Sennheiser Figure-8 Microphones: Choosing a Model

A figure-8 (bidirectional) microphone picks up sound equally from the front and the back and rejects sound arriving from the sides. Sennheiser offers this pattern in two ways: as a dedicated figure-8 capsule and as one setting on multi-pattern studio microphones. This guide helps you decide which approach fits your recording, connect the microphone correctly and confirm that the result is usable.

Before you start

Decide what the figure-8 pattern is for. It is most useful in four situations: mid-side (M/S) stereo recording, a Blumlein pair made of two figure-8 microphones crossed at 90 degrees, two people facing each other across one microphone, and placing an unwanted sound source in the side null. If you need a single voice in a noisy room, a cardioid or supercardioid model is usually the simpler choice, because the rear lobe of a figure-8 records whatever is behind it.

Check your recording chain. Sennheiser figure-8 studio models are XLR condenser microphones, not USB devices, so you need an audio interface, mixer or field recorder with an XLR input and 48 V phantom power. Recording and mid-side decoding happen locally in your interface and recording software; no online service is required. If you send the signal into a video call, the call platform processes and transmits your audio, so review that platform's own privacy and recording settings rather than assuming how it handles files.

Model availability, included accessories and current versions change over time. Confirm the exact model name, connector type and power requirement with Sennheiser or an authorised dealer before buying.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1. Choose between a dedicated and a switchable figure-8 microphone.

• MKH 30: a dedicated figure-8 RF condenser microphone. It is commonly used as the side microphone in an M/S pair, combined with a cardioid MKH 40, a supercardioid MKH 50 or an omnidirectional MKH 20 as the mid microphone.
• MKH 800: a multi-pattern microphone with a switch that includes figure-8 alongside omnidirectional, cardioid and other patterns. Choose it if you also want other patterns from one microphone.
• MKH 800 Twin: outputs the front and rear capsule signals separately, so the final pattern, including figure-8, is set later in the mix. It needs two input channels and the correct dual-channel cable, so check the cable requirement before ordering.

Step 2. Plan the placement. For M/S, mount the figure-8 microphone so its lobes face left and right, with the mid microphone pointing at the source and both capsules as close together as possible. For a two-person interview, seat the speakers on the front and back axes. To reduce a noise source such as a fan or loudspeaker, aim the side of the microphone at it.

Step 3. Connect and power the microphone. With the interface gain turned down, connect the XLR cable, then enable 48 V phantom power on that input. Turn phantom power off before unplugging.

Step 4. Set the input level. Raise the interface gain while the source performs at its loudest expected level, leaving headroom so peaks do not clip. Set gain on the interface first and treat the software input level as a secondary control.

Step 5. Select the devices in your software. In your operating system, recording application or video call app, choose the audio interface as the input device and pick the specific input channel the microphone uses. Choose headphones or the interface outputs as the output device so you can monitor without feeding loudspeaker sound back into the microphone.

Step 6. Match the sample rate. Set the interface and the recording project to the same sample rate. A mismatch can cause clicks, dropouts or playback at the wrong speed, depending on the software.

Step 7. Decode M/S if you used it. Record mid and side on separate tracks. In the mixer, duplicate the side track, pan the two side copies hard left and right, and invert the polarity of one copy, or use an M/S decoder plugin. Keep the raw mid and side tracks so you can change the stereo width later; this keeps the process reversible.

Check the output

Speak or play a sound while walking around the microphone. Front and back should sound similar in level, and the sides should be noticeably quieter. If the sides are as loud as the front, the pattern switch on a multi-pattern model may not be on figure-8, or you may be listening to the wrong input channel.

For M/S recordings, switch the decoded mix to mono. The side signal should cancel and leave the mid signal intact. If the mono version sounds thin or hollow, the polarity inversion was applied to the wrong track or both side copies were processed the same way.

Listen to a short test recording on headphones. Check for clipping on loud peaks, hum and the amount of background noise from behind the microphone. A video call app may apply its own noise suppression and convert the signal to mono, so judge raw microphone quality from a local recording, not from the call.

Common problems and next steps

• No signal: confirm phantom power is on for the correct input, the cable is fully seated and the app is using the right input device and channel.
• Too much room or noise from behind: move the rear lobe toward a quiet or absorbent area, or choose a cardioid pattern on a multi-pattern model.
• Boomy low end up close: figure-8 microphones show a strong proximity effect, so increase the distance or use a low-cut filter.
• Echo on video calls: use headphones, or place loudspeakers in the side null if headphones are not an option.
• Stereo image too wide or narrow: adjust the side level against the mid level in the M/S decode instead of moving the microphones again.
• Unsure which Sennheiser figure-8 microphone to buy: pick the MKH 30 if you mainly need a side microphone for M/S, and a multi-pattern MKH 800 version if you want figure-8 as one option among several.