Sennheiser MKH-416 advice
- Thread starter twerp
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Spartacus
Veteran
Good combo!
It´s my everyday setup along with a MBHO hyper for interiors...
Gitzo pole, with a brasilian shockmount (can´t remember the brand...),
K-Tek seems to be popular, check the audio sticky.
Did I mention I still have a MKH416 in excellent condition for sale hehehe... PM me if interested...
Anyway, good mic though the audio experts here use Sanken or Schoeps more often (don´t they...?)
It´s my everyday setup along with a MBHO hyper for interiors...
Gitzo pole, with a brasilian shockmount (can´t remember the brand...),
K-Tek seems to be popular, check the audio sticky.
Did I mention I still have a MKH416 in excellent condition for sale hehehe... PM me if interested...
Anyway, good mic though the audio experts here use Sanken or Schoeps more often (don´t they...?)
Barry_Green
Moderator
Typically you'd want to use a wider pickup pattern, something more like a cardioid or hypercardioid indoors. The MKH416 is classified as a super-cardioid (like partway between a hyper-cardioid and a shotgun), so it will actually perform a little better indoors than a full-fledged shotgun would. Probably not as well or as forgiving as a hyper though.
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
Of all the shotguns there are only a few IMO that can successfully cross over for indoor use, and the 416 is one of them. About the only thing you must realize is that it doesn't have any built-in bass cut, and some rooms will emphasis the mid-bass and give you a fat (bad fat, not phat) sound. Bottom line is the 416 can do a lot of interiors successfully... but not all of them. A hyper is more likely to do all interiors. The single best cross-over shotgun is the Sanken CS3e.
You won't be upset with the 416 most of the time though. I had one for a long time and lately I've been thinking about getting another one. I just really enjoyed that mic. It does demand that you position it properly... think of it like a little flashlight with a fairly small beam... then be sure it's pointing within the area that's directly ON a person's mouth up to about 8-12" in front of their mouth... because if you are pointing it past their mouth towards the top of their head, the mic will change sound significantly... or if you can't keep the mic on that bubble the sound will change significantly.
It's for this reason that the 416 isn't considered a very forgiving mic, but if you can keep it positioned well then you can expect great results.
You will have interiors that it can't handle however... but you should be okay much of the time.
You won't be upset with the 416 most of the time though. I had one for a long time and lately I've been thinking about getting another one. I just really enjoyed that mic. It does demand that you position it properly... think of it like a little flashlight with a fairly small beam... then be sure it's pointing within the area that's directly ON a person's mouth up to about 8-12" in front of their mouth... because if you are pointing it past their mouth towards the top of their head, the mic will change sound significantly... or if you can't keep the mic on that bubble the sound will change significantly.
It's for this reason that the 416 isn't considered a very forgiving mic, but if you can keep it positioned well then you can expect great results.
You will have interiors that it can't handle however... but you should be okay much of the time.
timapter
Veteran
forgive me if im wrong here... but the 416 is not a super-cardioid. It IS a shotgun. The MKH50 is a super-cardioid, as are the MK41 capsules by schoeps - super cardioid is actually a great pattern for indoor use, while shotgun is the one that causes problems in live interiors due to off axis colouration and rear lobing in the intereference tube polar response.
correct, no?
correct, no?
Barry_Green
Moderator
It's a tad confusing, but if you look at Sennheiser's PDF they name it a "short shotgun" but in the pick-up patten they describe it as a super-cardioid/lobar.
http://sennheiserusa.com/newsite/pdfs/mkh416.pdf
http://sennheiserusa.com/newsite/pdfs/mkh416.pdf
timapter
Veteran
hey barry - yeah that IS confusing. is lobar not a form of interference tube? perhaps its a sort of "crossover" design.??
i'm fully cool with being proven wrong here, but i know that the mkh50 is a super... so the 416 cant be a straight up super card surely? the designs are waaaay to different..
i'm fully cool with being proven wrong here, but i know that the mkh50 is a super... so the 416 cant be a straight up super card surely? the designs are waaaay to different..
timapter
Veteran
ah, ok, no ive figured it out. read further down at "architects specs" -
the 416 is a supercardioid capsule, BUT it is extended with an interference tube - this is what turns it into a SHOTGUN and gives it a tighter sweet spot, but also provides the down sides of off axis colouration and the rear lobing.
essentially, im thinking the 50 is just the 416 (or prob even the 60) minus the interference tube.
for this indoor/outdoor compatibility business, im actually thinking its not so much the pickup pattern as the introduction of the tube that makes the difference.
the 416 is a supercardioid capsule, BUT it is extended with an interference tube - this is what turns it into a SHOTGUN and gives it a tighter sweet spot, but also provides the down sides of off axis colouration and the rear lobing.
essentially, im thinking the 50 is just the 416 (or prob even the 60) minus the interference tube.
for this indoor/outdoor compatibility business, im actually thinking its not so much the pickup pattern as the introduction of the tube that makes the difference.
Guy_Cochran
DVXUser Sponsor
You can't go wrong with the 416 (unless you can't position it properly), when I was testing it against other lower priced shotguns, it was like suddenly going from AM to FM. LOL Butter smooth, warm and rich.
You could compliment your 416 with a very inexpensive and excellent mic for interiors.. the AKG CK93 blueline.. just got one for far less than 400 bucks at B and H.. the mic is amazing...will be using it this weekend on a short film...We use it with the 12' Gitzo 270 dollar (or so) carbon fiber pole with a PSC universal shock mount....