AT897 or ME66

B

blazingoat

Carbonite Member
I'm looking to buy a microphone for use with my DVX100a. I'm going to be shooting a low budget feature with this setup in the spring - Mostly indoor locations, but a few outdoor as well.

I will use the mic on boom pole most of the time, but would also like to be able to mount it on the camera because I sometimes shoot documentary/ENG run and gun stuff that needs to sound better than the on board mic.

Really though, I want a mic that is going to give me good clean recodrings of dialogue for my feature.

I've rented the ME66/K6 mic several times and have been quite happy with the results, although I found it very sensitive to wind noise (even with a sock) and also somewhat sensitive to handling noise when mounted on camera.

I've never used the AT897 before, how does it comapare?

I'm on a tight budget so i don't think I can spend more than the cost of the ME66. The AT897 would save me about $200cnd. What do you guys think? Any other sugesstions for mics? Also I need sugesstions for a good, cheap boom pole and a VERY VERY good windscreen for my chosen mic. (Willing to spend $$ on this).

Thanks!!
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

I would personally go with the AT897. It just seems to have a better bass reproduction; a much more "full" sound if you will. That is, of course, merely a subjective opinion though :)
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

Both are good mics. The AT897 is cheaper, so it will save you some cash. The 897 was designed for mounting on the camera. You can, of course, mount the me66 on the camera, and it would work great. I think it's all personal preference.

-Dave
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

both mics are ok when comparing them to what their bigger brothers can do. they're both short form, so you are going to have to be within about 4 or so feet of the sound source for them to be really effective. outdoors, you are going to have a problem, especially on wider shots where the boom can't be all that close to your subjects. you'd want a long form for exterior.

Interesting what shaw said about the AT897 having "better bass reproduction"... I did audio for a tv pilot that had the AT897 as well as an akg shotgun (i can't remember the model, but it wasn't the 69). anyhow, the AT897 had NO bottom end whatsoever compared to the akg. they both sounded good, but in different ways. but that is the AT897 conmpared to the AKG, not the ME66, so i don't know how they compare to each other directly.

A long form shotgun, while more expensive than the short form, will give you more versatile audio results. It will sound good from 2 feet to 10 feet from source, although literature from the manufacturer's will tell you up to 20 feet is effective.

as far as wind noise, the "sock" is only good for interior and if your mic is relatively stable. if you are exterior, the sock will not be effective unless there is NO wind. you need a proper windshield for exterior. see the link for a proper suspension and windsheild system example.

http://www.rycote.com/products/windshield/default.htm

in summary, you'd be happier with a long form if you can afford it. or even better, see the like to AKG's CK69. it is both a short form and a long form - you just screw on or off the addition and you can have either. but it's more $$ than the at897 and the me66 combined! :o

http://www.akg.com/products/powerslave,mynodeid,186,id,229,pid,229,_language,EN.html
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

cur-sed_neil,

I'm not surprised that the AKG blew the 897 out of the water for low end reproduction :). The 897 certainly isn't great but from my (limited) experience it seems to have a slight edge over the me66. That said, the me66 is the hotter mic which may be useful in many situations...

Hard call really. Anyone have both these mics and would be willing to run a quick test? I'd be very interested in seeing if my initial reaction holds much water.
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

I have the AT897 and it works great for me. I haven't used the me66, but it is my understanding that it is the inferior of the two.
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

hmm.. this is going to be a really tough call. I like the idea that the K6 module can be interchanged with other senhizer mics, so that in the future I could get a longer one for outdoor shoots.

I have heard the the at897 is the inferior of the two, but it doesn't sound like it's by much.

However, concidering that most of my film will be shot indoors and that I just found a kick-bum deal on an AT897 that works out to about half the price of the ME66, I think i'm going to go with the at897.

Maybe i'll rent a better mic for the few scenes i'm shooting outdoors.

I'm still thinking about it though. Anyone else have experience with both mics? or any thoughts? I just really want some good, professional quality dialogue recording on a boom for my film.

thanks!
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

I think you can't go wrong with the 897, especially considering it's price. It's a sweet deal, even if it's not the best of mics. The me66 is actually seriously overpriced, from my point of view (Oh, man where's Matt...). For the price of the Me66 you can be much better off with a at4073, for instance. The K6 combo, especially now that had it's price raised, seems to me a very bad deal. But it's not a bad mic at all, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's better than the at897. But excuse my ignorance, isn't the at897 1/3 of the price of a me66?
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

I've used the me66 a lot, and I like that it puts out a nice hot signal...better then most other shotguns I've used...I hate how "open" it sounds. I don't really think it's useful for indoor environments or any area with acoustically reflective surfaces, as it essentially picks up everything in the entire room.

