Schoeps CMD 42 Digital Microphone Amplifier for Colette Series

Schoeps CMD 42 Overview

Ideal for use on film sets, for recording atmospheres, and as a sound-design tool, the Schoeps CMD 42 is the digital microphone amplifier for the Schoeps Colette series. It is fully compatible with all Schoeps MK capsules and all Colette accessories such as RC tubes, CUT filters, active cables, and table stands. It is also compatible with Sound Devices A20-TX, Zaxcom TRX743, and Zaxcom TRX745 digital wireless transmitters. The CMD 42 is wirelessly controlled via the free Schoeps Remote App for iOS and Android.

The connection standard of the CMD 42 is AES42, a combination of AES3 and a 10V digital phantom power. The digital preamp is capable of running in either Mode 1 for simple one-mic setups or Mode 2 for multi-microphone setups. The CMD 42 has two overall modes of operation: Full for full DSP capabilities and Pure for no-DSP and low-latency operation. And with two-channel output functionality, the unit can deliver both a processed and an unprocessed signal simultaneously as a backup or cloned signal, or stereo signal.

Full Mode

Full Mode offers all signal processing capabilities

• Fixed sampling rate: 48 kHz
• Supported commands: Digital Gain, Low Cut, Analog Pad, Channel Configuration (including Mono Upmix), Peak Limiter, Capsule Correction, Filter
• Latency with Peak Limiter off: 104 samples (inherent delay = 2.16 ms)
• Latency with Peak Limiter on: 152 samples (inherent delay = 3.16 ms)

Pure Mode

Pure Mode is designed for low-latency operation and ensures that there is no signal processing active in the microphone

• Supports all sampling frequencies up to 192 kHz (native, no upsampling)
• Supported commands: Digital Gain, Sampling Rate, Analog Pad
• Latency: 11 samples (inherent delay = 57 s at 192 kHz)

Control via Schoeps Remote App

The Remote App can be used to control the CMD 42. The app uses the speaker of your smartphone to send an acoustic signal that is understood by the CMD 42 microphone amplifier

• Switch Mode: Full or Pure
• Digital Gain: applies digital gain to the audio signal before the limiter
• Low-Cut 24 dB/Oct (Full Mode only): the -3 dB cutoff frequency can be set between 20 and 160 Hz
• Analog Pad: reduces the polarization voltage of the capsule in three steps. This allows you to achieve even higher maximum sound pressure levels without overdriving the input stage of the CMD 42
• Channel configuration (Full Mode only): the CMD 42 provides a two-channel digital output signal, although there is only one capsule and one audio signal. Therefore, the sound engineer can choose the content of the redundant second channel
• Peak Limiter (Full Mode only): the peak limiter limits the output signal to -0.5 dB-FS and prevents digital clipping after the digital gain
• Capsule Correction (Full Mode only): for capsules that optionally contain a capsule memory module in which the properties of the capsule are stored, and which the CMD 42 can read out
• Filter (Full Mode only): offers low-frequency equalization, proximity equalization, and omni equalization. The J filter / Ribbon mode emulates the character of a ribbon microphone. Parabolic filters compensate for the high-frequency boost which occurs when the Schoeps parabolic dish set is used with the MK 2 or MK 4 capsule
• XT Filter (Pure Mode Only): the XT filter is a high-frequency boost which linearizes the frequency response of the microphone capsules at frequencies between 20 and 50 kHz

Compatible Suspensions and Windscreens

• The CMD 42 is exactly the same length as a CMC 6, so most suspensions and windscreens will fit in the same way
• The CMD 42 is only 10 g heavier than the CMC 6