Stepping up to a better mic...

DammitJanet

DammitJanet

Well-known member
My group and I are thinking of stepping up to a better mic and using our Oktava MK-012 as a backup from here on out. Nothing out of this world expensive mind you, we're still am's. But nonetheless we've pooled some cash to step up to something better, and I know I can count on you all to point us in the right direction. Thanks.
 
rough thing to do, because the only well well regarding step up from the oktava is the schoeps cmc6/mk41 combo which costs over $1k. The mid range between oktava and schoeps is a little sketchy, although good things have been said about the T.H.E. hyper.

If I were you, id buy another oktava, or keep saving for the schoeps.

PS - im assuming you want a hyper, not a shotgun, or my answer would be very different.

Cheers
 
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This is confusing - you say you want hyper, but all kits you suggest are shotgun...?

The MC-012 is far from the be-all and end-all of mics! You should really test some. My suggestion, however, would be to expand rather than duplicate - you have a decent hypercardioid mic; so widen your possibilities with a shotgun, an omni, a boundary, etc.

As for THE - I have a matched trio of KR1Fs - the "nearfield" omnis... which I replaced the KR1d (diffuse-field omnis) for... and they're still a little sensitive to high-frequency noise. It's like they're designed to emphasize creaky floors, page-turning, breathing. Placed right, in the right situation, they do indeed pick up incredible sound... but it takes more work (time) than, say, my Oktava omnis or C414s, and in some situautions just can't be used. They also tend a bit more towards the "thin and precise" sound than the Oktavas' warmth. So I can't speak for the hyper cap, but the body seems to have these tendencies... so would be great in some situations, always a little finicky, and less than ideal in certain environments....
 
The criticism of the Oktava seems to be the handling noise. Due to that, I would think an upgrade before the schoeps on the hyper level would be the SE300B with the CK93. It also alows for the CK98 which would give you a shotgun option. The "one mic to rule them all" post makes this argument and then seems to move away from it near the end of the thread.

As suggested here ad nauseum, if you just need a shotgun, get the AT 4073a, no one seems to regret it.
 
bosindy said:
As suggested here ad nauseum, if you just need a shotgun, get the AT 4073a, no one seems to regret it.
Click to expand...

Should be the title of the audio forum: Just get a 4072a and Oktava and be done with it :)

But on the subject of higher grade hypers (even though the poster appears to be looking for a shotgun), let us not forget the Senn MKH50. A very fine offering that many prefer the performance compared to the Schoeps, cheaper then a Schoeps, and built much tougher then a Schoeps. (I still prefer the Schoeps)

Cheers
 
I'm getting a bit overwhelmed. All I know is we've used an Oktava with a Hyper cap up until now, and had great results. We just make simple indie flics, and naturally we want the best sound possible for our budget. I know B&H aren't the only dealers out there, but we've dealt with them before and like their service. We'd preferably like something in a kit around the price of what I've selected above. Certainly no more than $750. So what say you?
 
Well, I guess improvements in sound quality, if anything. The mic and the DVX have up til now, been our most advanced gear. Everything else was either bought at wal-mart or homemade. We've recently come into some money and would like to upgrade our equipment to a more professional level. As such, we'd like to get one of the aforementioned kits (which include a cabled boom, shockmount, softie and whatnot...). Thus, we'd like to know which one would be the best choice.
 
Dammit, (I couldn't resist...)

You're missing the point. You are using the hyper now, and a fairly good one. You seem to be happy with it. Why replace it? Why not pick up a shotgun for your exterior shots? Why not get a mixer to put between the mic and the camera? Why not get a recorder that has better pre-amps than the DVX100?

This is what we're trying to understand. I have an Octava hyper that I use and love. I also have a pair of NT5 cardioids, an AT897, an AT4037a and a Senn 416. Oh yeah, and an AT4040 just for fun. And these are my wired mics. I have a whole different batch of lavalieres for wireless application. Oh, and an RE50. You see my point? Hopefully? I'm not trying to show off the fact that I have lots of stuff, every one of those mics has a purpose, and before I bought it, I understood what that purpose was and researched the best options from a price/performance standpoint for that purchase.

Soooo, I think if you can provide us with a little more direction in exactly what you need a new microphone for, we can then point you in hundreds of different directions.

Just my .02.

Phil
 
I understand completely. Thank you for explaining.

