The matte gray MK 22 Microphone Capsule from Schoeps comes as a matched pair, and has open cardioid directional pattern, occupying a point on the spectrum between the wide cardioid and classic cardioid patterns. The response is -5 dB at 90° and there is 16 dB suppression of rear-incident sound. It is in essence a variant cardioid which balances a very natural sound quality with a good degree of directionality.
This capsule’s sonic transparency and good suppression of rear-incident sound make it a universal problem-solver. This capsule has wide cardioid that offers an alternative when its lower directivity fits the recording situation, e.g., for the first desk of strings or for solo piano.
This capsule has been developed for use as a spot microphone. It unites the strengths of the MK 4 and MK 21 capsules. Its directivity is essentially constant throughout the frequency range. Its inherent low-frequency response is somewhat more pronounced than that of the cardioid, while proximity effect is somewhat less. This capsule is well suited for use as stereo pairs.