Aputure is shipping their new microphone: "Aputure Deity" (meant to be a competitor

tyreeford said:
your 4073 is still a player in that game.

Regards,

Ty Ford
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I agree with Ty, the Røde will not be much of a step up. I really like the 4073 except it sounds a tiny bit too thin on certain voices for my taste. But very solid. But I stand by my assertion that with mics, you should really spend the money for a good one, even if it's more than $1,000.00. All you have to do is amortize it over the years it will last you and you begin to see there is little cost difference between a $1,000.00 mic and a $1,300.00 mic when spread out over five years.
 
Joshua_G said:
Thanks, puredrifting.
I'm well aware of the linked article and I appreciate your consideration for a pro sound man. However, I'm a hobbyist. Except for the Røde NTG3, all other mikes you mentioned cost over $1,000, which is beyond me means, at least at present.
Which mike would recommend, when on a budget, in addition to the AT875R and the AT4073a which I have? Will the Røde NTG3 be worthy improvement?
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I reviewed the NTG3 back when it was first introduced. It's decent. But I didn't buy one. And like Ty, I like the 4073. I've had a 4073a for, um, 12-15 years? and keep it as a backup... I don't use it much, though I do use it more than my 416 (which I keep mostly for sentimental reasons...it's fine but long ago I moved on to Schoeps, Sanken, etc...and may soon add DPA).

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, plan on keeping the two AT mics you have, and want another mic, maybe an AT4053 would be a good complement. It's a decent hyper that would make a nice companion to your 4073 (they match well, as you might expect). See if you can find a good used one. Or put the money towards some other bit of audio kit (better lavs or mixer?), or camera stuff. Or...horrors!...put it into your retirement account. :-)

I'd say there's burning need to replace the 4073 unless you are ready to spend $1,000+.
 
'Persactly! :)

Some of you reading Jom's comment may still be racing to the bottom line and less expensive mics.

Like Jim, I moved up to Schoeps about 15 years ago because they made an audible difference in the quality of my audio.

I'll restate my position. Expensive, yes, but then every second of audio you record after that is better (as long as you don't try to disobey the laws of Physics).

If I needed a shotgun mic today, I'd be looking at a DPA 4017 or a Schoeps CMIT, not a Aputure Deity.

There are reasons why the guys and gals who work on arg production use this gear; the on-axis sound is great and the off-axis sound is better than cheaper mics.

Regards,

Ty Ford
 
Joshua_G said:
Thanks, puredrifting.
I'm well aware of the linked article and I appreciate your consideration for a pro sound man. However, I'm a hobbyist. Except for the Røde NTG3, all other mikes you mentioned cost over $1,000, which is beyond me means, at least at present.
Which mike would recommend, when on a budget, in addition to the AT875R and the AT4073a which I have? Will the Røde NTG3 be worthy improvement?
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As a hobbiest myself. I would say nothing you can buy will give you a 5% improvement over your Audio Technics mic's. If you are a pro and feel you have to wear a $10,000 watch to impress your clients, then you should upgrade your mic's to something with an impressive name.
 
puredrifting said:
I agree with Ty, the Røde will not be much of a step up. I really like the 4073 except it sounds a tiny bit too thin on certain voices for my taste.
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That brings up a question I have always had. Is the AT4073A thin sounding, or is it only thin sounding when the 150hz highpass is on? My rule is never use the highpass indoors, its only purpose seems to be to deal with wind roar, it is too high frequency for voice adjustment.

The other catch I have found with my AT4073A is that it is way too easy to record way too hot. Crap, I can record normal conversational voices from a 1/4 mile away, and jet engine sounds from aircraft 5 miles above my head. If there ever was a mic you had to ride the gain on, it is the AT4073A.

The interesting thing about those two problems, is that sometimes they are not problems but benefits.
 
Damn, Tom!,

I can't tell you how much I disagree with that.

The DPA and Schoeps don't cost $10k. I know that's not what you said, but it's implied.

And, it's not about impressing someone with a name. It's about the mic's performance.

I can only assume you've never had the experience of working with one of these mics to hear the difference.

Why not try renting one and discovering what a difference it makes?

Best Regards,

Ty Ford
 
graywolf said:
That brings up a question I have always had. Is the AT4073A thin sounding, or is it only thin sounding when the 150hz highpass is on? My rule is never use the highpass indoors, its only purpose seems to be to deal with wind roar, it is too high frequency for voice adjustment.

The other catch I have found with my AT4073A is that it is way too easy to record way too hot. Crap, I can record normal conversational voices from a 1/4 mile away, and jet engine sounds from aircraft 5 miles above my head. If there ever was a mic you had to ride the gain on, it is the AT4073A.

The interesting thing about those two problems, is that sometimes they are not problems but benefits.
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Tom,

Yes, the 4073 is a sensitive mic, and somewhat brighter than some others.

However, it is linear. You don't need to ride gain on it to prevent some nonlinearity from taking it over the top.

I don't know how you're using yours. I use a Sound Devices mixer and frequently go from there to a camera. I calibrate the mixer to the camera so I don't need to look at the camera meters. I run levels that PEAK (not RMS) at -10, -12 on the camera. I also use the limiter set on the mixer. I think I set the threshold to -12. I set gain so the mic is barely tickling the limiter light. That works very well for me and the audio never sounds crushed.

