Sennheiser Introduces the MKE 1 Professional Clip-On Microphone

Sennheiser introduces its latest professional clip-on microphone, the MKE 1, at the 125th AES Convention in San Francisco. With a capsule that's not much bigger than the head of a match, the MKE 1 achieves a natural, full sound with a clear and present treble, as proven in comprehensive field tests. Particular care was taken to ensure the microphone capsule was fully protected from moisture, so the MKE 1 can hold its own in harsh live conditions longer than other clip-on microphones.

"Despite its tiny size - the microphone measures just 3.3mm across - the MKE 1 offers outstanding sound quality, plenty of lower mid-range, and excellent presence with good speech intelligibility," says Scott Houston, associate product manager, professional products at Sennheiser. "It has a user-friendly, omni-directional pick-up pattern. The microphone picks up predominantly direct sound with relatively little ambient noise, which is a real advantage for many applications from broadcasting to theater and musicals."

With high-energy, high-perspiration stage shows, in particular, moisture is the natural enemy of any clip-on microphone. Therefore Sennheiser has developed optimal protective measures for the MKE 1. The clip-on microphone can be provided with a multi-purpose cap that simply diverts any humidity past the microphone and doubles as a windshield. And from within the mic, a thin, acoustically open stainless steel membrane protects the capsule. "Thanks to a new mechanical design all the contacts are now housed inside the casing or the molded coating," Houston explains. "This makes the MKE 1 even more reliable."

The anti-kink sleeve has also been improved in order to increase the life of the Kevlar reinforced cable. With a diameter of just 1mm, the cable is highly resistant to handling noise, while a special plastic coating ensures that it tangles less readily.

The MKE 1 comes complete with a multi-purpose cap that protects the microphone from perspiration and also serves as a windshield (treble boost of 1.5dB). Also included is a small frequency response cap, which ensures a treble boost of 2.5dB for applications where the mic is hidden within the costume or when more brilliance is to be added to a voice. Three make-up protection caps and several thin plastic tubes for shielding the cable when attaching it with clips or adhesive tape, give the finishing touches to this professional package.

The MKE 1 will be available in September in beige and black with an MSRP of $750.00. The MKE 1 comes with a special three-pin plug for the Sennheiser body-pack transmitters SK 5212, SK 5012, SK 250, SK 50 and SK 3063 or with an unterminated cable for other transmitters.