Sennheiser MKH 418-S - User manual

MKH 418-S
Instruction manual

Important safety instructions
1. Read these safety instructions and the instruction manual
of the product.
2. Keep these safety instructions and the instruction manual
of the product. Always include all instructions when pass-
ing the product on to third parties.
3. Only use attachments, accessories and spare parts speci-
fied by the manufacturer.
4. Caution: The protective basket and pop shield must be
completely dry when you mount them on the microphone.
Moisture can cause malfunctions or damage to the capsule
5. Connect the microphone only to microphone inputs and
supply units that provide 48V phantom powering in accor-
dance with IEC 61938.
6. Do not attempt to open the product housing on your own.
The warranty is voided for products opened by the customer.
7. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servic-
ing is required when the product has been damaged in any
way, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the
product, when the product has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
8. Use the product only under the conditions of use listed in
the specifications.
9. Let the product come to ambient temperature before
switching it on.
10. Do not operate the product if it was damaged during trans-
portation.
11. Always run cables so that no one can trip over them.
12. Keep the product and its connections away from liquids
and electrically conductive objects that are not necessary
for operating the product.
13. Do not use any solvents or aggressive cleaning agents to
clean the product.
14. Caution: Very high signal levels can damage your hearing
and your loudspeakers. Reduce the volume on the connect-
ed audio devices before switching on the product; this will
also help prevent acoustic feedback.
Intended use
The product is designed for indoor and outdoor use. The prod-
uct can be used for commercial purposes.
It is considered improper use when the product is used for any
application not named in the corresponding instruction manual.
Sennheiser does not accept liability for damage arising from
improper use or misuse of this product and its attachments/
accessories.
Before putting the products into operation, please observe the
respective country-specific regulations!

Package contents
• Condenser microphone MKH 418-S
• Instruction manual
• Transport case
Stereo Condenser Microphone
MKH 418-S
Brief description
The MKH 418-S is an MS stereo microphone. Its high degree
of directivity makes the MKH 418-S the ideal choice for ste-
reophonic recordings for reporting, film and television appli-
cations.
The microphone is designed for 48 V phantom powering and
operates using the RF principle. This principle ensures high
operational reliability, even under extreme climatic conditions.
The MKH 418-S has two independent acoustic systems for
generating the mid and side signals. The mid signal (M) is gen-
erated by a shotgun microphone system. At high frequencies,
this results in a lobar pick-up pattern, whereas at low frequen-
cies there is a transition to a super-cardioid characteristic. The
side signal (S) is produced by a figure-of-eight capsule, whose
positive side is directed to the left. The M and S signals are
available independently at the microphone output. The micro-
phone is positioned correctly when the word „TOP” is pointing
upwards.
Powering
The MKH 418-S is designed for 48 V phantom powering. To
ensure proper operation of the microphone, the two channels
always have to be powered simultaneously, even if only the sig-
nal of one channel is required. If no 48 V phantom powering is
available at the microphone input of the subsequent device,
suitable power supply units must be interconnected.
The MKH 418-S is connected via a 5-pin XLR cable. The con-
nector of the MKH 418-S has standard pin assignment:
Pin 1 = Casing/ground
Pin 2 = M channel (+)
Pin 3 = M channel (-)
Pin 4 = S channel (+)
Pin 5 = S channel (-)
Notes on MS Stereo Sound Recording
The MS signal format of the MKH 418-S provides a particularly
easy means of setting the optimum balance between the main
information of the mid channel and the spatial contribution of
the side channel. This balancing can even be performed during
re-processing without a loss of information if the original MS
signals were recorded.
The MS signal format is converted into the XY format (ie: stan-
dard left/right stereo) by adding or subtracting the signals ac-
cording to the principle X = M + S, Y = M – S. The proportion

of the S signal influences the spatial effect and should be cho-
sen in each case in accordance with the recording situation.
In order to avoid restricting the possibilities of designing the
sound impression, MS – XY matrixing in the microphone was
not employed.
If a matrix circuit is not available on the mixing console, matrix-
ing can be performed using the 3-fader method.
S
M
L R
+ + -
3 dB
The M signal is connected to the first microphone channel and
panned centre. The S signal is connected to the second channel
and panned full left. Take an output from the second channel
and connect to the third channel panned full right and phase
reversed (via a phase reverse switch or via the cable). (To set
the correct S signal level - set the pan controls of channel two
to central, set the main fader to normal level and set the cor-
rect level at the preset. Then, set the pan control of channel 3
to centre, set the main fader to the same level as channel two
and then adjust the pre-set of channel three until the signal to-
tally disappears – the two channels are now set identical – now
pan channel two fully left and channel three fully right for nor-
mal operation). Channels two and three are controlled as a sin-
gle fader (mechanically or electrically coupled together). The
stereo width is controlled by the relative levels – less side is a
narrower image, more side is a wider image. The displacement
of the faders by 3 dB, as shown in the diagram as an example,
results in 1:1 ratio matrixing.
During matrixing, it should be taken into account that the di-
rection of off-axis sound signals can be determined less and
less at high frequencies due to the increasing directivity of the

