Rick Reineke

As has been stated 'All Oktava 012s are not created equal due to the factory's quality control (or lack there of). Aside for the handing and wind noise, the 10mV sensitivity is a little lower than I prefer for dialog, which can also be an issue with low-cost noisy preamps. The 'Dorcey' type mods can alleviate the handing/wind noise somewhat but the sensitivity stays the same. I have a pair of Sound Room 012s that sound nice, but I use them mostly for music projects, drum overheads, acoustic guitar, ect.

As I stated elsewhere, "Use the F8 3.5mm sub out jack in (-10dB) line level with a SK100 portable Tx with a line-level plug config. (Ring=positive; Tip grounded to sleeve/shield). Otherwise I do not think the low voltage bias current of the SK100 would do any damage, though you should probably ask a Zoom tech."

AFAIK, The Sound Room does not do any modifications on the 012. They just hand-pick, test and match the best ones direct from the factory. The mod is definitely worthwhile, which lessens handling, wind and self-noise noise. It would not change the build quality or other imperfections.. or the sensitivity (10mV), which can be an issue when used in conjunction with the pre-amps found many low-budget portable recorders and cams.

Oktava 'had' a reputation for inconsistent quality control. I guess that may still hold true. I would ask for a replacement or refund. The SoundRoom was the go-to Oktava dealer for many of us, They thoroughly checked and tested each mic before sale. This increased the price a little, but was worth it IMHO. I bought a multi-capsule stereo set about ten years ago which sound very good, even without the "Dorcey" type mod. Though I rarely use them for production sound much these days There were also China made 'counterfeits' about for a while on eBay and such which were allegedly made for the Guitar Center, but that's another story. Search if that's of interest. BTW, that's Bill Stiller, who sells the mod parts kit, not Ben the actor.

Same as some of the above,"I hang them with a little weight and let them dangle for a few days". A little heat to cable can help as well..

Depends what frequency block the OP has. The 575297 replacement antena pretty much covers the Sennheiser A1 and A blocks (470-516 and 512-556 MHz ). OTOH, if the OP has the B block (626-668 MHz) I would assume performance would be compromised, not unusable but to a certain extent. Antena replacent is relativly qiuick and easy, four Torx screws and one solder joint.

Canare L-4E5C mini star-quad and the two conductor mini L-2E5. The two conductor mini is easier with the small TA solder cups. I can do XLRs almost blind-folded, TAs are not that hard with a small diameter cable, I've had aggravation with the Hirose HR-10 power plugs. I have not attempted a Lemo.. nor would I.

ListenTech does have a portable 72 & 216 MHz Tx. The "LT-700 Portable Display FM Transmitter". Addendum; Just like a 3.5mm TRS the input plug for a Sennheiser, the 'Ring' terminal is -10dB line level, The 'Tip' is mic. The red 'mute' switch only functions in the mic level mode.

Don't know of any websites with step-by-step instructions. Do you know how to solder? Both the typical audio XLR and a 3.5mm TRS (aka, 1/8" mini-plug) only have three terminals, You have to configure the XLR end for unbalanced operation (typically jumping pin-3 to shield) since the mini-plug connection will most likly be unbalanced. What signal will you be feeding via the XLR, i,e., stereo headphone output, unbalanced mic input, other? Lots and lots of examples of low profile right-angle XLRs here. FWIW, I got a bunch of very low profile right-angle TRS mini-plugs from eBay a few years age, which do the job.

I recall seeing those before, but don't recall if they came from a 788 or 3D printer. I'd like to get a set of those myself.

Thanks Pin , I must have misread the comparison chart. The F8n does have -10dB main output mode, which is perfect for feeding a line level SK100 Tx.

When I got asked this question, which happened frequently in music recording studios. I could not resist the "Pretty F_cking' Loud" response, Of course I always followed up with 'Pre Fader Listen' and its usage.

The F8's main output (1/2) is -10dB line or -40dB mic level. The F8n's main out is fixed @ +4dB. BTW, +4dB program audio will occasionally clip the input stage of a Sennheiser G2/3/4 SK-100 bodypack Tx (plug wired for line level), regardless of the sensitivity setting .. and it ain't nice sounding. Zoom's F8n - F8 feature comparison chart (PDF)

- Same here. Best bang-for-the-buck for sure. Made in the USA and A+ customer service. As an OST user since 2010, I have no real complaints, except the TL-40 has a 'lower the normal' max SPL spec, but that's rarely a problem with dialog. The 801 and 802 are the exact dimensions as the Tram TR50, even the mounting hardware is interchangeable. The 4mm round TL40 has a flatter response than the rectangular shaped 800 series. The HM-701 headset edition uses the TL40 element.

Interesting, Thanks Jeff. Yes Niel's pretty far out there. His hi-res digital 'Pono' player never caught on, and I did not think it would due to the high price of the player and music (in the Pono format whatever that was).