Any suggestions for the best high sensitivity shotgun mic

M

mico

Veteran
If money was't an issue what are the best shotgun mics with high sensitivity that would also be a little forgiving for a boom op with little experience.
I have been testing my mics and the old AT4073a is unbelievably sensitive compared to my sankens and sennheisers. Even AT's updated version of the 4073a seems significantly less sensitive than the original. I was just wondering what peoples suggestions are for a mic with close to my 4073a's sensitivity but with better sound quality if it even exists. As well as being more forgiving off axis. Thanks
 
Sennheiser MKH 8060. Heavily used by the Hollywood pros. Also the Schoeps SuperCMIT 2U (you did say price no object, yes?). Also the Schoeps CMIT5U (the analog mic the digital SuperCMIT is based on). All heavily used by the Hollywood pros.

The Schoeps mics may sound a little better, but the RF condenser design of the Sennheiser is preferred for exterior work (humidity, dust, etc.).

Don't forget to factor in the costs (and the added end-of-boompole weight) for the wind baskets and furries.
 
Bruce Watson said:
Sennheiser MKH 8060. Heavily used by the Hollywood pros. Also the Schoeps SuperCMIT 2U (you did say price no object, yes?). Also the Schoeps CMIT5U (the analog mic the digital SuperCMIT is based on). All heavily used by the Hollywood pros.

The Schoeps mics may sound a little better, but the RF condenser design of the Sennheiser is preferred for exterior work (humidity, dust, etc.).

Don't forget to factor in the costs (and the added end-of-boompole weight) for the wind baskets and furries.
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Thanks. Wow those Schoeps are pricey but yes thats what i asked for. Did some research about the 8060 after I read your post and it seems like the perfect mic upgrade i wanted except it seems to be having consistent manufacturing issues even to this day where people are sending the mics back to senn and after two months the issues comes back. It doesn't seem as dependable as the MKH60/416
 
David W. Jones said:
I have both an MKH416 and MKH60 in my kit.
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The MKH416/60 were both hugely considered but I want something more sensitive like the specs of the 8060. The MKH 416/60 are less sensitive and the off axis response of the 416 isn't very forgiving. I like this price range and the 8060 seems like the one but dependability seems a issue.
 
Bruce Watson said:
Sennheiser MKH 8060. Heavily used by the Hollywood pros. Also the Schoeps SuperCMIT 2U (you did say price no object, yes?). Also the Schoeps CMIT5U (the analog mic the digital SuperCMIT is based on). All heavily used by the Hollywood pros.

The Schoeps mics may sound a little better, but the RF condenser design of the Sennheiser is preferred for exterior work (humidity, dust, etc.).

Don't forget to factor in the costs (and the added end-of-boompole weight) for the wind baskets and furries.
Click to expand...

↑ What he said.


mico said:
Thanks. Wow those Schoeps are pricey but yes thats what i asked for. Did some research about the 8060 after I read your post and it seems like the perfect mic upgrade i wanted except it seems to be having consistent manufacturing issues even to this day where people are sending the mics back to senn and after two months the issues comes back. It doesn't seem as dependable as the MKH60/416
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The MKH 8000 series had a problem with the early ones, but Sennheiser worked hard to fix it and it was finally fixed a couple of years ago.

I have not heard of any MKH 8000 series problems in mics made after July 2013 - and the problem ones have been replaced.
 
John Willett said:
↑ What he said.




The MKH 8000 series had a problem with the early ones, but Sennheiser worked hard to fix it and it was finally fixed a couple of years ago.

I have not heard of any MKH 8000 series problems in mics made after July 2013 - and the problem ones have been replaced.
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John. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but the posts here run up to June 2014. Reading through it and even with a Sennheiser rep chiming in it did not make me confidant that the mic is problem free. But your and others confidence in the mic will probably lead me to purchase it.

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/8996-seinnheiser-mkh-8060/&page=3
 
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mico said:
John. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but the posts here run up to June 2014. Reading through it and even with a Sennheiser rep chiming in it did not make me confidant that the mic is problem free. But your and others confidence in the mic will probably lead me to purchase it.

