Sennheiser MKH 418-S Instruction manual

MKH 418-S

Instruction manual

Important safety instructions

1.Read these safety instructions and the instruction manual of the product.

2.Keep these safety instructions and the instruction manual of the product. Always include all instructions when passing the product on to third parties.

3.Only use attachments, accessories and spare parts specified by the manufacturer.

4.Caution: The protective basket and pop shield must be completely dry when you mount them on the microphone. Moisture can cause malfunctions or damage to the capsule

5.Connect the microphone only to microphone inputs and supply units that provide 48 V phantom powering in accordance with IEC 61938.

6.Do not attempt to open the product housing on your own. The warranty is voided for products opened by the customer.

7.Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the product has been damaged in any way, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the product, when the product has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

8.Use the product only under the conditions of use listed in the specifications.

9.Let the product come to ambient temperature before switching it on.

10.Do not operate the product if it was damaged during transportation.

11.Always run cables so that no one can trip over them.

12.Keep the product and its connections away from liquids and electrically conductive objects that are not necessary for operating the product.

13.Do not use any solvents or aggressive cleaning agents to clean the product.

14.Caution: Very high signal levels can damage your hearing and your loudspeakers. Reduce the volume on the connected audio devices before switching on the product; this will also help prevent acoustic feedback.

Intended use

The product is designed for indoor and outdoor use. The product can be used for commercial purposes.

It is considered improper use when the product is used for any application not named in the corresponding instruction manual.

Sennheiser does not accept liability for damage arising from improper use or misuse of this product and its attachments/ accessories.

Before putting the products into operation, please observe the respective country-specific regulations!

Package contents

•Condenser microphone MKH 418-S

•Instruction manual

•Transport case

Stereo Condenser Microphone MKH 418-S

Brief description

The MKH 418-S is an MS stereo microphone. Its high degree of directivity makes the MKH 418-S the ideal choice for stereophonic recordings for reporting, film and television applications.

The microphone is designed for 48 V phantom powering and operates using the RF principle. This principle ensures high operational reliability, even under extreme climatic conditions.

The MKH 418-S has two independent acoustic systems for generating the mid and side signals. The mid signal (M) is generated by a shotgun microphone system. At high frequencies, this results in a lobar pick-up pattern, whereas at low frequencies there is a transition to a super-cardioid characteristic. The side signal (S) is produced by a figure-of-eight capsule, whose positive side is directed to the left. The M and S signals are available independently at the microphone output. The microphone is positioned correctly when the word „TOP” is pointing upwards.

Powering

The MKH 418-S is designed for 48 V phantom powering. To ensure proper operation of the microphone, the two channels always have to be powered simultaneously, even if only the signal of one channel is required. If no 48 V phantom powering is available at the microphone input of the subsequent device, suitable power supply units must be interconnected.

The MKH 418-S is connected via a 5-pin XLR cable. The connector of the MKH 418-S has standard pin assignment:

Pin 1 = Casing/ground Pin 2 = M channel (+) Pin 3 = M channel (-) Pin 4 = S channel (+) Pin 5 = S channel (-)

Notes on MS Stereo Sound Recording

The MS signal format of the MKH 418-S provides a particularly easy means of setting the optimum balance between the main information of the mid channel and the spatial contribution of the side channel. This balancing can even be performed during re-processing without a loss of information if the original MS signals were recorded.

The MS signal format is converted into the XY format (ie: standard left/right stereo) by adding or subtracting the signals according to the principle X = M + S, Y = M – S. The proportion