What's so great about the Oktava mic?

Blade Borge

Blade Borge

Well-known member
I don't have the Sound for Video DVD...yet, but I was wondering what's so great about the Oktava mic, is it one of those mics that is leaps and bounds beyond other mics in its price range?
 
Pretty much yes. There are better mics but your going to pay a multiple for them. There could be some competition from the chinese knock offs but quality control is an issue. A big plus with Oktava IF you buy from The Sound Room is that they do an independent QC check on mic's before they sell them. When Guitar Center was selling Oktava's the QC was very spotty.
Oktava's, like Schoeps, are not particularly friendly to inexperienced users so they may not be the best choice for someone starting out.
 
I made some chamber music live recordings with Oktava omnis & Jecklin disk (I have the 2x3-capsule stereo set, recommended), and it turned out so well that the orchestra hired me to do a "real" recording of them. So I would say Oktavas are cheap mics which can succefully pretend to be hi-fi quality... Next step up would cost 4X more at least.
 
The Oktava defines bang for the buck. It's a rich sounding mic and at a fraction of the cost of a Schoeps does a nice job. I suspect that even the best ears in this group could not tell the difference between mics once Post Production has done their thing. Be sure to get good suspension. The new Rycote Invision works great and I also use a Baby Ball Gag on it as it is sensitive to handling noise. One thing I don't like is it won't power up correctly with either of my Sennhieser plug-on modules for wireless. Also tried to use a Denecke phantom power supply. Works great on the 788t though?? Be sure to checkout the sound samples here..
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/right_mic_brockett.html
 
Noiz2 said:
Oktava's, like Schoeps, are not particularly friendly to inexperienced users so they may not be the best choice for someone starting out.
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I find this an odd comment. When I bought my first Schoeps, my audio was instantly better and all I had to do was plug it in. I think I'm a oretty experienced user. Please explain what difficulty you had in using a Schoeps.

Regards,

Ty Ford
 
tyreeford said:
I find this an odd comment. When I bought my first Schoeps, my audio was instantly better and all I had to do was plug it in. I think I'm a oretty experienced user. Please explain what difficulty you had in using a Schoeps.

Regards,

Ty Ford
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Schoeps are very sensitive mics. They are very susceptible to handling noise and need very good wind protection. Light air movement even indoors, say a door closing can be enough to cause a very big "wind" noise.
I did not have problems using them and you describe your self as a "pretty experienced user". I said they might not be the best choice for a beginner. Beginner's tend to have less than great handling technique often don't have the best shock mount and might very well be "getting by" with minimal wind protection. All of that will make your life difficult with a Schoeps or an Oktava. Also neither mic is super robust and needs to be handled with respect. None of this is a negative aimed at the mics. If your a new driver it may not be the best choice to learn in a Farrari. Oktava is a very good mic, Schoeps is a great mic, both need to be used with care.
 
I use the Schoeps B5D filter inside or out. That prevents 90% of any air motion problems. If I need more, I use a Rode dead cat over the B5D. If you can afford the price of a Schoeps cmc641 and you are a beginner, I say go for it. You will bypass having to buy several cheaper mics along the way to buying the Schoeps if you do serious work anyway. I do mostly commercials, corporate/industrial and documentaries. A few of the folks I work with haven't heard the Schoeps before. That's fun for me. After I talk them out of "boom and lav" they are a little nervous, but most of them call me back or email me to say what an amazing sound I got for them. That gets me repeat business. Oops! I've said too much already.

Regards,

Ty Ford
 
Were not arguing. Because Oktava's are SO much cheaper than Schoeps there are quite a few people who buy them as first mic's. Those folks often have issues because they have little or no experience and then they find out they have to spend a multiple of the mic for a shock mount and wind protection. That isn't much of a problem with Schoeps. If you plunk down that kind of cash your either experienced or have WAY too much money. I have used both. I own Oktava mostly because the cost benefit ratio for me isn't enough to upgrade. But I'm doing FX recording and generally have more flexibility with mic placement than a production recordist has.
 
