Josephson C700 User Manual

Series Seven Users Guide
Josephson C700 microphones provide extraordinary flexibility for the user. Any directional
pattern from omni to figure-8 may be derived, and with the C700S, an unlimited number
of "virtual microphones" can be generated by using the side-facing channel produced by
the side-facing figure-8 capsule. This guide is intended to help the user understand the
basic concepts of multiple capsule mid-side stereo and surround techniques, as made
possible by the C700. One approach to explaining this idea is to reduce it to the
mathematics of monopole and dipole transducers (but we'll save the math for the
appendix, it's not needed to fully understand and use the microphone as an instrument.)
A major benefit of recording with the C700 is the ability to capture and save the raw
audio components during a session, which can then be used to generate any number of
directional patterns in playback. For a mono track, this allows the directional pattern to be
adjusted during a track as a performer moves around, for instance.
This User's Guide applies to the both the C700A and the C700S. The only difference
between the microphones is that the C700S has an additional channel for side
information, that allows the direction of the main microphone pattern to be changed. We
are mentioning only a few of the possibilities here; once you have a good understanding
of how the patterns are added together to form new patterns, your own creativity and
experience will take over in suggesting other mixtures of these channels that will produce
other patterns.
The key concept to learn is that the microphone produces a separate output for each of its
capsules. The user mixes these outputs together to derive any desired directional pattern.
In the C700S, there is a third output, and adding this output into the mix allows the
resultant directional pattern to be steered anywhere on the horizontal plane around the
microphone. We have made a control console to derive patterns in the field, but we have
found it much more effective to record the raw signals and matrix them afterward. The
diagram of the control console is included in the Appendix for reference.
The microphone is rated for standard P48 phantom power, please note that all outputs of
the microphone must be connected to phantom power before it will function properly.
Omnidirectional, or pressure microphone (W channel)
Omnidirectional microphones are the simplest. The moving element or diaphragm is
open to sound on one side, and sealed on the other. Sound pressure causes the
diaphragm to move inward, regardless of the direction. For low and mid-frequency sound
waves, the wavelength is much larger than the size of the microphone – so the pressure
wave simply flows around the microphone, pushing in on all surfaces regardless of its
JOSEPHSON ENGINEERING • SERIES SEVEN USERS GUIDE • 2005