AudioChainsDB

Austrian AudioOC18

microphone

New retail price (MSRP)

$899

Used market: $700*

Check price at ThomannManufacturer datasheet

Specifications

6 of 8 values have a recorded source
Connectors
XLR 3-Pin Male·
Built-in converter
no·
Transducer
Condenser True✓
Sensitivity
-37.7✓
Output impedance
275✓
Phantom power required
yes✓
Connection
XLR-Only✓
Indexable Locales
·

Expert Audio Engineering Commentary

Tonal profile

Fixed cardioid built around the ceramic CKR12 capsule, a reconstruction of the CK12 that AKG used in the C12; three high-pass corners and two pads on the body.

Gain staging

13 mV/Pa, which is -37.7 dBV/Pa; Austrian Audio publishes no decibel figure of its own. Self-noise of 9 dB-A and 148 dB max SPL, 158 dB with the pad, give a 139 dB window. The 275 ohm output impedance is high for a modern condenser - a consequence of the discrete output stage, and a reason to keep the preamp's input impedance well above 2.75 kohms.

* Estimated with the depreciation fallback (~78% retained value).