Schoeps: microphones for classical & broadcast

Since 1948 in Durlach, Karlsruhe: natural sound that captures every nuance, from the concert hall to the film set.

Schoeps since 1948: Durlach's legacy in precision microphones

Schoeps was founded in 1948 in Durlach, the historic district of Karlsruhe where the company is still headquartered today, in a building whose foundations date back to 1662. Founded by Karl Schoeps together with Wilhelm Küsters, the company has remained family-owned for three generations: today it's led by Helmut Wittek and Karin Fléing, with Ulrich Schoeps as majority shareholder. A rare continuity in the industry, reflected in the build philosophy: single-diaphragm capsules, externally polarised transducers and quality control still carried out in-house, across roughly 1,500 square metres at the Karlsruhe facility.

Colette system: the modularity that changed studio microphones

Since 1974 the Colette system has separated the preamplifier from the capsule, letting you configure the microphone to the application without sacrificing tonal consistency across polar patterns. The CMC6 preamplifier pairs with different capsules depending on the recording technique: the cardioid MK4, available in mono and stereo sets for XY, ORTF and NOS; the MK5, with a mechanical omni/cardioid switch, for moving quickly from ambient to more focused pickup; the MK41 supercardioid, for greater source isolation in acoustically challenging or live environments; and the MK8 figure-8 for Mid/Side and Blumlein techniques. One family of preamplifiers, covering the full range of studio recording techniques.

CMIT 5 and MiniCMIT: shotgun microphones for film and broadcast

The CMIT 5 has become a standard in direct-take film sound thanks to a symmetrical supercardioid polar pattern that stays stable even when the microphone is rotated on the boom, with switchable filters for speech intelligibility, low-cut and proximity. The MiniCMIT keeps the same frequency response in a shorter, lighter body, built for compact rigs and situations with limited manoeuvring space. For particularly demanding acoustic environments, the SuperCMIT pairs real-time digital processing with the physical capsule, refining directivity beyond the mechanical limits of the interference tube alone.

Classical music and film scores: Schoeps detail

The linearity of Schoeps capsules is especially valued in classical recording: natural, uncoloured response across the spectrum captures the depth of an orchestra while keeping imaging and separation precise, even with stereo techniques like XY, ORTF and NOS. For multichannel and ambient recording, the OCT Surround Set extends the same approach to immersive setups, keeping tonal consistency across channels — a quality that makes Schoeps microphones a reference for film score and high-quality ambient recording too.

Broadcast and streaming installations: the Schoeps miniature line

The same build quality found in the larger series carries through to the models designed to stay out of sight: the Schoeps miniature line delivers presence and sound quality in settings where the microphone shouldn't be noticed, from broadcast and TV installations to conference rooms, podcasts and streaming. A solution built for anyone who needs to combine visual discretion with signal reliability, without compromising on sound detail.

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