RN17 Cardioid Capsule Pair

This factory-matched pair of RN17 Cardioid Capsules turns two RN17 bodies into a stereo rig with output you can trust to line up. Each capsule uses a gold-sputtered diaphragm thin enough to follow sharp transients, so cymbals, plucked strings and percussion arrive with their attack intact.

Stereo recording only works when both channels behave the same way. Each capsule is hand-built and individually tuned in the sE factory, then paired so sensitivity and frequency response track closely across the range. The result is accurate localization and a stable center image instead of a lopsided field you have to correct in the mix.

Cardioid pickup rejects sound from the rear, which keeps room reflections and stage bleed out of the signal. That makes the pair well suited to drum overheads in a live space, XY or ORTF on acoustic guitar, spot-miking inside a string or woodwind section, and choir work where the back of the hall is not welcome in the track.

Externally polarized true condenser design keeps tone natural rather than colored, and hand-made brass housings shield the elements from electrical interference while holding up to repeated swapping. Thread them onto a pair of RN17 bodies and start tracking.