obi1jacobi
Active member
People have taken some of the issues here personally... and I want to stress that it's not about those personal issues... it's about the SCIENCE... of sound [values]
Here is what I want people to learn from this thread, if my own opinion + sound samples, are to be considered:
1) The stock Oktava MK012 w/ hyper cardioid cap is a great mic for entry level users. A mic which, in stock form, is good enough even for mid-level production, and back-up for high-level production.
2) The stock MK012 does not need modifications to it's internal components as the MK012 that you buy today, or HAVE bought for the past 4 or so years, is basically the Scott Dorsey hop-up direct from Oktava.
3) Having Mike mod your Oktava may be a good idea if you put your mics to more challenging uses beyond location sound on your indi-level projects. To put a firm number on it, if I spent over $5K (not counting gear) on my last indi-project... I MIGHT try out a mic mod... it isn't expensive, and I think it's unlikely that you're throwing money away even if the only thing to change inside is a single FET.
4) If you normally run your mics directly into your camera (note that I NEVER said ON-CAMERA... I'm talking about booming 30' of XLR back to cam) then you will most likely hear no difference in a stock Oktava vs. a modded one. It was my intention to show this by comparing what, by definition, is apples to apples, but anybody who knows sounds knows... is really apples to oranges. ($250 Oktava vs. $1500 Schoeps)
5) The Schoeps is THE mic for location sound... it is THE mic... due to a lot of factors that 95% of you guys on here will never come to appreciate. I only wanted to put that up to demonstrate the difference in WHAT YOU HEAR if you plug each of these mics directly into your DVX, HVX, HPX, etc. This was so I could support what I said earlier about the sense of urgency for modding this particular mic.
6) If you have dedicated sound gear, like even a mix-pre into a dedicated recorder (or better), then you will hear more of a difference in the Oktava vs. Schoeps... (at the time of audio capture)... and are more likely to hear any difference in a stock vs. modded Oktava.
Audio is all about the chain of signal flow! For instance, plug a pair of HD600 cans into your ipod and you'll think "hey these sound pretty good"... then plug them into a real amp and they sound amazing... same exact headphones... and this is true with mics going the other way with signal flow.If you have a sound devices recorder and you use Oktava mics, I would definitely give the mod a shot.
7) If it were ME... I'd damn sure open up the Oktava and take a before picture to see what was modded afterward. To do this you need an eyeglasses screwdriver... and you screw the tiny screws DOWN, not OUT... just enough to slip the metal tube off the body. This takes 20 seconds TOPS. Do NOT screw the screws all the way in... just until the metal sleeve is loose and you can slip it off... voila' 10 seconds (unless you're slow and it takes you 20).
8) Finally... I've ALWAYS agreed with the above sentiment regarding listening... and I trust my ears to determine what my heart wants when it comes to sound. YMMV.
Cheers to MattinSTL! Thanks for the reminder that we need a levelheaded mix of science and intuitive feeling to get great sound. I always appreciate your carefully organized and generous posts.
There's a quote from a RadioLab show called Musical Language that I think is a good way to look at things. "Sound is touch at a distance." We can analyze (and we should) mathematically down to the last detail, but if we don't like the way a microphone feels, it won't help much.
I work at a post-production audio house in Manhattan and I'm on these forums whenever I get the chance so that I don't lose my knowledge of the on set side of audio.
This really is a great place - especially to know that once I can get my own budget for some projects, I'll be caught up already.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2006/04/21 - heres a link to the radioshow if anybody is interested.
