM 21 on-axis frequency response

MK 21/CCM 21 Polar Diagram

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