If you're recording one person with a split tracked boom and lav, you might do better to unlink the limiter because each mic hears things a bit differently. You might find that helps, you might find it doesn't make much difference, depending on the voice and how they project.

I have had people who begin each sentence with a fresh lung AND TALK PRETTY LOUD AND Then Trail off at the end of each sentence. If I'm doing the audio, I anticipate their big wind up front and pull down slightly on the pot, raising it as I hear them get quieter and see their level begin to drop on my meters. This makes things sound a lot more even in post. I can only do this if the background noise is fairly low. If the background noise is too high, you can hear it rise and fall as I change the gain.

Hope this helps,

Ty Ford
 
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Yes Tom, the AT4073's HP filter is too high and/or steep for my tastes and I had always used my mixers filters. The 4073 is the wrong mic recording sounds over 100dB SPL. The output signal can easily be attenuated with a mixer's gain and/or an inline pad (though it must be one that will pass Phantom Power). I had a Sescom pad which had three attenuation settings, I don't recall the model #.
 
I agree, Rick,

Absolutely NOT the mic of choice for an air show, fireworks display, drag racing event, firearms exposition or Harley gathering.

I did use my CMC641 Schoeps for a shoot of Nazi reenactors outside of State College, PA for The History Channel. They were firing live rounds out in a farm field. The Schoeps was 12-15 feet away and did fine.

Regards,

Ty Ford
 
One big advantage for me with Schoeps, beyond the fantastic sound, is the great off-axis response, as Ty mentions. That means that when my mics are on stands, and the interviewee moves a bit, the audio still sounds great. If something unexpected happens and I need to split a two-shot interview with one mic, I can. And when I'm booming and the actors get all improvy (an OK thing for them to do, imo), or when I'm following someone for a verity-style doc, I have a little more leeway...that means I can accommodate camera (and camera can accommodate me)...and get this: it requires less booming skill to get really good tracks.

So I dig Schoeps mics. They sound great and let me get great tracks more often. And I sometimes use a Schoeps 641 hyper when doing exterior testimonials; works great if action/framing allows. But in noisy verite environments (like streets, crowds, whatever), I find a Sanken CS3e is better at elegantly rejecting the sound around me and sucking out good dialog in tough situations...though that mic requires a decent touch on the boom.

I have nothing against Sennheiser mics, and think the 8000 series is pretty interesting. But i've only demoed mics like the 8060 and haven't felt compelled to dig in deeply. I'm considering adding a DPA mic (probably one of the 4017 models; not sure which preamp)...though I've heard some tales (possibly true, possibly, gossip) about ruggedness...not in a manner that'd matter on a controlled set or interview situation, but more in rough-and-tumble doc worlds (my worlds). But I do want to know more

Also the new Schoeps MiniCMIT is really cute (and perhaps partly motivated by Sennheiser's and DPA's smaller mics):

minicmit.jpg

More info:
http://www.schoeps.de/en/products/minicmit

Downside:
Street price is US$2000
Fixed low-cut filter (though perhaps not a deal breaker)

So I'd suggest getting ahold of a few good mics you're considering. If there's a good rental house near you, the key mics will probably each cost like $40 to rent for a weekend. And maybe the online rental houses such as borrowlenses will have the mics you're considering. Of course, if there's a good dealer nearby, just go there, work with the mics, make some recording and then listen to them back in your studio.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!
 
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Jim Feeley said:
Also the new Schoeps MiniCMIT is really cute (and perhaps partly motivated by Sennheiser's and DPA's smaller mics):

View attachment 121361

More info:
http://www.schoeps.de/en/products/minicmit

Downside:
Street price is US$2000
Fixed low-cut filter (though perhaps not a deal breaker)
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Wow, I am out of the audio loop, first I have heard/seen of this one. I've used the CMIT5u quite a few times and love it but that mini is sweet, I like their electric blue color on them too, black and gray are pretty boring. Bet it sounds amazing like every Schoeps.
 
Many thanks, Ty Ford, puredrifting and Jim Freeley.
I do hear what you are saying.
BTW, I'm retired already, so budget is a real issue for me. Yet, what you said is being taken into account.
 
Dear Camera Expert,

Thanks, but you look and sound very uncomfortable in front of the mic. (Sorry)

Have you had the opportunity to work with a Sennheiser MKH 416 or a Schoeps CMIT?

Thanks,

Ty Ford
 
I have a Deity and have played with it a bunch. For the price, it is a great mic. It's a really good option for people just starting out.
 
An alternative view from a guy with experienced ears (who can also modify T-powered Schoeps and 416s to P48 for a reasonable price). It's just an aside in a blog about his digging into fake Sennheiser 416 mics:

"The fake [416] sounds miles better than the noisy 416 wannabe Aputure DIety. Those guys could learn a thing or two from our counterfeit friends. Much simpler design, too."

Maybe Peter got a "good" fake 416, but still interesting.

Pictures, videos, and audio of a fake 416 and real 416 here:
http://www.txsound.com/blog/obsession-with-fake-sennheiser-mkh416-microphones/
 
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