Tiny switches have a big effect: at the prolight+sound in Frankfurt, audio specialist Sennheiser presents the e 912 S boundary microphone as a configurable version with two DIP switch banks. One switch bank provides four operational functions, while the second bank alters the microphone’s frequency response.

The e 912 S boundary microphone is an unobtrusive miking solution for conference tables, altars and lecterns and has been optimized for recording speech at short distances. The prepolarized condenser microphone features a half-cardioid pick-up pattern and a frequency response of 20-20,000Hz. Two DIP switch banks turn the e 912 S into an extremely versatile tool: the user can program the microphone button and the frequency response curve according to his requirements.

“Depending on the location of the microphone — in churches, conference rooms or city halls — its excellent qualities will now come into their own,” says Stephan Scherthan, Sennheiser Industry Team Manager for the music industry. “The DIP switch banks are on the bottom side of the microphone, underneath the base plate. We wanted to ensure that the individual configurations cannot be changed by accident and that the user can rely on his settings.”

Via the first DIP switch bank, the user can program the microphone key to on/off operation, switch the microphone permanently on or configure the mic key as a push-to-talk or a cough button. According to the selection, briefly pressing the membrane switch on the top of the microphone will activate and deactivate the microphone (on/off). When programmed to push-to-talk (PTT) the speaker holds the microphone key pressed when speaking, while the push-to-mute (PTM) function switches the microphone off when the mic key is pressed, for example if the speaker needs to clear his throat or drink some water. When set to permanently on, the microphone key is not active.

Via the second DIP switch bank, the frequency response of the e 912 S can be adapted to the miking situation. Four options are available:
1. The Low Cut or rumble filter cuts out very low frequencies and vibrations, for example the sound of cups that are moved about a table or document folders that are placed on furniture.
2. Bass and treble boost ensures a clear and balanced sound for standard speaking conditions.
3. The function Bass boost only improves the bass reproduction if the microphone is installed on a very small base, preventing an excessively high and flat sound.
4. If the linear function is activated, the sound of the e 912 S resembles that of its sister model e 912. “Our objective was to enable the use of the new e 912 S together with its sister model, the e 912 — which only makes sense if both microphones have identical sound characteristics,” explains Stephan Scherthan. “Therefore, the e 912 S combines the excellent qualities of a speaker microphone with those of the e 912, which was specifically developed for use on opera stages and for orchestras.”

Like the e 912, the new e 912 S is available in off-white and black and additionally in a gray, Nextel®-coated version. This material was originally developed for the aerospace industry and is very impressive due to its unusual qualities: It is anti-static, scratch-resistant and extremely hard-wearing, has a warm feel and is absolutely non-reflective, which means that there will be no disturbing light reflections. “The very shape of the boundary microphone is designed to be inconspicuous,” says Scherthan. “The Nextel® coating underlines this characteristic.”

The e 912 S boundary microphone will be available from April 2007.

Visit Sennheiser at the prolight+sound, Hall 4.1, Booth E12.

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems, the Sennheiser Group with its headquarters in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, had total sales of about €300 million in 2005. The export share is 82.5%. Sennheiser has a total workforce of more than 1,650 employees, of whom about 60% are employed in Germany. Sennheiser is active worldwide and, in addition to other partnerships, has its own sales subsidiaries in France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, India, Singapore, Canada, Mexico and the USA.

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For further information about Sennheiser please visit us on the Internet at http://www.sennheiser.com/ or contact:

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