To put it bluntly, the Oktava isn't mine or my partner's. In fact, we're splintering off from our old film group (which was primarily interested in comedy/fanfilms) to take on more dramatic/professional affairs. Thus, we can't take any of the equipment with us. It belongs to another member of the old group. So we need some new equipment for ourselves, and would like to get the best we can for what we can afford.

That said, if you think the Oktava is still the best way to go, then I'd like to know what components to put together to get a kit like the ones described above. Otherwise, this kit looks pretty appealing, and it looks like we could afford it...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...s&Q=&sku=422104&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Does that help at all?

And while we're on the subject, can anyone confirm or deny as to whether the shockmount, boompole and softie included in B&H's kits are worth their salt?
 
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So, is the situation that you are trying to build a complete sound kit for $750? That is a complete different proposition.

Might I suggest you find yourself someone who wants to record the audio for your productions and then worry about the equipment second.

Cheers
 
Well, we live in a pretty small town, and I'd rather not hire someone. Perhaps a couple years from now, we'll have that option, but my partner and I will be starting film school next fall, and we'd like to have our own equipment for own work.

From experience I know what we can get by with, and the AT4073 kit above is far more than what we've had to work with so far, and I think it's what we're looking for. It never hurts to get some opinions from the fine users here, though.
 
Check out the stickies at the top of the forum. I think Wabbit put together a set of kits at various price points.

Phil
 
DammitJanet said:
Well, we live in a pretty small town, and I'd rather not hire someone. Perhaps a couple years from now, we'll have that option, but my partner and I will be starting film school next fall, and we'd like to have our own equipment for own work.
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Dude - film school is full of free labor and free equipment!

Where ya goin?
 
ptalsky said:
Check out the stickies at the top of the forum. I think Wabbit put together a set of kits at various price points.

Phil
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I believe that's Yankee.

Honestly, I got an AT4073a used and have much appreciated that I chose over the lower models. Plus, this was my first mic for ENG and not counting recording mics. Why I chose it? Members here have been mentioning it, comparing the quality to others, and have much loved it because of it's performance. It's a good investment for a low/good quality shotgun mic. It should be the minimum that people should consider and later work their way up. As you've experienced, the Oktava would definitely give you good results for it's price. At a budget of $750, it's going to be very tough to get by. An AT4073a + Oktava is around $700 and we're talking no wind protection. Wabbit's advice about getting someone with their own equipment to help out would be the best. Since you want to have your own basic audio kit, it's probably better to go down the microphone selections. The AT897 would be good, same for the Rode NTG1 and NTG2. These 3 mics would give you decent quality at lower cost. If these are going to be camera mounted, then you don't have to worry about getting a boompole. Getting the closest recording is a must, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Rode boompole. it's about 10 feet long and weighs a little less than 2 pounds. You can also have a internal cable so no mess with your boom op.
 
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Thanks for all the insight, everybody. I'm going to give it a lot of thought, talk with my partner about it and I'll be sure check out the stickies.

ullanta- We're going to the Watkins Film School in Nashville, TN.

www.watkins.edu
 
ptalsky said:
Check out the stickies at the top of the forum. I think Wabbit put together a set of kits at various price points.

Phil
Click to expand...

Alan beat me to it, but yeah, that was Jeremy who put in all that hard work. I wouldn't have the patience to put together all those cheap, errr rather "budget conscience" kits :)

Janet, by next fall were you meaning 2006 or 2007? Either way, your cash might be better invested into renting a kit when you need to shoot. Unless you are shooting on a very regular basis, renting just makes more sense in that budget range and you going to school in less then a year.

Otherwise, Alan has already pointed out if you blow your whole budget on the mic you will have nothing left for the extras like a pole, wind protections, and a mixer, much less the often needed wireless.

Cheers
 
Hey Dammit,
I'm from Nashville. Where is Watkins campus now? I know they were stuck in a building next to a Home Depot in 100 Oaks when I left town. I know they've got a proper campus now but I forget where. (I just looked at your link - Metro Center, I see.)

For what it's worth, I have an Oktava w/BBG, a Rode NTG-2 w/Softie and a couple of wired Countryman EMW lavs. I also have an aluminum Gitzo boompose and an at8415 shockmount with K-Tek softbands. Total cost a little more than $1K and I've been very happy with results (though my interest is more doc/verite than narrative).

Just thought I'd throw that out for a "budget kit".
 
My sincere and humble apologies to Jeremy. I get confused now that he changed his name. ;-)

L'shana Tova to all my "brothers" (I think that's the right way to say it).

Phil
 
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