Austrian Audio OC18

The CKR12 is a modern, handcrafted ceramic capsule designed for high consistency and stability. Unlike traditional brass capsules that can vary slightly in manufacturing, this ceramic design ensures a very precise, transparent sound profile that remains stable over time and across different environments.

Yes, it handles high sound pressure levels up to 148dB, making it well-suited for loud electric guitar cabinets. You can also engage the -10dB or -20dB pads to further prevent clipping if you are working with particularly aggressive sources.

Yes, the OC18 is a condenser microphone and requires 48V phantom power from your audio interface or preamp to function. Ensure your recording device is set to provide this power before you begin.

The fixed cardioid pattern is designed to reject sound from the rear and sides, which is ideal for isolating a single source like a vocal or an acoustic guitar. While it lacks the versatility of multi-pattern mics, this design allows the capsule to focus entirely on delivering a clean, detailed response for standard studio applications.

This tolerance means that every OC18 microphone is manufactured to sound virtually identical to another. If you decide to buy a second unit later for stereo recording, you can be confident that the two microphones will provide a perfectly balanced, matched stereo image.

The three-position high-pass filter is useful for cleaning up low-end rumble or proximity effect. It is particularly helpful when recording vocals or acoustic instruments where you want to remove unwanted bass frequencies before they reach your preamp.