Schoeps MK41 reach for films..

E

Elvar G

New member
Hi.

Has any of you used this mic??

My budget allows one mic to use in upcoming shortfilms (indoors & outdoors), I've been considering the Schoeps MK41 and the Sennheiser MKH60 for this purpose.

I don't know exactly why, but I'm kinda leaning more towards the MK41 at this moment. But before I can buy one with a peaceful mind I need to know:

Is it's reach enough, to boom from below, in a medium shot, with good results????????????????????

My fear of the MK41 is that I could only use close up's because the mic would always have to be so close to the subject.

:dankk2:

Recycle, Stay in School and Fight the Power!

Best,
Elvar.
 
why cant you boom from above? this all depends on the environment you are working in.

the mk41 is amazing (im assuming you know you will also need a cmc preamp, sorry not to be patronising, just dont want you to get screwed if you dont know this), and is a truly world class mic. then again, so is the mkh60.

but these really are two very different mics that you would ideally want one of each to be very effective! if you have to go with one though, (and money dictates, so we must listen), then a hyper cardioid works better both inside and outside than a shotgun does.

to answer the question, if your environment is quiet, the mk41 will do well most probably.. but ideally you would want a shotgun to deal with exterior, longer shots.

Be prepared to compromise to suit the mic if you reach a shot that you would need another mic for. You cant get the world from a mic that isnt designed to give it.

but rest easy, the cmc5/6 and mk41 combo is a seriously hot package that many people will be jealous of you for. :)

just my opinion..
 
let me say it this way - if you are not reach enouth dont buy schoeps buy as much as possible different pattern microphones . the schoeps is nice sounding mic ( i have a few ) but it is not only microphone which works in all situations
couple of octavas , at 4073 , some pzm and g-2 wierless will bring you much better results .
 
110% agree with Exile (as we all do 99.9% of time). Jeremy put a nice thread about putting together some nice medium priced kits.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=47504

There are two approaches to building an audio kit. Set a budget and then get all the different equipment you will need that comes in under the budget.

Or you could put together several different quality kits, see how much money you will need for a kit that meets your long term needs and then get a loan or whatever to buy said equipment.

The point being, don't blow all your money on one piece of really good gear and then discover later you need a lot more to get your audio.

Cheers
 
hmm - im starting to find this board a little boring lately :-)
and Elvar - why do yo like to boom from below this is good as long you have crippled actors ( without the hands ), high sun /top lights or bad framing , usially the bellow good for interviews and not for dramatic shotes .
about THE OUTPUT OF THE MICROPHONES - THE SCHOEPS AND SIMILAR MICS WERE NOT MADE FOR DIALOG PICK UP , THE FILM INDUSTRY ADAPTED IT FROM THE MUSIC WHICH DEALING WITH MUCH LOUDER SOUNDS FROM THE CLOSE RANGE SO YOU DON'T WANT TO CRASH THE PREAMP , THAT WHY THE OUTPUT IS SIGNIFICALY LOWER THEN THE SHOTGUNS WHICH USE FROM DISTANCE ON MODERATED SOUND .IF YOU LOOK FOR FOR HOTTER OUTPUT , SCHOEPS MAKING 5 DB HOTTER OUTPUT , THAT BRING THE MIC TO WHAT USUALLY NORMAL SHOT GUN DELIVER .OR YOU CAN INVEST IN CUT 1 FILTER WHICH RISE THE OUTPUT AS WELL FOR 5 DB - ITS MUST IF YOU WORK WITH POOR BOOMAN ( I WORK IT THIS WAY WITH EVERY BOOMAN - CUTTING THE LOW FQ RUMBLE BEFORE THE PREAMP),
.
SCHOEPS IS NICE MICROPHONE , RECENTLY WITH THE EURO /$ EXCHANGE IT IS MUCH BEYOND THE WORTH POINT FOR DIALOG PICKUP - COMPLETELY RIPOFF
 
whats the alternative to a schoeps though oleg? besides the oktava, there arent many options in that that bracket of quality.. or, any options, actually.
 
