Audio Technica 4053a?

E

EJShin

Member
I currently have an MKH416T and I was looking for something I could use for interiors. This mic has been mentioned here and there on this board, but from what I can tell, no one has really gone into detail about this mic. I know it's a small diaphram hyper cardioid, but beyond that, I don't know anything else about this mic. Is it flat? Warm? Better than Oktava? Is it worth the price difference between the Oktava? How sensitive is it to handling noise? I've been looking for some sort of comparison review on this mic, but I've come up short. All I hear is that it's a good mic. Can anyone help me out here?
 
The 416 is a shotgun and a darn nice one at that. It is considered a workhorse of the industry and is used for voiceover work almost as often as it is for boom work. It has a very tight pattern that can be a curse in the hands of an inexperienced boom op. It is one of the nicest shotguns out there, but not "the" nicest. I have heard the schoeps shotgun and the sanken cs3 both beat it (I don't think it is by much). That said, it is not a good type of mic (being a shotgun) for any reflective enviornment (which includes most interiors). People are using hypers for that. The options are the

Oktava ($180)
AKG Blueline w/CK93 ($500)
AKG ULS w/CK63 ($1000)
Schopes cmc6u w/MK41 ($1500)

The difference beween these mics is quite a lot, but you would be suprised how good the oktava sounds. it tends to sound a little more boomy or muffled when compared to the schoeps and the schoeps rides up to the top of the mix. The main drawback to the oktava is that is is very sensitive to handling and wind noise so you need to get the k-tek kssm with soft bands ($110 at trew) and the BBG (20mm) $140 and jammer $70. All of this (except the k-tek) can be had at sound-room.com and use the "DV" code for a discount. If can afford the higher end mics, they are nice.

I would like to point out that I do not own a 416 (wish I did) and I gathered all of the above info from reading various posts on this forum (and talking to industry sound people here in seattle) and viewing all comments through the lense of skepticism. I do however own an oktava with hyper cap and the schoeps and there I am speaking from personal experience (and info gathered here).
 
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I've heard that the 4053a is comparable to the AKG CK93. I own the CK93 and I love it, great sound. I also own the Oktava. The CK93 has a richer, fuller sound in a side by side comparison. A guru on these boards, MattinSTL, said that the CK93 and CK63 were almost identical in quality, and that the only reason to go up to the more expensive ULS is if you want some of the other capsules. (If I misquoted you Matt, feel free to put the smackdown on). Sooo...since you already have a great shotgun, I'd recommend the Schoeps if you can afford it, and if not then get the CK93 and be happy :-)
 
MattinSTL does love his ULS (he has also said that the power supply is slightly quieter). I bet if you PM him you can get some good advice. He had me ready to buy, but it took a special order and I needed something sooner, so I got the Schoeps... okay okay, wabbit may have convinced me a little twoards the schoeps... my wife bought it for me (I am assuming so that I would stop talking about it).

There may not be much difference in sound between the two, but I just somehow feel cooler... I can't explain it.
 
the octava is not more problematic then others for handling noise then others
you can use even sm-53 ring from shure ( place agaffer on octava as it abit thin for the ring )
place xlr rycote holder to hold the short xlr betwen the boon and the shure holder , open locut filter at 80 hz and you done ,
thye k-teck is some better but it become abit problematic with foam , the mic is very short

by the way , you remeber the indian made suspention and

so i got 3 like that that all 3 ehere made esspesially for me
1 regullar lenght that this week works with nice french crew and 1 of my sanken - still didnt heare any complains
the octava which i placed in ashort version ( 30 cm ) in the front - still didnt
heare any complains

and the 3rd one is ocupied by one of my chiniz friends
working better then foam for sure or exellent with small foam inside
they didnt make me fur so ill have to maneg something
stay tuned , ill shot some pictures next week when all the stuff will come back and make some rewiu as wabbit asked me few months ago .
 
I don't know oleg, that oktava is darn sensitive. Yes you can fix it with the low cut etc, but it is quite a bit more sensitive than the schoeps.. You aren't going to agree? Not just a little bit? For old times sake?

You didn't tell him which mic to get..lol
 
no . good suspention make it .the low cut filter is alwais asential when you work with or without good foam , with schoeps it much easier if you work with cut 1 and cut everything above the 70 hz before the amp stage .
 
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