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/8996-seinnheiser-mkh-8060/&page=3
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I did speak directly to the Product Manager in Germany who told me that it was finally fixed in July 2013.

Later posts could have referred to earlier equipment before the final fix.

I have not seen any complaints on the MKH 8000 series after Sennheiser told me they fixed it.
 
mico said:
If money was't an issue
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Sennheiser MKH 8060: $1,250

what are the best shotgun mics with high sensitivity
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Sennheiser MKH 8060: more sensitive than Hollywood's workhorse MKH 416. Also sounds rounder and fuller to me (though I'm not a pro).

that would also be a little forgiving for a boom op with little experience
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Sennheiser MKH 8060: much more forgiving off axis than MKH 416, as shown in these:




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That being said, to not answer your question, the best sound-per-dollar comes from the Audio Technica 875R. Not to be confused with their 897, which is actually much older, the 875R sounds even better to me than the other, established, pricier microphones in Dan Brockett's tests. Weird, huh? Anyway, if you search Youtube you can find a few other people talking about this microphone, like here:


Even if you don't find it sounds best of all, it's $170!
 
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combatentropy said:
Sennheiser MKH 8060: $1,250



Sennheiser MKH 8060: more sensitive than Hollywood's workhorse MKH 416. Also sounds rounder and fuller to me (though I'm not a pro).



Sennheiser MKH 8060: much more forgiving off axis than MKH 416, as shown in these:




---
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I would never advocate such a mic placement where the mic is virtually horizontal to the ground and pointed at the mouth. Have learnt it the hard way.

I do have the MKH 416. The MKH 416 has better off axis rejection and hence may work better in noisy places. I have plans of getting the 8060 as there are many situations where I need a more sensitive mic.
 
Would buying any of the aforementioned mikes be overkill to use on a DSLR? It seems like I see more people placing a Rode VideoMic Pro or a Sennheiser MKE400 on their DSLRs than the larger mikes. I'm after quality as well and currently I do not own any actual video cameras that are larger than my GH4 but I'm looking to invest into a mike I can use on any cam in the future. I shoot live events once in a while, like protests and was wondering about what to actually invest in. One guy I met who shot at the same event as me - shot for VICE and I asked him what he was using - he told me he had the Sennheiser ME66 on, granted he was using an FS7. I was thinking of going with that as well for my GH4. Good idea?
 
"Would buying any of the aforementioned mikes be overkill to use on a DSLR? "

It depends on what you are shooting and your desired quality. If you were recording audio direct to a dslr, in most cases, an expensive mic probably isn't worth it. You would also need some way to power it at minimum and get the signal to a 1/8" plug. If you are doing legitimate paid work with a DSLR, and many do, you will likely be recording sound on something else. An exception to that might be a Panny GH4 with the YAGH! adapter. Better mics + good preamps + better recorder + good mic placement + good technique = something good.

If you are running around solo in protests, you would probably want a cam mounted mic and maybe pack a compact recorder in your pocket and use the built-in mics for on the street interviews. The same small recorder can usually leverage the sound of a better phantom powered mic as well so it might serve dual purpose. Do make sure that whatever recorder you consider matches well with the mic you choose. There are many small recorder-mic combos that mismatch.

Grant
 
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ggrantly said:
"Would buying any of the aforementioned mikes be overkill to use on a DSLR? "

It depends on what you are shooting and your desired quality. If you were recording audio direct to a dslr, in most cases, an expensive mic probably isn't worth it. You would also need some way to power it at minimum and get the signal to a 1/8" plug. If you are doing legitimate paid work with a DSLR, and many do, you will likely be recording sound on something else. An exception to that might be a Panny GH4 with the YAGH! adapter. Better mics + good preamps + better recorder + good mic placement + good technique = something good.

If you are running around solo in protests, you would probably want a cam mounted mic and maybe pack a compact recorder in your pocket and use the built-in mics for on the street interviews. The same small recorder can usually leverage the sound of a better phantom powered mic as well so it might serve dual purpose. Do make sure that whatever recorder you consider matches well with the mic you choose. There are many small recorder-mic combos that mismatch.

