Give me your opinion on the AT875R

F

f64manray

Well-known member
I'm still on my quest to build a good mic kit for video. My first buy was the Rode NTG-3 with blimp. I realize that the NTG-3 can serve as an interior mic in some situations, but I'm really looking for the best buy for an interior mic that will perform consistantly well under those circumstances.

I really ruled out the AT875R just on the cheap price alone until I heard it in Dan's review. It's obviously an exceptional mic not just for the money but for quality, period. My main concern is how does it perform as an interior mic for dialogue. I would like to hear your experiences with this mic under these conditions. I know hypercardioid is the way to go, but this short shotgun sounded pretty good in Dan's review in an interior situation.

Audio Technica designed this to be an on camera mic so I assume it would perform consistantly well on both interiors and exteriors.

Really would like to get more opinions before I pull the trigger on this mic.
 
Not clear why you would want TWO shotgun mics and NO hypers (or any other kind)?

What kind of serious use are you anticipating for an on-camera mic? I can't think of any reason I would want to use ANY kind of microphone mounted on the camera. If an on-camera mic is just there as an emergency backup, then use any old cheap mic.
 
Richard Crowley said:
Not clear why you would want TWO shotgun mics and NO hypers (or any other kind)?

What kind of serious use are you anticipating for an on-camera mic? I can't think of any reason I would want to use ANY kind of microphone mounted on the camera. If an on-camera mic is just there as an emergency backup, then use any old cheap mic.
Click to expand...

I really have no plans to mount a mic to the camera out side of something that would just record sound to sync to with an external recorder.

I was just wondering how the AT875R was performing for people on interiors it seems like the mic pattern is close to a hypercardioid.

I have nothing against hypers. I am considering adding an Oktava MK-012 as well. I would be interested in your opinion on the Oktava if you have experience with it. The only reason I'm reticent at all about the Oktava is possible quality and reliability issues.

Please feel free to recommend some good hypercardioid mics as well.
 
I have not heard of any reliability issues with the Oktava 012. There may be quality issues unless you buy it from a dependable vendor who isn't selling Chinese counterfeits. The Sound Room (www.oktava.com) is my go-to reliable source for Oktava. I have a pair of 012s with all three mic capsules (omni, cardioid, and hyper). I like them a lot. They have never failed for me. I use them for both location audio (music) recording and also for video production (dialog).

If you have a Rode NTG-3 (I just got one, also), dunno why you would want a second (likely inferior) shotgun mic like the AT875R? The key to getting good sound in varying locations is to have a selection of different kinds of mics which are suitable for different situations.
 
Oktava is an old-school Russian (USSR) manufacturer of microphones. Perhaps because Oktava aren't as sophisticated about a distribution network and dealer base, there are (or were?) several people/companies out there using the "Oktava" name including those who are having counterfeit products made in China.

According to reports (I have not used the Chinese versions myself) the electronics part from China is actually better than the original Russian version (because of better access to components and better quality control). However, the mic capsules themselves (after all, the heart of the microphone) from China are inferior to the Russian originals.

The URL you gave (oktava-online) is a retailer in Germany. They claim to be "official", but then others also make that claim. They say "All our items are new and will be shipped in original factory packaging". But my recollection is that the Russian factory ships their product in cheap plastic cases, not the fancy wood boxes I see on oktava-online. I remember seeing a much more basic website in the ".ru" Russian domain from Oktava, but I can't find anything in English at the moment. The oktava-online website appears to have a document rescinding the rights of the UK-based original distributor who took the "Oktava" name and design to China to make the counterfeits.

There is also www.oktavausa.com which right in their headline claim to be the "North American distributor of genuine Russian-made microphones." But I don't have any experience with them, nor do I recall any discussion of them from customers.

Your information doesn't identify where you are located? I am in the USA and I prefer to do business with www.oktava.com I have no connection with this vendor, and the other US-based companies may also be quite reputable, but I don't know personally.

Recommended reading...
http://www.sound-room.com/sr_update/view/3628/a_word_about_those_fake_chinese_oktava_mics
Also Google: oktava russian chinese
 
Richard Crowley said:
from customers.

Your information doesn't identify where you are located? I am in the USA and I prefer to do business with www.oktava.com I have no connection with this vendor, and the other US-based companies may also be quite reputable, but I don't know personally.

Recommended reading...
http://www.sound-room.com/sr_update/view/3628/a_word_about_those_fake_chinese_oktava_mics
Also Google: oktava russian chinese
Click to expand...


Hey, thanks. After reading that, I think it's obvious that I should be buying Oktava from the Sound Room. They not only sell but have a genuine passion for quality audio. Those are the kind of people I want to deal with. I was going to get just a single kit, but I think a nice matching pair will be more useful, not only for film but for our recording studio as well. Thanks for the link!
 
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