CMT 56
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Common name: Schoeps CMT 56
Production Status: Discontinued / Vintage
The CMT 56 is a small diaphragm condenser microphone first produced in 1965. It features a single diaphragm capsule switchable between omnidirectional, cardioid and figure of eight pickup patterns. The capsule diaphragm is no longer made of metal but of specially manufactured Mylar for better long-term reliability. These new microphones employ high-quality FET for the first time instead of the previous RF (Radio-Frequency) technology for better linearity and performance. The capsule is fixed via three miniature screws and the contacts as well as the mounts are not compatible with the later Colette series although performance is similar. The 48 V phantom power provides capsule polarisation voltage and FET powering. The output stage is transformer coupled. The microphone has either a 3-pin small Tuchel (D) or XLR-3 M (U) connector. The CMT 3, 4 and 5 series remained in production until the nineteen-eighties.