Sennheiser
MKH 8030
Small-diaphragm condenser · Figure-8 · 30–50,000 Hz
- The figure-8 of the MKH 8000 range — the side pair of a Mid/Side rig, and a 50 kHz one at that.
- Two deep nulls at 90°, which on a loud stage are a feedback tool as much as a stereo technique.
Frequency response
No response curve yet.
MicSense only draws a curve redrawn from a graph the manufacturer publishes — it never estimates one from the microphone’s class. No published graph has been redrawn for the MKH 8030 yet, so the numbers are in the spec table below.
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for figure-8. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Sennheiser |
|---|---|
| Model | MKH 8030 |
| Type | Small-diaphragm condenser |
| Form factor | Stick / pencil |
| Polar pattern | Figure-8 |
| Frequency range | 30–50,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 28 mV/Pa · -31.0 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | 139 dB SPL (THD not stated) |
| Self-noise | 13 dB(A) |
| Impedance | — not published by the maker |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | Phantom 48 V |
| Weight | 38 g |
Specifications: Sennheiser specifications page · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Premium |
|---|---|
| Introduced | — not recorded |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Overhead
- Acoustic instrument
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
MKH 8030 alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the Sennheiser MKH 8030’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the Sennheiser MKH 8030: response curve not redrawn yet.
-
Shure
Beta 181
- Same job: overhead, acoustic instrument
- Same type: condenser (small diaphragm)
- Switchable pattern — set it to figure-8
- Max SPL as high or higher (149 vs 139 dB SPL)
- Side-address — aim it from the side, not the end
- ≈ 15 dB less output — add about 15 dB gain
-
sE Electronics
sE8
- Same job: overhead, acoustic instrument
- Same type: condenser (small diaphragm)
- Same form: stick / pencil
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (139 vs 139 dB SPL)
- Cardioid instead of figure-8 — deepest rejection at 180°, not ±90°: check where the wedge sits
-
sE Electronics
sE8 Supercardioid
- Same job: overhead, acoustic instrument
- Same type: condenser (small diaphragm)
- Same form: stick / pencil
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (139 vs 139 dB SPL)
- Supercardioid instead of figure-8 — deepest rejection at ±126°, not ±90°: check where the wedge sits
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.