Tile and wood floors with an Oktava Mk-012

Car3o said:
That the Oktava is a great dialogue mic....on a budget.
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You're right, though I'd probably say the Oktava is not a great dialogue mic, but if that's all you can afford it is one of the better mic choices at that price.

Just my personal experience.
 
The Oktava cardioid is really a decent mic, especially modded, with the Dorsey or Joly mod. It is fine for dialog, and imparts a slightly warm color. The color is perhaps a bit bland, and does not have the richness of a Ribbon mic. But ribbons are heavier and a bit more noisy. The Oktava is small and light, so you can put it on a boom. OTOH, the Zoom H2--four mics in one--is also pretty decent and comes with a flash recorder. You can boom it as well.
 
DrDave said:
Carpets and blankets are always the choice of last resort for wood and tile. Buy some inexpensive insulation, like rigid fiberglass and park a few pieces to trap the bass and wide spectrum reflections. Carpets or blankets simply act as a treble damper, which adds to, rather than removes the boominess. Many a recording has been ruined by blankets.
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Good points. My concern was feet rather than ambient dampening.
 
Thanks DrDave for the scientific insight. Mostly the advice given to less experienced sound mixers is "hyper for interiors" and I think people should dare to try out a cardioid because at times the results will be better. From my experience (short films, TV episodicals, commercials, industry) the Oktava is a great mic. You will see it on big budget film shoots as well as on music stages and studios. I don't think anyone ever regretted buying one (and I don't have the modded versions)
 
Networker said:
What would be a better choice, at that price?
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...At $1800+, there's a reason Schoeps mics have been and will always be considered great mics. Oktava's sound good when placed in the optimal 6"-18" from your target, but outside that range, you really start hearing the coloration of the microphone. I have two Oktava's, which I'll throw up for plants or when doing a scene where the mic could potentially get damaged, but my Schoeps will always be the first mic I reach for to cover a scene.
 
Schoeps is good. No question. Sennheiser MKH 40 and MKH 30 are slightly warmer and quieter in sound. The Sennheiser Twin allows you to shape the capsule profile in software on the fly, which totally rocks. The Schoeps 41 has amazing reach.
 
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