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re: 8050


Richard Ragon

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I bought an Sennheiser 8050 for use indoors about a year ago (maybe more).  I love how the mics sound in a deep rich recording.  However, about 2 months ago, I started to notice just how ridiculous is was to handle that mic.  Even my most experienced boom ops had a difficult time holding it, because it was just too dam overly sensitive.

Anyway.. today I was using it on a corporate gig, and it seamed just fine.  huh.. a few weeks back it was almost unusable??

It was colder a few weeks back, and now the weather is starting to get warm in LA.. Any 8050 owners? Do you have trouble in rainy weather with these?  Does the mic work better in the summer?

-Richard

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I own the 8040 and the 8050. I've had the 8040 for a year, using it in a cinela mount with the supplied foam, and as long as I didn't whip it back and forth too fast (wind flutter) the handling noise was not objectionable. I recently got the 8050 and I've found it to be nearly un-useable. Rycote Invision mount, cinela, nothing stops even the faintest taps or hand movement on the pole from thundering into the mixer. The in-line low cut does nothing in the off position (though apparently cuts infra-sonic) and takes the really low stuff out well in the on position, but I think a little too much..? To use it at all, I've got to click in the in-line, AND the low cut on my mixer. Even then the smallest tap or shift in the hand is noticeable.

Interesting you mention the weather making a difference, I live in Brisbane, Australia, and it's warm here most of the time and I don't have a problem, but in cold weather things start to change up. At least my batteries last a bit longer in winter...

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8050 is, in my opinion, probably the best sounding microphone I have ever owned.

Been using it practically every working day since the day it became available.

The combination of an MZF8000 with the filter switched out and an HPF set to 60Hz on the input strip of my mixing board has worked very well for me.  I completely concur that the additional filtering on the MZF is "too much".

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Some find the 8040 has a more similar pickup pattern to the Schoeps 41 than the 8050. Do you think the same way?

Or is the 8040 a bit too wide?

And, is it's sensitivity adequate for dialog or you are using the attenuator often?

I use Schoeps CCM41 (and have CCM5s too) but thinking about 8000 for humid climates and for atmos and fx, since it goes much lower in it's freq response and has a lower noise floor and higher sensitivity.

But, of course, I'm very concerned about handling issues.

I'd like to use Rycote Lyres, I'm not a fan of Cinela mounts, so I wonder

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I agree the 8050 is so beautiful on the sound, that its hard to give it up.  Yesterday though, we lost the air conditioning in an office building were we were filming, and in a few hours with the lights on the set, we were all sweating.  There was no mistake about it, the mic was handling very noticeably different than a few weeks ago from the cold weather.  I didn't think of it before..

-Richard

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As a long time user of the MKH 50, I bought a pair of 8050's with the special Rycote setup

(tiny basket, custom connbox with the threaded connection and the special lyres) I have the MZF

8000 for both as well. There is still way too much handling noise with the filter set at subsonic. I agree

that the higher cutoff setting thins out the sound too much. I find my original 50's easier to boom with. The onboard

filter, although not perfect, is more effective. The body is also not as sensitive to handling as the new series.

The sound quality of both of these mics is superb as has been stated many times before. I have never used the

pad on any of my MKH mics in 15 years of use. In my opinion, the 8050, regardless of how it is optioned and rigged

is totally unsuitable for run and gun.

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What I have done for handling noise re. the 8050 is use a cloth covered mic cable ( a pig tail ) about 12in. in length.

To connect the mic to the fishpole.

Neutric makes this kind of cable.

I also have a  20ft VDB pole  cabled strait through with the cloth cable and handling

noise is a thing of the past. ( With the rycote invision mounted.)

I don't use a MZF8000, haven't needed one. Just roll off a little low end at the Cooper.

I have experianced the mic sounding strange in a hard sufaced ( cement ) walled room

with no place for air pressure to escape.

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Mine is fine in the cold. I bought it in the Fall of 2009 (in case that matters). The first real use (feature) I did with my 8040 was Winter in the Pocono Mountains in PA. I was using the 8040 indoors, but it was pretty cold. I was using Rycote Invision mount, the Schoeps hollow teardrop foam windscreen (Glen Trew's setup). Often on a Loon Audio boom, but sometimes on an old-style VDB. For that gig we were feeding a MM-1 for wireless boom (via Lectros and on to a PD-6).

We did notice the wind flutter if the boom op swung too fast, but it was a feature, so we know what dialog was coming. Once we got over the flutter, it was perfect. I don't have the low cut filter module. It didn't sound like a magic bullet.

I have since used it with my 442, and Fusion and really only noticed the wind flutter if the boom swings too fast. I have not tried it using it outside, but have considered that Rycote rig so I could. I don't know if I have used it in really hot hot weather to see if it behaves differently. Hmmm I will keep my ears open on that one.

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