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MS with Ambient ATE208-


Newzik

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I own a cs-1 and wouldn't use it as the M mic in m/s, the pattern is too narrow and it just sounds weird to my ears. (I tried it once with my mkh30) M/S tends to sound better with a wider patterned mic then the sanken, what other mics do you use that would be more suitable?

PM me and I'll send you an audio sample of the cs-1 & mkh30 m/s pair if you wish.

 

Grant.

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Thanks for your reply Grant. I do not own another mic, occasionally Mm renting a mkh60. Financially buying another mic is not possible. I just MS for 2 contract I need MS for. The ATE 208 seems the best deal for me and would be ok with the next mic I will get. 

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I have the AT208 and use it with my Sanken CS3. Similar to what Grant said, to my ears the stereo image has some "holes" in it and isn't the most accurate. Sure it would be different with a hyper or cardioid though. I use mine for just adding some width to atmos tracks which it is great for - quick and easy.

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If you must do m/s and can afford only one mic to purchase then the answer is obvious, rent the mkh60 and buy the ate280.

Tell us more about the job. ie: how many days is it, what are you recording that must be in m/s (decoded or not?), music / atmos?

Maybe a cheaper all in one m/s mic would do the job for a music performance etc and just swap back to the sanken for dialogue?

Without those details it's hard to answer, not knowing the who/what/why.

 

"any others option for the same price range to use with my cs-1 ?"

err, no. read the above replies. the cs-1 is not suited to use for m/s. (in my opinion)

 

Grant.

Edited by engaudio
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some folks do not believe that any interference tube mic is suitable for m-s...

In my opinion an MS built with an interference tube mic doesn't give you a precise stereo image, but it can give you some space sensation. It may be useful, or not.

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" the cs-1 is not suited to use for m/s. "

that, like other "facts" in this discussion is debatable...

it is a subjective call.

some folks do not believe that any interference tube mic is suitable for m-s...

 

Subjective call yes, but remember to state from now on senator whenever you give advise that it is " in your subjective opinion"

 

re: interference mic for m/s.

I was always a fan of the neumann rsm191..

 

Grant.

Edited by engaudio
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If you must do m/s and can afford only one mic to purchase then the answer is obvious, rent the mkh60 and buy the ate280.

Tell us more about the job. ie: how many days is it, what are you recording that must be in m/s (decoded or not?), music / atmos?

Maybe a cheaper all in one m/s mic would do the job for a music performance etc and just swap back to the sanken for dialogue?

Without those details it's hard to answer, not knowing the who/what/why.

 

"any others option for the same price range to use with my cs-1 ?"

err, no. read the above replies. the cs-1 is not suited to use for m/s. (in my opinion)

 

Grant.

I need it for atmos only, I have to check with the director of production if he want it decoded or not. 

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  • 1 month later...

Anyone compared the ate 208 to other figure 8 mics to see what the self noise is? I would be pairing it with an MKH-60 and I would like to buy one but they aren't stocked in Vancouver so I will have to buy before I have ever listened to one. I like the idea of fitting it into my existing zeppelin and it being a lot lighter than a mkh-30.

Thanks

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I worked with it a few times - liked it more than the Schoeps ccm 8 for less selfnoise and handlingnoise. Very usable, small and light but not as good as my MKH 30 :-) 

 

the sennheiser sounds even better to my ears and has even less selfnoise. If you use it only for Atmos go with it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I picked one up a couple of months ago for a short film with very little dialog (lots of nat and ambience). I paired it on top of a Sennheiser 416, choosing to leave my Sanken CS-3e at home because its brightness would not match as well as the 416's response. When playing around with dalies, I found that using a shotgun pattern created a hyped or exaggerated image in that things were very much in the center, left, or right. By this, I mean that if something was happening at the boom's 10:00 position, it had the tendency to sound more roomy than from 9:00, noon, or 3:00. I still think it was a good system, however, and wouldn't shy away from using an interference tube mic with it again. It's all about application; if you know what you're going for and position/maneuver appropriately, (coupled with the ability to properly monitor M/S) you can certainly get some great stuff.

The only thing that I wasn't pleased about was the frequency response of the ATE. There were some definite gaps across the spectrum which left me wanting for more mids especially. I'd be interested to see how the Schoeps and Sennheiser models compete...

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The Ambient ATE capsule is made by MBHO. 

I have no direct experience with the ATE, but I do have MBHO 604 mic with the figure 8 capsule. 

The mic itself has some (low) self noise but not much.

I did some testing recently with a MS setup and when flipping the fase of the double '8' the noise seemed hardly there.

It would be interesting to compare the ATE and MBHO and see/hear if there is any difference. 

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I worked with it a few times - liked it more than the Schoeps ccm 8 for less selfnoise and handlingnoise. Very usable, small and light but not as good as my MKH 30 :-)

the sennheiser sounds even better to my ears and has even less selfnoise. If you use it only for Atmos go with it.

Your findings are a surprise to me. I have never used the ATE208, but price-wise it's in a totally different league, so I would have expected the Schoeps to outperform the Ambient by quite a bit. With regards to selfnoise the specs don't reveal much of a difference, but of course there's nothing like personal experience.

I'm curious about the frequency response. You mentioned the handling noise of the CCM, but of course according to the specs, the ATE only starts at 200Hz. Don't you miss the low-end sometimes?

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