I haven't tried the at897 or at4073 yet.
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

Hey Taubkin, thanks for the nod... my computer's been giving me hell lately. I thought somebody emailed me a virus in the form of an email asking for sound-advice so I got pissed at the forums... but I'm thinking that wasn't the problem. New/upgraded computer by Friday.

Anyway, as for the me66 and 897... I'd go with the 897 for the DVX. If you have the budget for an me66 then I'd DEFINITELY get the 4073a. If it was me I'd scrape as much cash together as I could and find a way to get the 4073a anyway. I haven't heard too many shotguns that can do any interiors. I got a 416 and I've been surprised at how well it does 'em... others have said the Sanken cs3 can do interiors really well too. Both of those are $1K plus.

When I upgraded my me66 to a 4073a I couldn't believe the difference! The fact that the 4073a is only $80 more then the me66 is sickening if you paid $450 for the me66. The modularity of the Sennheiser gains you nothing in comparison to the Audio Technica 4073a. If I had the choice of a k6 kit which included the me66, me67, and me64... OR the 4073a... at the same price... I'd STILL go with the 4073a without hesitation! It does EVERYTHING better and SOUNDS better doing it.

About the only thing I can say bad about the 897 is that it won't have much reach and it probably won't do interiors. If you can work around that and get a cardioid or hyper-cardioid for interiors then you'd be fine... 'cause in my experience the 4073a doesn't do interiors either... but it kicks ass for exteriors.

Also I have the AKG mentioned. It's a pretty sweet mic, but you have to change out the shotgun cap to a hyper for interiors. It doesn't do the magic trick of inside/outside that the 416 does.

If you absolutely insisted on modularity then the AKG route would be better.

Hey I just noticed that you're in Canada... if you want to go with AKG you should do yourself a HUGE favor and check out www.rvacanada.com

You can check out their store too! It's just like all the small pro shops... some stuff is cheaper and some is higher, but they've always treated me right... and if it's AKG you want there's no better place to get it.
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

I guess I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, but I am just now getting the impression that you need 2 different microphones for indoor and outdoor use.
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

If you stick around long enough you realize it's more than two. But to graduate you have to learn that what you really need is a soundman ;)

(And I saved Oleg the need to come in and interfere... ;D )
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

What I need and what I have access to are not always the same thing, but it doesn't stop me from shooting. I just do the best I can with what I've got and learn from the process.
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

I've only used the ME66 to do my stuff. Wish I'd taken the time to do a little more research. Even though I've gotton a lot of comments on how well the audio sounds in my projects, I think I could have done better with a different mic and a little more money. The ME66 has a little too much pickup 90 degrees off axis and also at 180 degrees. A motion picture audio dude told me that most of the mics under $1000 have similar traits and the only way to get more isolation is to go with mics well over $1000. In his opinion the ME66 is middle of the road for the money.

As for isolation from wind he said you have to go with a combination zeplin (isolation capsule) and fuzzy dog. The fuzzy dog alone will NOT do it. Anything over a slight breeze will be heard.

On the boom pole issue, I use extension poles used by painters. The shock mount I use is home-made and uses the same threads as a paint roler handle. This seems to be a standard thread used by all kinds of inexpensive poles you can find at your local hardware store. I've even used an 18', 2-part fiberglass extension pole. A bit heavy but I find a little extra time at the gymn helps. The shock mount cost me all of about $5 to make and works as good as any of the $150+ shock mounts.
 
Re: AT897 or ME66

[quote author=Jim Brennan link=board=audio;num=1098743252;start=0#12 date=10/28/04 at 18:48:39]What I need and what I have access to are not always the same thing, but it doesn't stop me from shooting.  I just do the best I can with what I've got and learn from the process.[/quote]

Don't worry Jim, I'm with you. there's smoe amazing stuff we can pull off if we put our minds to it and without spending an insane shitload of money, so there can still be hope for us!
 
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