shotgun microphone. This may lead to diffused spatial effects,
which can be desirable or undesirable depending on the re-
cording situation. In case of doubt, the proportion of the S sig-
nal should not be chosen too high. In some cases, it might be
necessary to reduce the treble in the S channel on the mixing
console. At low frequencies below 300 Hz, it is very difficult to
locate sounds for physiological reasons. Since the S system of
the microphone, due to its design principle, is more sensitive
than the M system to low-frequency interference caused for
example by wind, the bass in the S channel should be reduced
if required (eg: with a high-pass filter).
Manufacturer Declarations
Warranty
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG gives a warranty of 24
months on these products.
For the current warranty conditions, please visit our website at
www.sennheiser.com or contact your Sennheiser partner.
Warranty FOR AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND
ONLY:
Sennheiser Australia Pty Ltd provides a warranty of 24 months
on these products.
For the current warranty conditions, visit Sennheiser website:
Australia: https://en-au.sennheiser.com/
New Zealand: https://en-nz.sennheiser.com/
Sennheiser goods come with guarantees that cannot be ex-
cluded under Australian and New Zealand Consumer law. You
are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and
compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or
damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or
replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the
failure does not amount to a major failure.
This warranty is in addition to other rights or remedies under
law. Nothing in this warranty excludes, limits or modifies any
remedy available to be consumer which is granted by law.
To make a claim under this contract, raise a case via Sennhe-
iser website
Australia: https://en-au.sennheiser.com/service-support-con-
tact
New Zealand: https://en-nz.sennheiser.com/service-sup-
port-contact
All expenses of claiming the warranty will be borne by the per-
son making the claim.
Sennheiser international warranty is provided by: Sennheiser
Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 68 165 388 312) Level 14, Tower A Zenith
Building, 821 Pacific Highway, Chatswood NSW 2067, Australia

In compliance with the following requirements
EU: WEEE Directive (2012/19/EU)
UK: WEEE Regulations (2013)
Notes on disposal
The symbol of the crossed-out dumpster on the product, the
(rechargeable) battery (if applicable) and/or the packaging in-
dicates that these products must not be disposed of with nor-
mal household waste, but must be disposed of separately at
the end of their service life. For the packaging, follow the regu-
lations in your country for separating waste. Improper disposal
of packaging materials can be harmful to your health and the
environment.
The separate collection of waste electrical and electronic
equipment, (rechargeable) batteries (if applicable) and pack-
aging is intended to promote reuse and recycling and to pre-
vent negative impacts on public health and the environment,
for example due to hazardous substances contained in these
products. At the end of their service life, recycle electrical and
electronic equipment and (rechargeable) batteries so that their
materials can be reused and to prevent environmental pollu-
tion.
If (rechargeable) batteries can be removed without destroying
them, you are obliged to dispose of them separately (see the
product’s operating instructions for information on how to re-
move the batteries safely). Be especially careful when handling
(rechargeable) batteries containing lithium, as these pose spe-
cial hazards, such as the risk of fire and/or health risks if but-
ton cells are swallowed. Reduce battery waste as much as pos-
sible by using longer-life batteries or rechargeable batteries.
Further information on the recycling of these products can be
obtained from your municipal administration, from the munici-
pal collection points, or from your Sennheiser partner. You may
also be able to return electrical or electronic equipment to your
distributor, if they are legally required to do so. By disposing of
your batteries properly, you are helping to protect public health
and the environment.
UK Declaration of conformity
• RoHS Regulations (2012)
• EMC Regulations (2016)
Importer: Sennheiser UK Ltd.
Pacific House, Third Avenue, Globe Park, Marlow
Buckinghamshire SL7 1EY, United Kingdom
EU Declaration of conformity
• RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU)
• EMC Directive (2014/30/EU)
The full text of the EU declaration of conformity is available at
the following internet address:
www.sennheiser.com/download

Compliance
Europe
UK
Specifications
Frequency response 40 - 20,000 Hz
Transducer principle RF condenser microphone
Acoustic operating prin-
ciple M: pressure gradient / interfe- rence tube receiver
S: pressure gradient receiver
Pick-up pattern M: super-cardioid/lobar
S: figure-of-eight
Sensitivity (1 kHz) M: 25 mV/Pa (-32 dBV)
S: 10 mV/Pa (-40 dBV)
Output impedance (1 kHz) < 25 Ω
Min. load impedance 1 kΩ
Equivalent noise level M: 14 dB-A / 26 dB-CCIR
S: 22 dB-A / 34 dB-CCIR
Max. SPL 130 dB SPL (63 Pa)
Power supply P48: 48 ± 4 V / 2 x 2.3 mA
Temperature range Operation: -20 to +60 °C
Max. output voltage 1.5 V
Connector 5-pin XLR, male
Dimensions Ø 19 mm x 280 mm
Weight 220 g
Frequency response
10
0
-10
-20
20
dB
-30
5040 100 200 500 1000 2000 5000 10000 20000 Hz
10
0
-10
-20
20
dB
-30
5040 100 200 500 1000 2000 5000 10000 20000 Hz
M
S

Polar Pattern
M (5 dB/div)
125 Hz 250 Hz
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
500 Hz 1 kHz
2 kHz 4 kHz
8 kHz 16 kHz

S (5 dB/div)
125 Hz 250 Hz
0 0
0 0
00
0 0
500 Hz 1 kHz
2 kHz 4 kHz
8 kHz 16 kHz

X = M + S (5 dB/div)
125 Hz 250 Hz
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
500 Hz 1 kHz
2 kHz 4 kHz
8 kHz 16 kHz

Y = M - S (5 dB/div)
125 Hz 250 Hz
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
500 Hz 1 kHz
2 kHz 4 kHz
8 kHz 16 kHz

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
Am Labor 1, 30900 Wedemark, Germany
www.sennheiser.com
Printed in Germany, Publ. 09/22, 085356/A04