Schoeps vs. Oktava

I managed to do a side by side comparison between the Schoeps CMC6U MK-41 super-cardioid and the Oktava MK012 hyper-cardioid. I setup my SD302 to record to my HVX-200 (16bit 48kHz) with the full tone scale. I turned the 80hz low cut on the SD302 for both mics. I set the Schoeps on the left (CH1) and the Oktava on the right (CH2) and recorded them split into the HVX. I brought them into FCP and split them into seperate files for ease of listening. I noticed the levels were a little low, so I bumped them up 3db (I am still getting used to this new "full scale" setup). I then exported them as aiff w/o adding compression. This is recorded in my echoy living room with hardwood floors and a lot of open space. I have the mics right next to each other about 12"-14" away and I am looking up at them slightly.

I am pretty darned suprised at how close the two mics sound. There is no contest in the handeling/wind sensitivity and the Schoeps is much cleaner and clearer, but not as much difference as I would have guessed. I had fun testing~


I will leave this up a day of two, but i don't want to kill my bandwidth, so I may have to take it down after a while.
 
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I didn't use either for this part of the test.

I did a test of the "extreme condition" windscreen vs. the BBG and the BBG was the hands down winner!
 
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Great, i'd love to hear this..

edit: i got it!

i'll listen to it later on my work computer - no point on the laptop.

I did a thread which discussed the schoeps vs. oktava from an economic point of view, but have never heard the comparison, so thanks again! be back later.
 
Nice posting Mike. I got my Oktavas back but haven't had the time to test them both on the boom. Since you have them both, what did you find swinging them side by side on a boom?

Cheers
 
Well, I tested the "extreme condition" windscreen ($50 @ sound-room.com) and the BBG on the Oktava and there is no contest (in my non-scientific, subjective test). If you barely swing the boom (side to side) you get all kinds of noise with the windscreen, but you have to swing the BBG more than twice as fast to get noise (w/o jammer). I shudder to think of anyone trying to use it in a b-roll shooting situation w/ the big foam (or even worse the small $7 jobbie). I will need to do a Schoeps vs. Oktava boom swing test next I suppose.

I am interested to hear any critiques on my recording technique for my test. I have a lot of views, but not many comments yet hmmm. I am closely watching my monthly bandwidth to make sure I don't get shut off.

I am still really suprised how great the Oktava sounds. I should get more. Are they good for M/S stereo recording? Schoeps has an article about it that says to use a cardiod and a figure 8 (neither of which I own)
 
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Mike,
I'd love to hear that test. Any chance you'd make it available again?

(I currently seem to be sitting on many of the fences you have recently... Mixer, Shoeps, Oktava, ...)

Martin
 
saneproductions said:
This is recorded in my echoy living room with hardwood floors and a lot of open space. I have the mics right next to each other about 12"-14" away and I am looking up at them slightly.

Would like to hear it also, but my guess the Scheops should be better in a large room with hardwood floors. I have found though that in a dull, small room the Octava is a top performer. Cant live without it in Japan as most rooms are small and dull.
 
the schoeps has abit more tight front pattern , the oktava is a bit more wide as i found .
if you work in large room with a lot of reflection neather of them would not make the job for 100%
i found some times that mkh-50 or SANKEN cs-3 e preform better .
if you do steady shotes you can place 4 on 4 flappy on a grip stand over and in front of your subject and throw sound blanket on the flor , it would do more for sound then use schoep instead of oktava
 
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