Here's an Oktava Mk012 Hyper properly boomed.

[MattinSTL]

Barry, let me know if this sounds muddy. Feel free to be critical, but realize I don't put myself out there as a total expert... I'm just showing you guys what I get with what I'm using.

Click HERE for the Oktava clip!

Also I realize there's a bit of "microphony, buzzy" something that can be helped by raising the mic another foot, but then you get much more room interaction. The 4073a did the same thing... and you'll never hear it on a TV.

[Barry_S]

I think that sounds pretty good--and very nice for a $200 mic. I'm not hearing the mudiness that I noticed in your comparative clip, although I see what you mean about the slight buzziness.

I've been a bit reluctant to buy one because of suspicions on the build quality even with the Sound Room QA process and also by some reports of low output. Maybe I should reconsider. I'm sure you've been doing some good work with yours.

The one thing about direct comparisons is that even minor differences between mics are easy to pick out. Human have an incredible ability to discriminate minor differences in any of the senses--when compared directly. However, listening to a mic by itself is another experience. With no direct comparision most listeners are much less critical.

Thanks for posting.

[MattinSTL]

Barry... tomorrow I'll do another posting with more sound bites... I gotta' get to sleep tonight, but as I was playing around with my camera I see that I had the levels at -60db DOH! I just criticised somebody else for doing that with a 416!

I got an AKG a few weeks ago and the last time I played with it I realized that the cam needs -60db on that to be sensitive enough...

In another post I mentioned this for somebody else... The -60db levels are for dynamics and low sensitivity mics ONLY.

Well the gist is that almost everything I've popped up here for you guys today and yesterday is TOO hot... so if I redo it at -50db that should get rid of the buzz on that Oktava.

You'll know by this time tomorrow.

The other thing to keep in mind with all this is that the same mic can sound different based on the gear feeding it, the recording device, the voice, the position, and the location. So NOBODY on here should treat my sound clips as absolutes.

I'll really "go for it" with the mics tomorrow and set 'em up just like I would if I was being paid... I'll bet I can make the Oktava sound pretty good... without any muddiness or buzz.

Trust me on one thing... that mic is a bargain.

BTW these were $99 at Guitar Center... sometimes less.

[Dan_Lahav]

Matt- thanks for creating all these sound bites. you rock!

[ullanta]

[quote author=Matt in STL link=board=audio;num=1089760746;start=0#2 date=07/13/04 at 20:44:11]
Trust me on one thing... that mic is a bargain.

BTW these were $99 at Guitar Center... sometimes less.[/quote]

Very true! A bargain! I'll try to get my act together and post some music samples soon...

Anyway, re:Guitar Center - you can get fairly good ones from G.C., but take my advice: bring a recording (or at least monitoring device... even if it's your DVX) and test/compare as many as you can. I've bought from both Sound Room and G.C. At G.C., in testing about 10 of them, I found three I'd never use, 5 were acceptable, and 2 were pretty close to the Sound Room mics (though of course not well-matched). Of the bad ones, two red X's on the inside of the capsule. The Acceptable and good ones (and one bad one) had green or white markings on the inside of the capsule.

Finally: there's a lot of information around regarding fairly easily-performable upgrades of these mics (if you're real handy with a soldering iron or have a friend who is). The results can be VERY nice...

[MattinSTL]

Thanks for the Kudos Dan L.

Any appreciation I get for going to this trouble for a forum will only keep me going to this trouble for a forum.

Barry please listen to my latest post that says "Oktava and 416" 'cause you'll hear a dramatic improvement in the "buzziness" of the Oktava from the other day. Running those mics at -60db is a MISTAKE that I shouldn't have made... I overlooked it and now you can hear 'em properly in that thread.

[Barry_S]

Matt, I'm travelling and am on dial-up, so I look foward to listening to your latest clip as soon as I get back to a decent connection. Thanks much for posting your clips and it sounds like you got your new 416--have fun with it.

[xort]

Just upgraded to the AKG blueline with hypercardioid cap. This is a modular system of SE300 pre-amp and CK93 hyper cap. $410. I also own the Octava. The AKG runs about 15% hotter so you don't have to push your levels as hard as the Octava but more importantly there is virtually no handling noise. The Octava is VERY sensative to handling noise on a boom. So far very good.

[MattinSTL]

xort, I'm extremely intrigued by the akg 480b with ck63... Beas is supposed to check it out for me and get me a real verdict.

I'm hoping that it may pass as a cheaper Schoeps... but maybe I'm kidding myself? Oleg might have some input on that too...?

It's no fun buying the most expensive mic for a job, but it's an awesome feeling to get close to it at half the price.

[oleg]

oleg is tired after 48 hourse trip to jordan :-)