Multiple Grammy-Winning Scoring Mixer and Recording Engineer Alan Meyerson Builds His Sound Around SCHOEPS Microphones

Having worked on projects including Dune I and Dune II, and with artists including New Order and Etta James, Meyerson says SCHOEPS is on every session he works on

06/25/2026

Please find both English and German versions of this press release attached.
Im Anhang finden Sie eine englische und eine deutsche Version dieser Pressemitteilung

Los Angeles, California, June 25, 2026 — As an award-winning, in-demand scoring mixer and recording engineer, Alan Meyerson can generally choose whatever microphones he likes for a session, from the facility’s mic locker or a local rental house. Not surprisingly, having initially worked for years in record production and now with more than 300 film and TV projects under his belt, Meyerson has also amassed his own collection of mics, numbering over 100. Yet with so many mics to choose from, one brand — SCHOEPS — is a constant. “They're on my everyday setup and they're on every session,” he says.

Meyerson acquired his first SCHOEPS microphones about 25 years ago. “I got six — four MK 4 capsules and two MK 21 capsules, with CMC 5 amplifiers,” he recalls. SCHOEPS’ CMC “Colette” series condenser microphones each comprise a capsule atop a mic amplifier. Meyerson has since expanded his initial SCHOEPS collection, adding MK 2S omnidirectional capsules. “For a while I had some MK 2 capsules, but I ended up switching them out for the 2S’s instead,” he recalls.

He subsequently also added a SCHOEPS boundary layer microphone and two V4 small diaphragm condenser studio mics to his collection. “I've been using the V4s on harp and on piano,” he reports. “I haven't had an opportunity to record a vocal with them yet, but I’ve been using them on every orchestral session I do.”

SCHOEPS capsules in a Decca Tree
Meyerson is best known for his work as a scoring engineer and scoring mixer working with preeminent composers Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams and Kris Bowers. Some of the more recent highlights of his 300-plus film and TV credits, which extend over more than three decades, include Dune: Part One and Part Two, Gladiator II, Dunkirk and The Wild Robot. He also has album credits for projects with Pharrell Williams, Bryan Ferry, New Order, Etta James and OMD. He has won four Cinema Audio Society Awards and two Grammy Awards.

SCHOEPS’ 2S omnidirectional capsules perform especially well in two- and three-mic arrays, and Meyerson has come to prefer the performance of those mics on the Decca Tree for his orchestral recording sessions in place of the more traditional Neumann M 50 microphones. “I use the MK 2Ss with a 40-millimeter ball on them as my LCR on my Decca Tree,” he confirms. The SCHOEPS KA 40 sphere accessory, intended for use with omnidirectional mics, provides an acoustic filter that is similar to the frequency-dependent directivity of the M 50.

Elaborating on his preference, he says, “There's something a little bit warmer about the MK 2S, and they're cleaner. For me, the top end on a lot of material was sounding a little bit more shrill than I like. But the MK 2S have been wonderful, so I use those all the time now.”

He continues, “I've used a million Neumann M 50s, mostly at Abbey Road, and I get why people love them. But there's something that I don't get from it when the orchestra gets very loud, and that's when I feel like the SCHOEPS really shines. When there's some serious volume going on, they don't give up.”

Meyerson was inspired to change to the SCHOEPS MK 2S by Richard King, the renowned classical engineer who has worked extensively with Yo-Yo Ma. “He was on a panel talking about his issues with the M 50s so I went up afterwards and said, ‘What should I do?’ And he said, 'Why don't you use three MK 2S with the 40-millimeter ball?’ So that's what I did, and I loved it.”

Warmth and clarity where it's needed
Overall, across the range of SCHOEPS microphones that he uses, Meyerson continues, “What I find that’s different than a lot of other small capsule condensers is the warmth of the midrange and the clarity of the tone. If I put one on, say, a viola, I hear the note of the viola more than I hear the sizzle of the string going across the viola, and that's something I really love. I also love it on acoustic guitar.”

While much of the work that he has done in recent years has typically been large-scale orchestral recording and mixing, Meyerson has also put his SCHOEPS mics to use on other sessions, including on the drum kit and other percussion instruments. “Sometimes I use them for overheads. Sometimes I use them as room mics,” he shares. “I just love the sound of them.”

Microphones are something of a passion for Meyerson. “I am a bit of a microphone fan. When I see something that I like, I buy it,” he says, such as the vintage collection he recently acquired from a defunct studio. Sometimes his mics get misplaced or stolen and he has to replace them. “When you have all this gear and you go from studio to studio with it, sometimes you lose track of things,” he admits.

That said, owning your own collection of microphones can be very convenient, plus, mics tend to hold their value, he says. “When I'm doing a large professional film and I'm going to be planting myself in the studio for a week or two, I bring everything: I bring my microphones, I have all my own mic amps, I have speakers. The other day I did a choir session, and I just filled the back of my car with the stuff I wanted. It saved me the hassle and wear and tear and it saved my client money on cartage. So I'm happy to make the investment.”

SCHOEPS Microphones
Founded in 1948, SCHOEPS Microphones are pioneers in the world of pro-audio with a reputation as one of the world's finest manufacturers of microphones. The family-owned business, based in Durlach, Karlsruhe, Germany, designs and manufactures all of its products in-house with a team of 50 employees. The company is driven by a passion for innovation, technical excellence, and strong relationships with the creative and technical professionals who have made SCHOEPS a part of their daily workflows.

For more information about SCHOEPS Microphones, please visit: https://schoeps.de/en/