Sure, but there isn't a whole lot that separates a Rode Blimp II from a Rycote stereo windshield or Rycote Cyclone. From memory I actually think the Blimp II sits in the middle of the two in terms of diameter, with the Cyclone being the biggest. The Blimp II also slings the microphone below the centreline, so adding a microphone above it doesn't necessarily place it precariously close to the cage. I'll try and snap a photograph as some point to show you want I mean. A Cyclone is the dream, but I do think the Blimp II is still quite useable in a lot of conditions.

Regarding the MKH8030 email, I did get a reply from a Sennheiser representative here in Australia. It was very articulate. The reason no MKH8030 exists is due to technical inability for the 8000 series capsule to do figure 8. Instead of being like a standard single or double sided diaphragm mounted over a backplane, the 8000 series capsules are singled sided diaphragms mounted between two backplanes... apparently making figure 8 impossible.

It was a very courteous reply, but it did seem to miss the point. The MKH 800 twin was suggested as an alternative, but at $3200 a pop it just seems to make alternative microphone sets like those by Neumann and Schoeps more attractive!

Quite so ! If they were to abandon the notion of an 8030 having to slavishly conform to the exact same size of capsule and barrel of the 8000 series, I'm sure prospective users could accommodate a slightly larger outer barrel length/diameter, if the mic could be created...I'm certain Rycote would happily jump on board with an appropriate lyre mount too !

However, it may not (aesthetically/strictly) be a member of the 8000 family...which probably bothers Sennheiser more than us ?

Maybe they painted themselves into a corner by making the 8000 series as small as they are, from the get-go ?

For an 8030 only the very end needs to be flared to accommodate the capsule and back plates.
The XLR section can be the same as used for the other 8000 series mics.
The same standard mic clips and Rycote INV-3 lyre mounts would still work.

I just sent an Email to Sennheiser:

"Please make a MKH8030 fig 8 mic!!!. The small form factor (compared to a MKH30) is highly desirable! I love my MKH8040's and 8050's but it's hard to get others to buy into a series that doesn't have a fig 8. Instead they buy all Schoeps!
A MHK8030/8050 would be a perfect combination for a compact (even inside a ball gag/small blimp for outdoor use) MS rig!
I understand the capsule and backplate size issue, but for an 8030 only the very end needs to be flared to accommodate the capsule and back plates. The remainder of the front sections can be the same diameter as the other 8000 series mics and the XLR section can be the same as used for the other 8000 series mics. The same standard mic clips and Rycote INV-3 lyre mounts would still work.
Please reconsider and make an MKH8030 mic. You will sell more 8040's and 8050's as a result!"

...and I hope you also sent them this photo, of a 20mm diam fig8 made by Tony [9sbean in this forum] in Taiwan (I think Doug Tourtelot has one ?)...might light a fire under them, to see it's 'already been done' ? : https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/48a...9n1_635995.pdf

This reply really worries me.

I know all about the construction of the capsule (I was Technical Manager at Sennheiser UK for 25 years until 2010, have written papers on the microphones and know the designers).

Saying you cannot do a fig-8 because of the capsule design is a load of rubbish.

The MKH 30 is basically the same design of capsule, so this is clearly not true.

The difference between the MKH 40 series and the MKH 8000 series capsules is that the MKH 40 series were screwed via an outer ring and the MKH 8000 series are glued with an almost non-existent ring.

If they are finding it too difficult to make an 8030 with a glued design, all they have to do is to take the MKH 8030 capsule and put in in a slightly larger diameter head (like the Neumann fig-8 which is, incidentally, also a symmetrical capsule with a diaphragm sandwiched between two back plates; except the Neumann front plate is non-active and for acoustic purposes only). Yes, the front would be a little wider, an extra couple of mm each side - but it would be an MKH 8000 series fig-8.

If the person writing to you has said it is the design of the capsule that means they cannot do a fig-8, they either know nothing about the MKH microphones or are deliberately trying to fob you off.

The MKH 800 or MKH 800 TWIN are no solution at all, as these are dual diaphragm designs with all the frequency anomalies that these designs have and, in size, are similar to the MKH 30, so why bother as you can use the MKH 30?

OK, nowadays I have nothing to do with Sennheiser; but it really saddens me that they neglect an excellent microphone series for the lack of a fig-8 that would sell far more microphones in the whole series if they completed the series with a fig-8.

Things to remember - the polar-pattern of the above is not as good as an MKH 30 and, from the polar-pattern it does look as if it could be a dual diaphragm design made from back-to-back cardioids, as the 90º attenuation does not look good enough for a single-diaphragm design (though I may be wrong here, this is speculation looking at the polar-pattern).

