Austrian Audio OC818

The CKR12 is a modern, handcrafted ceramic capsule designed to mimic the sonic characteristics of classic vintage capsules while offering better consistency and durability. It provides a highly transparent, neutral sound that captures detail without adding unwanted coloration.

The OC818 allows you to record the front and rear diaphragms to separate channels simultaneously. This gives you the flexibility to adjust the polar pattern or fine-tune the room-to-source ratio entirely in post-production, which is incredibly useful if you are unsure about the room acoustics during tracking.

It is not necessary, but it is a major convenience if you are recording yourself or working in a room where you cannot easily reach the microphone to change settings. The optional Bluetooth dongle lets you adjust polar patterns, high-pass filters, and pads remotely via a mobile app without needing to walk over to the mic stand.

Yes, the OC818 is designed to handle high sound pressure levels, making it robust enough for loud instruments. Its neutral, transparent response ensures that it captures the punch of a drum kit or the grit of an amp without distorting or artificially coloring the sound.

Like most high-quality condenser microphones, it requires 48V phantom power to operate. Because it is designed for transparency, it pairs well with clean, high-headroom preamps, but it is versatile enough to work with colored or character preamps if you want to add specific flavor to your signal chain.

While the OC818 draws inspiration from the lineage of classic Austrian microphones, it is an entirely new design. It offers a more modern, open top-end and the unique ability to record dual outputs, making it a more flexible tool for contemporary production workflows than the vintage models it pays homage to.