Mixing Midside Mid and Side Brands - Social Sound Design

Mixing Midside Mid and Side Brands

2011-01-03T16:34:16Z

I've seen some people say that you shouldn't mix brands when dealing with midside, but I've also seen people say it doesn't matter.

I just bought an MKH30 and am looking to pick up a hyper/super cardioid for the mid.

Logic would say to get the Senn 8050, but the Schoeps CMC641 is such a standard for booming (I also want to use the it for dialogue), that I'd love to pick it up and use it with the MKH30.

The 8050 is even a bit different from the MKH50, so would it really be that much worse of an idea to go for the CMC641.

I rented both the 8050 and the CMC641, and liked both equally, but people rave about the Schoeps sound... and I could stomach the 500 dollars difference if it would sound great with the MKH30.

Answer by NoiseJockey for Mixing Midside Mid and Side Brands

2011-01-03T20:30:32Z

On paper, I'd think that the frequency responses must be about the same in order for a mismatched-brand MS rig to work, but really, it's gotta be all in the ears. Ryan is right: Try it with rentals, on material with widely different frequencies and transients, and see what sounds right. (FWIW, Sennheiser has won't commit to making an 8000-series fig-8, AFAIK. Too bad!)

I think that most would qualify the Schoeps as more natural and transparent, while the Sennheisers are quieter and therefore are more often used for quiet natural ambiences. (I, too, love the punch of the MKH50. It's like the action hero to the Schoeps' stage actor.)

Answer by sepulchra for Mixing Midside Mid and Side Brands

2011-01-04T03:53:26Z

Testing everything out is extremely important. I often use the MK4 instead of the Mk41 because I am looking for something a little more natural and open. The MKH 50 and the MK41 are great respectively, but I find the cardiod to just sound more natural when it comes to ambiences -- that goes for the schoeps and the sennheiser models.

Answer by Iain McGregor for Mixing Midside Mid and Side Brands

2011-01-04T10:13:20Z

I'd rent every suitable mic for a single session, test them indoors as well as outdoors with quiet as well as loud sources. You will find greater consistency sticking to the Sennheiser but you will get a lot more punch from the Schoeps.