Sennheiser MKH 8040 Cardioid Condenser Microphone

The MKH 8040 is the cardioid capsule in Sennheiser's modular MKH 8000 series of RF condenser microphones, and it is the workhorse of the line for orchestral, acoustic, and studio recording. Its cardioid pattern rejects off-axis room sound while staying flat and natural on-axis, which is why it turns up constantly as a spot mic on strings, woodwinds, piano, and ensembles, and as a main pair in ORTF or XY configurations. A 30 Hz to 50,000 Hz frequency response and 142 dB SPL max handling give it the headroom for both delicate acoustic detail and loud sources without strain.

Sennheiser builds the MKH 8000 series around an RF (radio-frequency) condenser design instead of a conventional DC-biased capsule, which is what gives the 8040 its very low 13 dB(A) self-noise and its resistance to humidity and temperature swings that would degrade a standard condenser outdoors or on a long location shoot. Because the capsule is modular, it shares the same amplifier body as the other MKH 8000 capsules, so a studio can standardize on one body style and simply swap capsules for the polar pattern a session needs. It is available as a single microphone or as a factory-matched Stereo Set of two capsules for XY and ORTF stereo pairs, and it runs on standard P48 phantom power over a 3-pin XLR.