The Oktava microphones are truly less expensive than the Schoeps. It's a great tool whether you use it or not. I have a pair of Schoeps, but I'm not going to compare these two microphones. Why? They are all tools to get the job done. Sometimes an instrument, voice, or a sound source isn't sounding good on a Schoeps and could possibly be better with the Oktava, I'll switch the microphone and adjust accordingly. Two big things I love about small diaphragm microphones are interchangeable capsules and its small footprint. The Oktava has three different capsules; Omni, Cardioid, and Hypercardioid. Big bonus for people who record SFX, voice, and instruments. They are less expensive than majority of the microphones out in the market where one can change capsules to desire their needs. The Schoeps ... OMG ... how many capsules does this guy have? 20? Not even counting capsules, they have active Y-cables for stereo recordings, extension cables, low-cut filters, and attenuators. These accessories help me to record what I want and need given a certain unexpected scenario. Will I choose and use one microphone throughout my entire life, no. I'll use any kind of microphones available to me to make the best recording for the situation. Both the Oktava and the Schoeps are sensitive. If someone is going to mount this onto a boompole and boom for dialogue recording, I better expect that person to have good balance and ears to hear their handling noises and background noises.

So what's great?
Interchangeable capsules, small footprint, not too expensive to buy an additional one, could be used as backups to other microphones.
 
I don't know personally but I would bet that anything Oleg is sell ing is going to be pretty good. I don't think he's a big Oktava fan. The biggest part of the equation is not the hardware it's the person using the hardware. I would rather have an experienced recordist with cheap equipment than an inexperienced recordist with the state of the art XXX. At some point the equipment gets so bad that even a genius cant produce gold but the overlap zone is large.
 
Really nothing, it sounds like crap if you have Schoeps or pretty much any other mic except the ME66 wich is a little worse...

If you are tight on money it will get you buy so you can get started.

There are a lot of "salesmen" in these threads...
 
There's not a single best answer to this. Budget what you can and buy the most appropriate tool at the given time. Learn from it, experience it. The best tools are your ears.

I have not tried Oleg's chiniz microphones, but am looking forward to it in the future.
 
Alan H. Chang said:
There's not a single best answer to this. Budget what you can and buy the most appropriate tool at the given time. Learn from it, experience it. The best tools are your ears.

I have not tried Oleg's chiniz microphones, but am looking forward to it in the future.
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Alan, May we expect you'll be at the AES convention in SF next weekend?

I don't know where everyone is and what they can buy, but after seeing the above responses, the one that's missing from the familiar circle is "I can't afford cheap gear."

If you're a casual user, it really doesn't matter what you use. If you're a pro, you need gear that sounds good. We have users of all levels on this forum. Some don't need a Schoeps. Heck, some don't need a mixer. That's OK...for them. If the guys who make their living doing sound for movies in Hollywood could do it with cheap gear, they would. Thing is, people CAN hear the difference. If you can't then, A. Don't worry about it or B. Hire someone who can.

Regards,

Ty Ford
 
ChipG said:
Really nothing, it sounds like crap if you have Schoeps or pretty much any other mic except the ME66 wich is a little worse...

If you are tight on money it will get you buy so you can get started.

There are a lot of "salesmen" in these threads...
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Unless we all work for the Sound Room, then you are WAY off base.

The Oktava is a good mic FOR THE MONEY.
 
agreed, Oktava is a very good mic for the money. The step up from that is the AKG blueline with ck93 hyper capsule. It is around $350 and is less subject to wind and handling noise.
 
ESTEBEVERDE said:
What about Oleg's Chinez Mics.

These are a version of the Octiva or?

Are they any good?
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Not a version of Oktava. Completely different and brandless.

Better than an Oktava? Yes. Why? Built in mic adjustments allow you to use low cut filter. The mic isnt as insanely sensitive as the Oktava (I have one by the way - bello nero). I bought a pair of the Chiniz from Oleg, they are more rugged, and yeah a bit heavier, but for me, far more versatile. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OLEG OR THESE MICS.

I use expensive lavs, expensive shotguns. The Oktava is a great performer for a cheap hyper its true, but IMO, the chiniz are better and about same price. For the record I am using Sanken Cs3e 's for exterior dialogue - I only say this because I want to illustrate in comparison, without spending the same high $ amount these mics are giving me what I need.

Is it worth me doing a demo of the Oktava vs Chiniz? I will if theres enough interest.
 
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