AT4073a and Sennheiser 416 Comparison & Remarks

Neurodancer

Neurodancer

Well-known member
I just got a 416 and ran it next to a 4073. The difference was startling. The 4073 sounded so much better to me. The highs were accentuated on the 416 and sounded shrill to me. The 4073 had a much richer and natural sound.

Has anyone had that experience? Is the 416 high frequency sound something that people deal with in post? The 416 is such a recommended mic on this forum. I thought it would sound better than the 4073. I will test a little more, but I think the 416 is going back.
 
I don't have 416. I have 4073a and a shotgun on my jvc gy-dv5000. I can say that 4073a is much better than my stock shotgun. Maybe my diy silk windscreen also helps a lot.:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

Regards
Leigh
 
If Matt G finds this post I'm sure you'll get a pretty awesome response. I think he did a shoot out between these two mics a long time ago and was impressed at the 4073.
 
I think with these two mics it will come down to personal preference.
The 416 sounds very good to many persons, and let us not forget the mechanical side of things; the 416 is VERY well built and stands up to very harsh conditions (not saying the 4073a doesn't though).
 
thats interesting. i got a 416 and a 4073a here too, planning on running a new shootout: 416 vs 4073a vs 816 vs 4071a vs mk012 vs shoeps 641, all running in four locations: treated studio, exterior noisy, exterior quiet, and interior.

Thatll be next month when Im going to get some students to record it as a project! :) sneaky, but i think we'll get some cool results.

im astounded you think 416 is worse than 4073a, but gotta admit, never listened to them side by side, only apart from each other - so lets see.
 
dont see allot of difference between these 2 , mainly some pleasant fatness of 416 in low end -

the benefit of the 416 is much much better rf proof and robustness ,
much tighter pick up
less weather problematic .
not to mention it almost never die
both sound good - the 4073 is better bang for the buck ( 2 at for 1 mkh) at least in the states
in europe they are very close in their price range
 
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I have them both and I can hear the difference between the 416 and the 4073a with the benefit leaning towards the 416 in overall quality and 'hollywood type sound'.

Furthermore, the pick up pattern between the two is significantly different regarding tightness of pattern and off axis (and rear) rejection. As you rotates the 416 you immediately hear a difference in level and sound clarity. While the same can be said for the 4073a, it is far from as significant. With either microphone at three feet from the speakers mouth, the 416 sounds best pointed right at the speakers mouth, whereas the 4073a I can get good sound anywhere on the persons face. Several months ago I thought that for someone like myself who does not do professional sound, this was a selling point for the 4073a, but as I've improved my booming technique and requirements for ideal sound, the 416 is the first mic I pull out of the bag for outdoor shooting situations.

If your results and experience is different, then by all means, get the 4073a and save the money.

Jeremy
 
Both are good mics, and the 4073a is definitely a better value. I still prefer my 416 over the AT, but not by much.

You can definitely get very good results properly using either mic.
 
For sonic quality, it definately comes down to taste with these things. A lot of people feel the 416 is too "brittle" in the mid-highs, others like it. Some absolutely love the Neumann "warm" sound, I think it sounds like mud in comparison to the MKH. Have had that much experience with the 4073 but (in my opinion, and that is all it is, my opinion) it sounds somewhat dull with voices at either extreme. Different ears, different opinions.

If you prefer the sound of the 4073, I think Oleg has listed the only other reasons to consider the 416 over the 4073. One last one is the 416 has less self-noise, but, again, for the money the 4073 is a great deal for many.

Before you buy, really take a listen to all these mics. When spending YOUR money you want what sounds best to you not someone else.

Best
 
I agree

Before I bought my 4073a, I listened the sound file and I like it. :)

Regards
Leigh

wabbit said:
Before you buy, really take a listen to all these mics. When spending YOUR money you want what sounds best to you not someone else.

Best
Click to expand...
 
Many are misled by the sheer sensitivity of the 4073a. It's one of the loudest shotguns out there.

Regards,

Ty Ford
 
How do you make new post and not just replies??

How do you make new post and not just replies??

i have just become a member and i am having a hard time posting my questions. when i click on new post it just gives me the latest post of the day. i dont see other ways to do it...
 
Is one better than the other for on-camera mounting? I'm assuming you'd need a shockmount for either, but are some shotty's bad for on-camera?
 
Camera mounted mics are never recommended. The 4073 is so sensitive you may hear the purr of the transport and will hear the zoom motor and may hear the operator (remember that shotgun has a back lobe too!).
 
I was debating between these 2 also. Then counted my bank statement and the wonderful lads at BOA decided which one it would be for me. But, Ive heard clips and I agree with wabbit. Different ears for different folks. From clips and research would get 416. Then took a clue about the MKH... well...

each mic has it's ups and downs. And not just frequencies, but perks. And you the listener. With some technique and accessories, and KNOWING your mic like a sibling, you can wield either and create great sound. (pending your satisification level... and if you get along with your sibling.)
 
Working too hard to make things acceptable is simply a work around by another name. What's that saying, "When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

Both mics have thier plusses and minuses. Try a Schoeps CMIT sometime. More cost, fewer minuses. CS-3e from Sanken is also up there.

Regards,

Ty
 
Thanks for all your feedback. I ran more tests. My qualitative (and my wife’s) opinion is that they are both keepers. The 4073 is warmer and friendlier sounding, and the 416 is good for technical recording such as interview and ENG. I would defiantly use a high filter on the 416. The high sizzle is just irritating to me.

The 4073 would be the one I would use for the warm and fuzzy work. The 416 for very clean and articulate sound. I still find the 4073 more to my taste.
 
My single favorite thing about the 416 is that it's virtually immune to handling noise. You can hold it like an ENG stick mic and interview somebody with very little risk of ruining the track if you hold your hands reasonably still.

I don't know of any other shotgun that's so user friendly in the handling dept... even if it is user UNfriendly in it's tight pattern.

Regarding the 4073a's super-high efficiency... I think that's a good thing as long as you have a means to control it when it's not wanted... or have a different mic to use in loud situations. When I had an me66 it's high sensitivity always blew my inputs... and I don't know what's happening or why this would be the case... but I never had that problem with the 4073a even though it's more sensitive then the me66. Now if you add a resistor circuit to your XLR then you can turn the 4073a (or me66) into a pussy cat. The other thing about the 4073a is that it actually sounds similar to the 416... while an me66 sounds nothing like either a 416 or a 4073a.
 
SoundMaster said:
Camera mounted mics are never recommended. The 4073 is so sensitive you may hear the purr of the transport and will hear the zoom motor and may hear the operator (remember that shotgun has a back lobe too!).
Click to expand...

Trust me, I know the pros and cons of on-camera micing, but the bottom line is sometimes you need to do it, and I'm looking for the right tool to do it with.

That said, would the 4073a work as an on-camera mic if it were properly isolated with a good shockmount? Or would I be better off going with a different shotgun if my intent is mostly on-camera use?

Thanks!
 
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