I don't have to boom from below... I just wanted to know if the mic would handle it effectively in a medium shot (...with good framing Exile).

I'm not very interested in a medium priced/quality kit, cause eventually I'll have both the MK41 and the MKH60. The thing is, It could be a while untill I get the second one so I better choose the first one wisely.

Timapter. I'm no audio expert but I think your reply was on par, or I certainly hope so, cause based on the statement: "hyper cardioid works better both inside and outside than a shotgun does" I'll most likely jump on the MK41. And yes, I know I need the cmc6 preamp, and I'll also grab most of the accessories... windjammers, shockmounts and the lot.
 
Elvar G said:
My budget allows one mic to use in upcoming shortfilms (indoors & outdoors), I've been considering the Schoeps MK41 and the Sennheiser MKH60 for this purpose [...]
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I've used both the Schoeps MK41 and the Sennheiser MKH60 and my impression is I like the quality of the sound that the Schoeps records, and the difference I find between the MK41 and the MKH60 is that off-axis sounds are less colored with the MK41 and that's because the mic is not at all a shotgun, so placement close to the sound source is more critical. But in effect, if you're shooting dialog in a narrative situation where you have some control, why not go for ideal mic placement.

On more recent shoots I've used the MKH60 and it's also a very good mic, not as sweet and amazing in term of sound as the Schoeps, but it's more rugged than the tempermental Schoeps, more affordable, and the slighly narrower pick up pattern makes it easier to shoot when you're not as close as you'd like to be. The flip side of this is that the Schoeps is excellent when you're micing two actors and you miss a queue, the penalty is less severe due the more even frequency response of the Schoeps when it comes to off-axis sound.

I've always rented these fancier microphones when I want somthing better than what I have in my own kit and my plans are to eventually purchase a Sennheiser MKH60 as I think it represents a good middle ground between the entry-level mics in the $300 to $600 range and the higher end mics like the Schoeps.

As ExileonTheMainStreet sugggests, you should consider getting the Cut1 filter for the Schoepps.
 
uh, "slightly narrower" is not quite how id describe the difference between hyper and shotgun.

the schoeps isnt neccesarily a BETTER mic, it just performs incredibly in certain situations, just like the MKH60... even top of the line mics sound bad if they arent used correctly, or are used in situations they werent designed for.
 
wisely is to get the lines - with one mic on dramatic shotes you will probably miss allot of lines .
in the present days that every one shooting handle with small shites and no established shooting since the media cost **** prepare invest as much as possible in different microphones.
and wisely ill suggest you to go to see real shooting to get impression how it really works .
to talk to the sound man on the set and have better understanding what happen when the light is limiting you to move with one microphone or wide angle with 2 actors when one of them sticks to the lans
i hope you get you will not get close up sound on the close one or will not the second at all

sorry one mic was good when i was young and stupid :-)
 
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timapter said:
whats the alternative to a schoeps though oleg? besides the oktava, there arent many options in that that bracket of quality.. or, any options, actually.
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octava is quit good for entering level - i use it from time to time for everything i have doubt about safety with my other mics( bathrooms , gunshots ,ets )

there are allot of options
akg uls 480/63/61
mbho 603/603 a/604-200/500 - allot of accessories around this microphone
neumann 185/184 and of course used 100+50/40 ( sow 100+40 gos for 500euro on ebay this week )
i didnt work with AT hyper on dialog but it sounded not bad for the music -have to check these 2 , there are also AUDIX usa line that cost half ,also checked them for music only .
no way that ill pay today 1400us for schoeps ( 1900 with cut one )+ 300 for swivel and 350 for active cable for schoeps - not worth it
 
I have rental access to the Sennheiser 416 (outdoors). So I think the smartest thing for me to do would be to buy the MK41 package (indoors) for a pretty complete microphone kit, for independant film productions.
Don't you think? And hopefully I can eventually stop renting the 416 and replace it with a Schoeps CMIT5U of my own instead.

Boston & Africa, thanks for your replies. Concerning shotguns, my eyes have kinda moved away from the MKH60, and to the CMIT5U.

