New from Sennheiser

[old school]

Maybe this has already been posted here before, but I didn't see it so.....   This is for all our 8050 users...

SENNHEISER ADDS MZF 8000 FILTER OPTION TO MKH 8000 SERIES TO ENHANCE BROADCAST APPLICATIONS

OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 2009: With the new MZF filter module, the MKH 8000 microphone series can provide excellent sound and climate resistance, even in tough broadcasting and film applications. The MZF 8000 filter module effectively suppresses both handling and wind noise. The signal level can be lowered via a high-quality pad allowing it to be optimally adapted to the recording equipment.

“Our MKH 8000 microphones are compact and light making them ideally suited for use with telescopic microphone booms,” explained Dawn Birr, Sennheiser’s product manager for professional products. “The filter module allows users to target and suppress unavoidable handling noise and eliminates wind noise almost completely.” For this purpose, the MZF 8000 has two low-frequency filters: a roll-off filter that can be switched on when required, and a fixed low-cut filter that effectively suppresses frequencies below 20 Hz. A switchable -10 dB pad on the filter module reduces the signal level when required.

The MZF 8000 features extremely low self-noise, which means that even delicate sound structures are reproduced exactly. When used together with the MKH 8020 (omnidirectional), MKH 8040 (cardioid) and MKH 8050 (super-cardioid) RF condenser microphones, sound recordings of the highest quality can be achieved. Like the other modules of the series, the filter module can also be used with a remote cable as a separate unit, allowing the sound engineer to further reduce the weight on the boom. The module has a transformerless and fully floating output and can therefore be easily connected to recording equipment.

Seems like this might be the answer to some of the complaints I have heard about the mic.

CrewC

[John Blankenship]

Thanks for posting that.

They were showing this module at NAB but had no information on it yet.  It was so new, some of their people didn't even know they had it in their booth.  It is obviously aimed directly at the Schoeps market, as this whole line seems to be.  It's neat to have these controls built into the preamp -- keeps the weight and hassle factor to a minimum.

They had no idea what the price would be and didn't yet know the slope of the filter.

John B.

[Paul Graff]

Well, it is a filter module and not part of the preamp.  It's also $423 on Trew's website and the rolloff is only -3dB and is at 160Hz (plus the fixed -3dB at 16Hz).  Here's a link:

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/professional_wired-microphones_studio-recording-mics_mkh-8000_502320

I'm not sold based on the specs and price no matter what Sennheiser says about how effective it is. - 3 dB??!!  160 Hz??!!

A better choice seems to be Schoeps LC 60 U.  -18dB at 60Hz (or 120 Hz for LC 120 U) for $299.

http://www.schoeps.de/E-2004/acc-gen-electric.html#lp40

or a PSC Universal power supply for wireless boom or SD mm1.  Cheaper and more useful and effective.  The Schoeps filter seems to have the steepest, most useful cut, tho'.

PG

[John Blankenship]

Well, it is a filter module and not part of the preamp.  It's also $423 on Trew's website and the rolloff is only -3dB and is at 160Hz (plus the fixed -3dB at 16Hz).  Here's a link:

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/professional_wired-microphones_studio-recording-mics_mkh-8000_502320

I'm not sold based on the specs and price no matter what Sennheiser says about how effective it is. - 3 dB??!!  160 Hz??!!

A better choice seems to be Schoeps LC 60 U.  -18dB at 60Hz (or 120 Hz for LC 120 U) for $299.

http://www.schoeps.de/E-2004/acc-gen-electric.html#lp40

or a PSC Universal power supply for wireless boom or SD mm1.  Cheaper and more useful and effective.  The Schoeps filter seems to have the steepest, most useful cut, tho'.

This is not the one I thought I saw at NAB.  What I saw was longer and included the preamp.  I was under the impression it was one unit, but perhaps it fit so snugly that I came away with that impression.  It was Vegas, after all.

BTW:  Where did you find it on Trew's site?

Thanks,

John B.

[Paul Graff]

http://www.trewaudio.com/store/product.php?productid=1025

[John Blankenship]

Thanks. 

I still often use the venerable Schoeps CUT 1 at 24dB/octave below 60Hz.

http://www.schoeps.de/E-2004/acc-mod-electric.html#cut

I had hoped the Sennheiser version would have a curve more like that -- which is similar to the one you mentioned, just a tad steeper.

Still, I'd like to take the Senn. combination out for a test drive sometime and see how it compares.

John B.

[David Waelder]

Well, it is a filter module and not part of the preamp.  It's also $423 on Trew's website and the rolloff is only -3dB and is at 160Hz (plus the fixed -3dB at 16Hz).

A hinge point at 160 Hz does seem a bit high and a fixed roll off of -3db @ 16 Hz doesn't seem enough to accomplish the task.

Still, it would be good to see a graph of the attenuation over a range of frequencies. Perhaps the fixed roll off of -3db @ 16 Hz also results in a reduction of -10db @ 50 Hz. Without more data it's all a guess in the dark.

If Trew Audio has them on hand, perhaps they could be encouraged to put one up on the Audio Precision and give it a test. Or, if Steve Joachim is reading and they have one on hand at LSC, he might give it to Marc Lesonsky for a test.

David Waelder

[Glen Trew]

A hinge point at 160 Hz does seem a bit high and a fixed roll off of -3db @ 16 Hz doesn't seem enough to accomplish the task.

Still, it would be good to see a graph of the attenuation over a range of frequencies. Perhaps the fixed roll off of -3db @ 16 Hz also results in a reduction of -10db @ 50 Hz. Without more data it's all a guess in the dark.

If Trew Audio has them on hand, perhaps they could be encouraged to put one up on the Audio Precision and give it a test. Or, if Steve Joachim is reading and they have one on hand at LSC, he might give it to Marc Lesonsky for a test.

David Waelder

The text in the spec sheet must still be the typo they had at NAB. However, the graph shows the roll off to be the same as the MKH-50 roll off, seemingly verified by my ears.

Glen Trew