RK-12 #1196 & #1198

matched pair of SSchoeps mics

Cardioid

RK-12 TL/C

1837 (green) vs

1196 (yellow) SSchoeps

Cardioid

The difference turned out be between capsules, not circuitry.

RK-12 TL/C

1837 (green) vs

RK-47 SS 1153 (yellow)

Cardioid

The RK-47 capsule is more mid-forward than the RK-12.

RK-12 TL/C

1837 (green) vs

RK-47 SS 1153 (yellow)

Omni pattern.

The difference is more in the extreme highs in omni.

RK-12 TL/C

1837 (green) vs

973 (yellow) Schoeps in MXL 990 body.

Cardioid

Body shape & headbasket matter at high frequency.

So there. Lotsa graphs, same setup same day for everything. As expected, these are all decent studio-quality mics, so there aren’t huge differences between them, but the differences are big enough for the trained ear to pick one over another. Measurements of matching within pairs and between unmatched pairs of RK-12s, different body shapes and headbaskets, and RK-12 vs RK-47 in the same body shell. As for the TL/C charge amp vs Schoeps impedance converter, there’s no clear winner on a performance basis when each is optimized.

Any of these mics is a welcome addition to my kit.