The MKH 8000 series have a 16mm Ø diaphragm in a 19mm Ø microphone body, which is not easy when you consider the thickness of the body and the need for a ring round the capsule - Sennheiser have only 1.5mm from the outside edge of the diaphragm to the outside edge of the microphone body.

I suspect that the above mic. has a smaller diameter diaphragm.

It also worries me and proves Senheiser as a company is going in the wrong direction, since the original owner/founder died ?
On another note, in some paper (cannot find it anymore) Sennheiser mentions that the polar response of the MKH800twin in fig8 is actually better at very LF. For the rest of the FR I agree, the MKH30 is better.

They made some minor adjustments to the MKH80 capsule to create the MKH800, which is quite close to the 8000 series (extended FR, tonal character).

It is completely beyond my very limited understanding why they cannot do some adjustments to the (screwed) capsule of the MKH30, put it in a slightly broader head than the 8000 series and screw it on a 8000 series body and call it a MKH8030.

Should not be more than a couple of months of R&D. Then everybody is happy, except Sennheiser, because the capsule is not glued and it does not look the same. And of course they would not make any extra money ... Not the kind of money they make on their RF series.

So many examples, Royerlabs scrapped the SF1 (SF2 is more expensive than SF1 + good preamp !), Benchmarkmedia does not make mic preamps anymore and do not have a modern AD converter (their core business when they started, admittedly they have an insanely expensive headphone amp now), Sennheiser are not interested in studio microphones anymore, recording/editing software is at a complete standstill regarding basic features, which are still lacking IMO (especially in the user interface department) etc etc.

So, Sennheiser, get back on track, make some kind of 8030, sell a couple of thousend of them and cut your lossess. Should not be hard to do.

The old Professor Sennheiser died a few years ago, well into his '90's.

His son, who took over the helm from his father, stepped back a couple of years ago and the company is now run by his sons (who changed the logo again).

Back in 2007 or 2008 I was told that the 8030 was planned for 2010 and I said then that this was a bit too long a wait.

I am sure that they are not considering that the 8030 will make the whole series much more attractive as a series and they will sell kore 8020, 8040, 8050, 8090, etc. just because the 8030 is in the series.

Ahh well, Schoeps seem to be the winner because of the lack of the 8030.

Well, it just proves the new decision makers have zero affinity with the essence of quality recording. Which is quite worrying.

Headphones and Radio mics easier to sell in a box ,by the million
Very sad dereliction of duty by a once fine company

Yes, it wouldn't surprise me if their next move is either to outsource R+D to an outside group (who might look at the challenge of an MKH8030 with fresh eyes ?) or to merge with/undergo takeover by someone bigger, like Rode (although they're already part of the Neumann empire)

Cheer up chaps, here's a UK review of the Rycote Stereo Cyclone blimp, to take your mind off the gloom: Rycote Stereo Cyclone |

This makes it even sadder. The cyclone review is with a 25+ year old Sennheiser MS couple ...

On the plus side, it makes designing products like the cyclone easier, as the S mic choice is a constant over decades

Røde have nothing at all to do with Neumann.

And I think Røde are quite a bit smaller than Sennheiser. Sennheiser have factories in Germany, Ireland and the USA and have over 2,000 employees.

Neumann Berlin (Neumann's 2nd company established in 1946) have been owned by Sennheiser since about 1990.

Neumann's original company (established in 1928) own Microtech Gefell and, after restitution to Georg Neumann's heirs in the early 1990's (after they had sold the 1946 company to Sennheiser) was purchased by a management byout by Neumann's former employees in Gefell

That's what I meant, the currently existing pairing of Sennheiser/Neumann

Stranger mergers and takeovers have occurred in the world of audio: Rode and Event Electronics, and lately Soundfield, plus partnering with Rycote (at least for Lyre manufacture in Aust) ; Harman absorbing multitudes (as wiki quotes: Harman maintains major operations in the Americas, Europe, as well as Asia and markets its products under several brands; such as AKG, AMX, Crown, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon, dbx, DigiTech, Mark Levinson, Martin, Revel, Soundcraft, Studer, Arcam, and BSS Audio. On November 14, 2016, Harman entered into an agreement to be acquired by Samsung)

Sadly some companies seem to get too big and then seem to lose the plot a bit.

In this industry it does seem to be the smaller companies, with people with "passion" at the helm that produce the best stuff.

