After many years of only using the Sennheiser MKH 416 for sit-down interviews, I decided to upgrade my sound kit. I was going back and forth between the Sennheiser MKH 50 and the Schoeps CMC6 Preamp with MK41 Capsule, also known as the CMC641. The Schoeps is almost $800 more expensive than the Sennheiser. With budget in mind I wanted to make sure I was getting the best microphone for the money. I eventually decided on the Schoeps. One of the first times I used the mic for was Science Channel’s Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. The interview was in an empty museum, empty glass shelves, glass walls, concrete floor, not a single soft object in the room, a sound recordist nightmare. I used a Tram TR50 lav on channel 1 and the Schoeps on channel 2. After carefully placing the boom just out of frame, I listened. Channel 1 sounded like a lav in a glass room, no surprise. Channel 2 sounded very natural, it was almost like not wearing headphones. The CMC641 has no perceived coloration of sound from off axis. If I had used my MKH 416 instead, I’m sure the audio would have been unusable due to the echo and reverberation. Even with the higher price tag, I am very happy with the Schoeps CMC641 in difficult locations. This microphone doesn’t have a built-in high-pass filter. Schoeps makes the CUT-1 filter to go between the MK41 Capsule and the CMC6 Preamp. For the few times I had to handhold the boom-pole with the CMC641, the variable high-pass filter on my mixer worked just fine. For now, I don’t think I need to spend the additional $654 to buy the CUT-1.
Overall Rating: 
Excellent- The CMC641 Performs just as you would expect a mic from Schoeps would. A bit more expensive than other super-cardioid microphones, but worth the money.
Price Tag:
$1,918.00 (CMC6 Preamp with MK41 Capsule)
$654.00 (CUT-1)
Pros:
Natural, Transparent Sound.
Flat Response.
Almost no coloration to the sound.
Cons:
Higher handling noise. A good shock-mount will help with this.
More susceptible to moisture and humidity (though I’ve never had this issue.)
