Viscount Omega

"If you did another test with the 80Hz HPF turned off we might actually get a sense of what the 435 really sounds like." This is done straight into preamp, no EQ, no low cut.

I get it after 23 beers! You want more beef with the 40 & 50. Well, here ya go. I switched off the low cut. I think it's better to cut lows at the source rather than put strain on the A/D converters.in the recorder. No?

If you're interested, here's a simple comparison test of the Sennheiser MKH 40, MKH 50, 416 Shotgun and 435T. No Limiter. No post EQ. Low Cut at 80Hz. (The 40 and 50 have low cut switches on the mics turned on as well). Sorry it took so long. I had to wait for a part and was procrastinating making the video.

No worries. The guy from England is sending it across the Atlantic by canoe. LOL. I just got the tracking # yesterday. He sent it via Royal Mail 2nd Class to a 3rd party "International Priority Shipping to United States via Global Shipping Program" Goes through Customs first, blah, blah.. Ridiculous. I've gotten stuff from Tokyo in 2 days. Should be here in a week or so, I guess. (It says Oct. 22nd). (The guy has 124 eBay sales and all 100% positive rating so it should be ok.)

I bought this T Power to XLR Adapter from England. It takes the 48V phantom and converts it to T-power. The electronics are stuffed in the XLR. I'll have it in a few days. I was thinking of doing a mic comparison and throwing it up on YouTube. Me sitting in a chair, mic 2 feet over my head on a mic stand. Carpeted room. Just me reading a Bukowski story or yelling at the news on the muted tv or just general nonsensical bullshit. Black screen with nothing but letters and numbers. I'll let you decide which one you like. Sennheiser 416, MKH 40, MKH 50, and the 435. I'll just hold a Tascam-DR100mkII in my hand. 24 bit, 96Khz. Low cut at 80, no limiter. No post EQ. (I have a Neumann that will beat all of these like a rented mule but I like it better for singing or voice-over stuff. Too much of an "open" sound.) Of course it's going to be compressed by Vegas Pro and YouTube but it should still sound ok. It's all a matter of personal preference.

My dear Mack, It's Friday night, Jackson! I'm going out to party. Can't wait for your response about the simple, "time-weathered question". Will bring you back a Cinnamon Fireball shot from the bar, kay? Will have it in a basket. Btw, there's a recent divorcee' who might be interested in you. Cheers, Omega p.s. of course you won't answer 'cause you're full of shit to begin with. LOL. Therefore, I'll drink your Fireball shot myself in your honor. Total respect..

May I ask, what question did you ask? btw, did you hear what they did to Themistocles in Ancient Greece with the fake ostrakon? Rough stuff.

Mack, I wish I were like you. We've never met, but you remind me of the dashing Beau Brummell, who would take one step into estate party of London society, look around, the crowd hushes and waits, and deem it unworthy of his attendance. He would just hold up his eye-piece and look around; see who's worthy; no one, of course, then leave. Had his own window at White's. You remind me of him. Are you related?

I wouldn't if I were you. You're doing just fine. We're all proud of you. Btw, for those who are interested, the Sennheiser 435 arrived today from the Netherlands. The thing was wrapped up in so much paper and fill and plastic bubble it would make Greta Thunberg have a stroke. But it looks clean and fresh just like in the pics.

LOL. Dude, if you wanna talk at least brag about Fassbinder or something.

If you want to see ludicrous, you should move to Germany. Oh, wait. Hold on a sec...

Because if I were in your shoes I would put lavs on everyone too. I personally wouldn't shoot it that way. Not saying that way is wrong--you might not have much choice in your scenario-- but I understand why you would do that perfectly well. I wasn't being sarcastic about that question and you know that. I don't think it was such a stupid question, really. "What if I did this?" Anyway, that was asked and answered long ago.