Yes, a smaller company...say Pueblo or Grace for example...has much greater odds of being able to maintain its' vision and keep the quality output high, even if the component costs have to be passed down to the end-buyers (us). The larger conglomerates can offshore production to the lowest priced labour pools, and through economies of scale and mass production derive lower selling prices.

The best ones are able to maintain quality while maintaining (or slightly lowering) the retail price...like Sennheiser assembling its headphones in Ireland rather than Germany, at a time when the Irish Tiger was a' roaring....

I don't want to sidetrack this thread from it's original course into manufacture trends, but the Cyclone/MKH related info is very relevant

Neumann M/S pair to show relative size of Fig. 8 capsule.

John

Take a look at the Cinela mounts and screens. They are the quietest I have used.

Here's Sennheiser's clueless reply:

"Good Day Bill

Thank you for contacting Sennheiser Technical Support.

We do have prototyping services available. If you would like a microphone built in this configuration, we will be glad to put you in touch with the Applications Engineering team who can go over pricing, feasibility and scheduling. Where are you located? You local Area Sales Manager may also be able to assist with making arrangements.

Thanks, and have a good afternoon.

Regards,

John Rust

Sennheiser Customer Support Team"

Whaaat

I would suggest you contact Sennheiser in Germany.

The top MKH designer is Manfred Hibbing, although he is now retired I think they still use him now and again.

A lot of the MKH 8000 series design was done by Raimund Staat and the Tonmeister consultant at Sennheiser is Gregor Zielinsky. The MKH product manager was Kai Lange, but I think he may have moved on.

Personally I would send an e-mail to all of these.

All Sennheiser e-mail addresses are: first name (dot) last name (at) sennheiser.com

If anyone gets to IBC in Amsterdam next month (14th to 18th September at the RAI) it may be a good idea to ask them personally.

Oh - THIS is an article about the MKH 8000 series, with an interview of three of the people mentioned above, shortly after the series was released. This is part one - therre is also a part 2, but I have not been able to find the English version - ifg anyone has the English version of part 2 please will you send me the PDF or a link - thanks.

PS - I did the original corrections of the English text for Sennheiser a few years ago and have just found my version - I have made this a PDF. If anyone wants to read this please send me a PM and I'll send you the link. As this is text only and not the final version I don't want to put this as a public view - if anyone *does* have the final version with all the pictures I *do* still want a copy.

It is pretty bad, isn't it? Not being able to justify the 8030 for business reasons is one thing, but that email reply I got basically suggests that Sennheiser screwed the pooch with the 8000 series from it's very inception. It is worse than being fobbed off. "We designed an update to the MKH 10 series microphone line that couldn't provide a figure 8 capsule".

Any justification seems dwarfed by the reality that other manufacturers like Neumann and Schoeps are actually doing it. They are making great, compact, accessory-laden microphones complete with figure-8 options.

Neumann Berlin is owned by Sennheiser, and Neumann microphones are made in the same factory complex near Hannover in Germany.

Ha. Well there you go. I'm not so concerned about the company, but rather picking the right product line.

Update on the 8030 - I was in Amsterdam at the IBC last week and, agian, mentioned the 8030 situation to Sennheiser.

The new person in charge of that area was brought over to talk with me and I again asked about the 8030 and mentioned the fact that Sennheiser was likely losing sales of other mics in the series because they did not have a complete series with the missing 8030.

He did say they were lookong at "completing the series" so the prospect of the 8030 is now looking good, rather than disasterous.

Fingers crossed .....

I am but one human, but there is no "likely" in your assertion at all. It is absolute truth.

Had Sennheiser already issued an 8030, I would have paid actual dollars for it on the day of its advent, and a pair of 8040s, and maybe even others in the series.

As it is, I have not.

If they do, the aforementioned theoretical purchases will be a foregone conclusion.

Problem is, in the meantime, while waiting, I have enough mics for about 99% of the productions I do.

Unless something breaks down and is beyond repair, or barring any theft, I will not have any reason to invest in the 8000 series within the next decade.

Too little, too late Sennheiser

To anyone attending the AES meeting in NY
next month I suggest we all stop by the Sennheiser booth and let them know you want the 8030.

Agreed

Following my meeting at IBC in Amsterdam - where I also said they needed a proper Y-cable for the MKH 8000 series - I have just sent photos of my Y-cable made in the UK to Sennheiser Germany, together with photos of how I use it with the MZD 8000 and to get a stereo pair down a single extension tube on the 8000 series stand (and the output adaptor cable also needed to get stereo down a single extionsion tube / remote cable for analogue.

Fingers crossed.

And if you are one of those people who have not bought any 8000 series because there was no MKH 8030 - PLEASE - tell them this.