Exile. I'm not looking for a lot of options, I'm looking for the best options that'll give me the highest quality results. Always aim at the top. Shoot to kill!
 
that what you dont get - the high end mics are for people who can afford more then 1 microphone . dont get me wrong i have 4 shoepses , 2 of them work 50% of the time in indore situations /car interiors , plant mics ( i have a couple of cables so i can place capsules behind the bible on the table ), but - there is more in the shooting angles then just regullar setups .
my dear i just finished 2 weeks inside house where i wired every actor since couldn't bring usable sound with overhead mics ( very low ceilings and narrow passages + 360 angles .
so maybe you shoot to kill but you will kill your sound .
between us and the group :-) - no one can really tell the difference in the real world between schoeps and some other microphones , the pleasant sound every one talks is mostly to much advertising buzz .i know few peoplewho got awards on they dialog using the blue line akg , their skills and right preparing of the acoustics is what made these films sound exellent ,not the schoeps logo .
dont get it wrong ,i did a bunch of classical music recording in my life where the schoepses where the only choice and that is the reason i have them , not because i decided to blow my money on something that is not sounds much better then the AKG i had .

about the schoeps shot gun , i checked that one - i stay with my sankens - waist of money for real life , it will never reject of Axis like the jap .
the only reason i see buying that is for someone who work eng hard news /reality s.h.it so he run with one mic in\out and need something versual - other wise its just good expensive overpriced microphone
and for the second thought if i had to choose i was taking the cs-3 for that :-)
 
Exile, you seem to know a lot about sound and clearly you have plenty of experience. But I'm pretty set on getting the MK41 cause I truly believe it's what I need the most at this time.

Could you please tell me what you mean by active cables ($350) and swivel ($300) ??

And is this something I'm gonna need to buy as an accessorie?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home;jsessionid=G4SMZlZvfn!1489779937?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=386423&is=REG&addedTroughValue=377424_REG&addedTroughType=accessory_detail
 
i truly believe you are making mistake by putting all your eggs in one small basket .

active cable /collet cable , give you the ability to separate the capsule from the body, regularly comes in 5 meter length but you can ask for a different one.
the swivel is what you see give you ability to change the angle of the capsule (ok i see i was wrong in 35$ :-) ,so the microphone could sit perpendicularly to the boom and you will have less height ( especially good when you work with cut 1 -the mic become as the short shotgun length and low celings .
working exelent when you stuck the mic behind the visor so the head only looks down .
its your money/ movie - what do i care :-)
 
i think you should just start with a pair of oktava's with matched hypercardioid capsules.

then maybe add a 416.

btw, do you have a mixer? or is this going straight into your camera?

matthew
 
[SIZE=+0]With $470 worth of active cables, this thing just got expensive. Shouldn't I first see if I can manage without them or are they an absolute must?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]But I'm sorry I still don't understand the features of the swivel. Is it something useful or is it dispensable? What do you mean by: "stick the mic behind a visor?"[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]I'll be working without a mixer S-Maine. So It's going straight into the camera.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0](If I have total faith that my eggs will hatch and become beautiful dragons, maybe I should just take some risks...)[/SIZE]
 
you can live without the cable, 470 !!- i was cheap :-)
the swivel make your microphone be shorter since the body sits perpendicularly to the boom and only the head is looking down , so you can work nicly with door passages and low ceilings .
inside the car when you place the mic above the actor you can put the body of the mic behind the visor and get only the head looking down .

to go straight to the camera is another common mistake from the beginner - if you was doing news or similar i could forgive you ,since nobody care about how it sounds as long they understand the person but to make drama with microphone directly to the **** amplifier with no ability ride the levels nicly during the shot WITH SCHOEPS i can call it completely unforgivable .at least if you invest in good mic make it work nicly .
i see you as one who was reading to much advertising crap( aka reviews ) about Mercedes and hooked for the name without have license to drive .
people take calculated risks - you are just playing crabs
i hope for you you have good script and know how to shoot and direct the actors since the sound is alwais can be replaced in the final mix , its just cost money and thanks god its not my :-)
ok this thread is in the dead end from my point of view - i gone
 
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