Sensitivity of Oktava

M

Mezzanine

Member
I'm interested in knowing about the characteristics of the famed Oktava mic that's been kicked around so much in here. Specifically, the effective range (distance) of the mic.

I shoot documentary. I have a mixpre that I route into the DVX. I am convinced that the Oktava is a steal of a deal for a quality mic for interiors, but am concerned that my applications wont allow for the proximity that I suspect this mic needs. Most of the time, my sound op is pistol griping next to me. For the subject matter we're shooting, it isn't appropriate to bust out a ten foot boom to sneak closer. Does a situation like that nullify the Oktava?

Thanks for the thoughts/insights.
 
No mic sounds good at 10' away... but I'll be the first to say that you should get a shotgun (like the 4073a) for outdoor shots where range is needed. Everytime I recommend the Oktava it's for interiors and close-range exteriors. I'll post a clip in the pre-amp thread with the Oktava in a while... running via a pre-amp... which will give it an unfair advantage to straight in... but that should tell you the expected range.
 
In real terms, how many feet can the oktava be placed away from the subject and record strong audio. 3 ft? 6 ft? can it hear at 9ft?
 
Mezzanine said:
In real terms, how many feet can the oktava be placed away from the subject and record strong audio. 3 ft? 6 ft? can it hear at 9ft?
Click to expand...

Assuming here you mean the MK-012 with a hyper cap on it...

"IN REAL TERMS?" What does that mean?

At 6ft you will "hear" less of what the mic is pointing at than at 3ft, and more of what's all around you.
And at 9ft you will "hear" less of what the mic is pointing at than at 6ft, and yet more still of what's all around you.
It will depend on what it is you are micing, and what distance YOU feel comfortable at. A quiet conversation in a loud nightclub from 9ft away will not work; an explosion of a trailer in the desert might. No one will be able to give you exact distances unfortunately, as it depends on the situation.
Ty has a very good AUDIO movie where he explains the pros and cons of some sample mics. It's at tyford.com, in the archives link, in the video folder, I believe. Well worth a watch.
 
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