Sennheiser MKH 8090 Wide Cardioid Condenser Microphone

The MKH 8090 is the wide cardioid capsule in Sennheiser's modular MKH 8000 series, sitting between the true omni MKH 8020 and the standard cardioid MKH 8040. Its broader pickup angle takes in more of a source and its surrounding space than a standard cardioid while still offering meaningfully more rear rejection than an omni, which makes it a natural choice for close-miking wider ensembles - a string section, a choir riser, a full drum kit overhead pair - where a tighter cardioid would miss the edges.

Like the rest of the MKH 8000 line, the 8090 uses Sennheiser's RF (radio-frequency) condenser design rather than a conventional DC-biased capsule, giving it low 13 dB(A) self-noise and strong resistance to the humidity and temperature swings that affect a standard condenser on location. A 30 Hz to 50,000 Hz frequency response and 142 dB SPL max handling cover both delicate acoustic detail and loud sources with headroom to spare. The capsule shares the same modular body as the other MKH 8000 capsules, so it drops straight into a kit built around the MKH 8020, 8040, 8050, or other family members. It runs on standard P48 phantom power over a 3-pin XLR.