Grant
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Yes it is legitimate paid work. I'm actually going by way of a good mic pre-amp and a recorder. Seems like the ME66 is the mic for me though, with the Juicedlink pre-amp, and something like Zoom H6.
 
digifruitella said:
Would buying any of the aforementioned mikes be overkill to use on a DSLR?
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"On a DSLR" (or on a DSLR cage for that matter) is no place for any mic. No mic can give you good sound when it's not properly placed. If you insist on strapping a mic on your DSLR, there's really no point in spending a lot of money on the mic. A good mic in the wrong place can sound worse than a mediocre mic in that place, because the good mic will do a better job of letting you hear just how bad your placement really is.
 
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Bruce Watson said:
"On a DSLR" is no place for any mic. No mic can give you good sound when it's not properly placed. If you insist on strapping a mic on your DSLR, there's really no point in spending a lot of money on the mic. A good mic in the wrong place can sound worse than a mediocre mic in that place, because the good mic will do a better job of letting you hear just how bad your placement really is.
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Well I guess I should clear up what I meant - as in, if it's attached to a cage, not exactly mounted to the hot shoe.
 
digifruitella said:
Well I guess I should clear up what I meant - as in, if it's attached to a cage, not exactly mounted to the hot shoe.
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Really? Sigh...

OK, I guess that means I have to "clear up with I meant" too. I mean that the camera is where it is because that's what the video demands (framing, lighting, background, etc.). This location seldom rises above a really bad location for a microphone. Why? Because your camera is way too far away, and the mic on the camera isn't even pointed in the correct direction.

The biggest improvement you can make in your videos is to get your microphone off the camera (or any associated equipment, including its cage) and located correctly for audio capture.
 
Bruce Watson said:
Really? Sigh...

OK, I guess that means I have to "clear up with I meant" too. I mean that the camera is where it is because that's what the video demands (framing, lighting, background, etc.). This location seldom rises above a really bad location for a microphone. Why? Because your camera is way too far away, and the mic on the camera isn't even pointed in the correct direction.

The biggest improvement you can make in your videos is to get your microphone off the camera (or any associated equipment, including its cage) and located correctly for audio capture.
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I'm perplexed as to why you are so hostile. Did I offend you personally or something? Christ. My tone in the previous post was harmless and genuine in terms of clarity. But ok, I got the gist from your post... "can't use mic on a DSLR or cage" (despite many using them ON their DSLRs to successful results proving otherwise... or am I missing something important) Thanks..
 
I guess what I am missing is a clear definition of what digifruitella means by "cage".
It doesn't seem to identify a location in any kind of terms that I recognize.

Otherwise, I agree with Mr. Watson that ON (or anywhere near or attached to) a camera is practically the WORST place to put any microphone.
Certainly there are times and occasions where you have no other choice.
But never expect decent dialog out of a camera-microphone.

Also not clear, at least to me, digifruitella's perception of "hostility"???
 
I think DF is simply asking "understanding that a cam mounted mic is not optimal, are there better and worse options in the choice of a mic in that location anyway". And I think what RC and BW are implying is that the location is so bad that it renders the small differences between the mics irrelevant given that location - analogy being "well, if I am hugging an atomic bomb that's going to go off in a second, am I better off wearing a thin t-shirt or a thick leather jacket?" - i.e. it's irrelevant, even if, for example falling off a motorcycle, you're generally going to be better off in a thick leather jacket.

But this question is too general. Unless one knows exactly how it's going to be used, it's hard to answer. If the cam is close to the source of sound without obstacle (f.ex. an actor speaking), then yes, a better mic is going to be better (as an example, usually the in-built mic is going to be worse than a good shotgun), but the difference often will be minimal even so, because there is a lot more to the mic placement than proximity (f.ex. angle, and what noise do you anticipate directly behind the shotgun etc.). But if the camera is going to be a considerable distance in noisy circumstances, then yes, it's completely irrelevant what the mic is - it's going to be equally bad.

As to placement, angle etc. - take just 5 min. to see what's involved... it might give you some idea of what's involved:

 
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