Sennheiser ME 66 K6 Shotgun ME66 Phantom Microphone

rundavids

rundavids

Well-known member
Has any used this mic before? Any good? I'm looking for a decent mic for a low-budget feature film. Recommedations on other mics more than welcome!
 
the me66's aren't a favorite mic for a lot of users i've come across. they fall in a nice price range so you think you're getting a better mic if you don't have the $$$ for an ntg3 or a 416 but its not really that good. i'd suggest getting an ntg2 and using the rest of your budget on wind protection or a hyper cardoid mic.
 
Hi mangler. Thank you for your recommendation. I'm now looking at the rode ntg3 but it's only phantom powered. I'm using a dslr camera to film. How would I use the mic? What other accessories should I buy? I'm also going to be using it with a zoom h4n.
 
If I were you I'd look at a Rode NTG-2... I think you'll be surprised how good it sounds and you still have a battery option.
 
I second the NTG-2. I have an NTG-1 (exactly the same, except no battery) and I love it. I'd heard so much about the ME66, and I was underwhelmed when I actually got to use one for the first time after using my Rode.
 
ThAnks for replies Guys. With the rode ntg2... How well does it silence out the unwanted "hum" that mica pick up even when recording silence? I read some reviews a out the ntg3 is very silent.
 
rundavids said:
ThAnks for replies Guys. With the rode ntg2... How well does it silence out the unwanted "hum" that mica pick up even when recording silence? I read some reviews a out the ntg3 is very silent.
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The only way a mic picks up hum, is if there's hum to be picked up. Get the mic away from your camera, turn off refrigerators, AC, etc.

If you're talking about a microphone's "self noise"... i.e. "hiss"... I wouldn't worry about it at this point... it's not going to be an issue for you... because it's not significant in these mics... but if it WERE a major consideration for you (trust me, it's not... you've probably had experience with really bad mics and know what you do NOT want to hear... and with an NTG-2, if you USE it properly then the mic won't give you any odd issues).
 
rundavids said:
Has any used this mic before? Any good? I'm looking for a decent mic for a low-budget feature film. Recommedations on other mics more than welcome!
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I've been using the K6-ME66's for years and I like them. We do sweeten the sound in post and they end up sounding very nice.

Dan Parkes just won "Best Indie" in the UK with his feature film "Abelton Delight". They used the K6-ME66 for the entire film and it sounds great. They are good reasonably priced mics if you don't have the budget for a more expensive one. They will do the job well for you.
 
I find the Me66 too brittle and bright, which was a plus in analog days when you were trying to pop out over the noise the medium made. For digital the ME66' brightness is too exposed. I have one and I have an NTG-2 and NTG-3. I say go for the NTG-3 and be happy for your career, but TY Ford actually told me he prefers the NTG-2 with it's darker, more natural sound.

Go with the NTG-2 in your budget. It trounces the ME66 IMO.
 
Tommy K said:
They are good reasonably priced mics if you don't have the budget for a more expensive one. They will do the job well for you.
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Here's what I don't get about Sennheiser with the me66. They REALLY want it to be a $500 mic... and every 6 months or so I go back to check the prices on things (so that I can recommend something... or not... when asked... based on the value of that item.)

I'm all about value.

The Sanken CS3e is a good value at $1250... and the NTG-2 is a good value at $270... just because something's cheap, doesn't make it a good value... and if something's expensive... doesn't make it a poor value.

The problem with the me66 is what you get for what you pay. $460 is NUTS for that mic. It waivers between $380 and $460... and even at $380 I think it's high for the sound quality and polar pattern (including the LACK of usable rejection compared to other shotguns).

It's the poor value that makes me adamant against the me66. I believe that a person could get decent results with one if it's properly used, etc... but I also think that SAME person... under those SAME conditions... would be much happier with something like an NTG-2... for darn near HALF the price?

OR... like Chad says... bump that budget up just a bit and get an NTG-3... then you'd have a 416 caliber mic... for nearly an me66 price.

(But in THIS case... with the OP's situation... needing the battery power option... the NTG-2 is an easy, no-brainer choice.)
 
MattinSTL said:
Here's what I don't get about Sennheiser with the me66. They REALLY want it to be a $500 mic... and every 6 months or so I go back to check the prices on things (so that I can recommend something... or not... when asked... based on the value of that item.)

I'm all about value.

The Sanken CS3e is a good value at $1250... and the NTG-2 is a good value at $270... just because something's cheap, doesn't make it a good value... and if something's expensive... doesn't make it a poor value.

The problem with the me66 is what you get for what you pay. $460 is NUTS for that mic. It waivers between $380 and $460... and even at $380 I think it's high for the sound quality and polar pattern (including the LACK of usable rejection compared to other shotguns).

It's the poor value that makes me adamant against the me66. I believe that a person could get decent results with one if it's properly used, etc... but I also think that SAME person... under those SAME conditions... would be much happier with something like an NTG-2... for darn near HALF the price?

OR... like Chad says... bump that budget up just a bit and get an NTG-3... then you'd have a 416 caliber mic... for nearly an me66 price.

(But in THIS case... with the OP's situation... needing the battery power option... the NTG-2 is an easy, no-brainer choice.)
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I know this subject is like Chevies and Fords, so I won't continue the debate. All I know is that I have had numerous aired broadcast programs that were mic'ed with the Me66 without ever a complaint.. To the contrary, I have had compliments on the clean sound... These mics have been used extensively in all sorts of motion pictures. Many people still use them and like them... I do like to enhance the vocals by lifting them up 3 db and add some mild compression and noise reduction which gives us great sounding audio. Your mileage may vary and you won't go wrong either way...

Maybe I am really missing something here... I guess I'll have to check out the Rode.
 
I don't think anyone is saying the 66 is a bad mic, it's more that it's nowhere near the bang for the buck of an NTG-2.
 
JordanBlock said:
I don't think anyone is saying the 66 is a bad mic, it's more that it's nowhere near the bang for the buck of an NTG-2.
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Got ya... Bang for the buck is our friend in this business :)

I do need another mic soon... So I will be checking out the NTG-2 myself.
 
I just completed a feature that the ME-66 was used as the primary boom mic. It killed me.. The lead actress had a naturally sibilanced voice and the ME really made that entire frequency are to distort. It was so bad the no De-Esser would work. I had to use Izotope RX Spectrum Repair to go in and fix every single instance this woman pronounced and "S". I made over 300 repairs..
 
I have to agree with the majority of these threads. We had a ME-66 at work and I thought it was the holy grail of "affordable" mics until a really knowledgeable salesman at B & H told me that they all (the sales team) preferred the Rode NTG-2 to the Sennheiser. I bought the Rode and it really is on par or better than the Sennheiser for half the price!
 
We are using one right now, but oddly enough we've been using an Azden mic that has gotten us better sound. The mic is very old though, so that may be part of it.
 
I dumped mine for an NTG-2 years ago. I just got an NTG-3 that I love much more, but that NTG-2 was/is nice.
 
I will soon experience the ME64 and ME66 senheiser.

It's not my choice of mice, but I'm helping with a student-project (thesis). The equiment is more or less proviced by there school...


If I choose my own, I mostly choose sennheiser 416 (for ENG stuff, where sound is important but doesn't has to be heard in theaters). Or for shorts/features schoeps shotgun and hypercardioid

But knowing how to boom is also very important. If you don't know how to boom right, a shotgun mice will be as hell. Where a cardiod or omni will give you more "freedom" of not pointing 100% at the mouth. Well... don't stand with your mice 10 miles away.... that's a little to much "freedom".
 
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