Of course I understand their perspective. I was just trying to be diplomatic with him. But maybe you don't understand sarcasm either. You're the one who actually thought I didn't know what "doco-mixer" meant. "'It's stands for 'documentary mixer!!!'". It's in the name, for Gawdsakes!!!!." You don't say. Never would've guessed that. Btw, if I find I thread to be moronic and beneath my immense intellectual capacity I tend to skip over it rather than join in the barbaric and doltish conversation. But that's just me.

I don't have that dilemma. I'm the director. Maybe consult with your director before the shoot. I suppose it depends on how much they would listen to a sound guy and how approachable they are. Putting lavs on everyone is a smart move to cover all your bases. I would use the boom too if you can.

You can't. You have to fire the director. LOL. Or use the House of Cards trick and paint out the booms. I don't have a good solution for 2 cameras unless I can get about 3 feet or less of headroom in the wide shot. In my low-budget world, I would use one camera instead of two and shoot the take twice. The wide take with the mic 6 feet over their heads. Then the tight shot with the mic 2 feet over.. If it's so wide I can't even see their mouths then it's easy to substitute the sound from the close-up take. If I can see their mouths moving it will take a little work to sync it.

If I prefer mics like the 416 or the MKH 40 or 50 over lavs it's not a problem getting the mic close to the talent until it comes to the wide(er) shots where the boom gets in the way. I'm going to try the Senn 435 and see how it performs. Someone said it has somewhat hypercardioid characteristics. Bright and rich like the 416 without the interference tube. It's not expensive so worth a try. Another (kludgy?) solution is to make the wide shot so wide that I can use the sound from the close-ups in the wide shot during editing and the viewer won't know the difference. It can be a pain to make it sync though so I'd rather avoid that if possible.

Actually, I bet you don't do that everyday as a "doco mixer". And if you did, the producer would probably call ahead before you got there. Besides, what kind of person calls themself a "doco mixer"? If I shoot my neighbor mowing his lawn and scoop about 3db at around 1Khz can I also be a "doco mixer"?

I can't really tell if you're trying to be funny, serious or you're utterly insane. What's your favorite color? Blue? I hate blue. I use blue but I much prefer purple or Hunter Green sometimes. That's all I'm talking about. Sheesh. Btw, where's that Neutrik convertor you flaunted? <sees vapor mist in the air> Oh, well, gonna have to have Pete V. modify the 435. No big deal.

Using lavs? Audiophile short answer: I hate the sound of the lavs. Long answer: I hate the sound of the lavs. Yeah, I'm going to have to use them sometimes; e.g. noisy restaurant. Girls hate having them under their shirt. It's awkward for an amatuer filmmaker/ sound person. Could you imagine asking a bartender girl to sign a release form, then asking her to go in the bathroom, put a lav under her shirt and then film a scene? Takes massive balls. Luckily, I got 'em. This is what I'm up against.

You're not joking. That thing is hard to find. If anyone can point me to one I would appreciate it.

Like this? It would be cool if someone invented a little black box you could stick on the end of these type of mics that did everything in one shot--i.e.converted it to XLR and 48V power.

A Tuchel to XLR adapter at first seems like a deal-breaker because it adds bulk and weight to the mic. It just creates an untidy mess to deal with and makes it less discreet to use in public, but then I think, "What about the 200 lbs. guy with the headphones and boom pole standing over there? What is he, Mr. Fucking Invisible?"

Okay. It's a way to save costs in case I really hate this mic. (which I probably will, based on what you guys are saying).

Well, when I get the mic and if I fall in love with it and the capsule fails I'll just have to buy another one. If I hate it, it's going in a box on the shelf or on ebay. LOL. I won't know for another 3 weeks at least. Jim, if I do Pete's T-to-48V conversion, I wouldn't need a barrel convertor. What are you talking about?

So I just bought this bad boy MKH 435 from The Netherlands. Will have it modified to run on 48V. (thanks for the tip, Jim). And also thanks to Werner for bringing it up. Won't know if I like it for about 3 weeks. Should be fun. I suppose I could have blown the money on crack but this is more fun in the long run. (To me, for others, I'm not so sure. LOL)