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Should I get the MKH 50 or the AT 4053b?


Jarred Jones

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" Oh, and I'm currently using an ATR-6550 for my current mic.
Which of those would make the most pronounced upgrade in quality?
"!

that could be difficult to say, as such differences are subtle, and subjective; also I'm not willing to assume you could tell the difference.

 

How is your current mic deficient ?

 

"a great mic for recording dialogue "

I'm also still not convinced you understand what you are looking for...

 

what, exactly, makes " a great mic for recording dialogue "

price ?

technology?

specs ?? (which one, or ones??)

construction (build) quality ?

ruggedness ?

warranty ?

reputation ?

support and service ?

 

" I could barely find any reviews on the MKH 50 "

we have mentioned (praised) that one here for years!

"these two keep coming up in my research. "

and that is all ??  you aren't doing much research...

 

" Is it really that bad? "

how bad is "that bad" ??

considering its popularity, I'd say: not "that bad"

" Is that MKH 50 very difficult to boom? "

that is difficult to say, as it depends on how good the boom operator is...

 

"Your desert island mic, so to speak "

this year's annual poll..?

 

" Using your real name here will also get you better responses. "

as will properly introducing yourself and telling us a bit  --try the thread: "Who I am..."

 

" Well what's more important for combating handling noise, "

it isn't about the golf clubs, it is about the golfer.

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Well, just got back from the demo and here are my results.



1. The AT4053B sounded okay to mediocre. Dialogue was muddy and overly bassy, and made me sound like I was in a closed off room with no sense of presence.

2. The MKH 50 was better but not by much. It was a little too high on the top end and it's range was limited as well. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

It's important to note both of those mics sounded as good as my $60 ATR-6550. Amazing what a great boom op can accomplish!

3. Finally, the Oktava MK-012s.

INCREDIBLE.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

Dialogue was crisp and natural with plenty of presence and didn't sound overly bassy. Wonderful mic and did EXACTLY what I needed. Ended up buying a stereo set and calling it a day.

Anyhow, that's it. Thank you for all the help.

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Well, just got back from the demo and here are my results.

1. The AT4053B sounded okay to mediocre. Dialogue was muddy and overly bassy, and made me sound like I was in a closed off room with no sense of presence.

2. The MKH 50 was better but not by much. It was a little too high on the top end and it's range was limited as well. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

It's important to note both of those mics sounded as good as my $60 ATR-6550. Amazing what a great boom op can accomplish!

3. Finally, the Oktava MK-012s.

INCREDIBLE.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

Dialogue was crisp and natural with plenty of presence and didn't sound overly bassy. Wonderful mic and did EXACTLY what I needed. Ended up buying a stereo set and calling it a day.

Anyhow, that's it. Thank you for all the help.

And NOW...

Let the REAL thread games begin !!!

(wheres my popcorn ?)

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I own four Oktava 012 mics (with the improvement mods) and I wouldn't begin to choose them over a Schoeps 641 or Sennheiser MKH50 for location dialog.  They sound great under controlled conditions, and the cardioid version sounds really close to a Schoeps in those circumstances, but the couple of times I tried using them next to a Schoeps on location, I was quite disappointed.

 

Those experiences prompted me to add more Schoeps to my kits.

 

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Oktavas are too expensive. Check out these Monoprice 600700 condensers. The new issue of TapeOp showed up today. And their review of these mics says, "For less than $200, you can have a good sounding pair of mics with cardioid, hypercardioid, and omnidirectional capsules."

 

Here's the TapeOp review:

http://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/98/600700-sdc-mic/

 

Looks like it's time to sell my Schoeps.

 

6007001.jpg

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For the record, like most denizens of jwsoundgroup, although I may sometimes appear to be an asshole, I'm actually more of a wiseass. 

 

I own an Oktava 012 that I bought from someone on RAMPS (short version: the usenet precursor to this forum); he bought it from The Sound Room (iirc). The mic is OK and I use it as a plant/stunt mic sometimes. It's impressive for the price. But off axis isn't great and mine at least is sensitive to handling noise. I must say I'm surprised you (acuriousman) preferred the Oktava to a MKH50.

 

Please let us know what you think after using your pair out in the real world for a while. No expected snark or schadenfreude on my part. Just always interested in what people think of (and how they work with) equipment after they've had it for a while. 

 

Best --Jim

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Having now asked the same question on every possible forum under the sun, the OP finally arrived here I see.

 

Interesting to see that in the end, he preferred the heavy coloration of the Oktava.  Doesn't surprise me.

Flattering for a male voice in controlled situation (especially/probably if it was his own).

The problem was well stated here though by Petros.  Anything other than the subject directly on axis and it's a different story...

I wonder how aware he is of how close he is going to need to get that mic and that he is going to need to buy a couple of BBG + windjammers and the lyre suspensions necessary to seriously reduce wind and handllng noise on those.  I wonder too how much more gain he is going to have to pump through those to compensate for the lack of DR and what mixer he is planning on using.  (Probably a handheld recorder to boot).

 

However, here is what I have noted:

Accuracy of sound is not what impresses newcomers about mics, it's how flattering the mic is to their own voice that generally convinces them.  It's all about the coloration and drama on-mic, not in post.  Good solid, neutral capture is not their goal.

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I wonder how aware he is of how close he is going to need to get that mic and that he is going to need to buy a couple of BBG + windjammers and the lyre suspensions necessary to seriously reduce wind and handllng noise on those.  I wonder too how much more gain he is going to have to pump through those to compensate for the lack of DR and what mixer he is planning on using.  (Probably a handheld recorder to boot).

 

Of course. Having a great pre is essential to any mic setup. Not to mention knowing how to properly operate and control that mic on a boom.

I was foruntate enough to get a genuine set of Oktavas, for one hell of a steal. A small miracle considering how common fakes are. And of course, I'll be investing in a Sound Devices pre in the coming months.

 

What you'll come to learn is that high end gear doesn't make productions, it's high end skill. That's something you should never forget.

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Of course. Having a great pre is essential to any mic setup. Not to mention knowing how to properly operate and control that mic on a boom.

I was foruntate enough to get a genuine set of Oktavas, for one hell of a steal. A small miracle considering how common fakes are. And of course, I'll be investing in a Sound Devices pre in the coming months.

 

What you'll come to learn is that high end gear doesn't make productions, it's high end skill. That's something you should never forget.

 

Thank you for coming here to teach us all how to be professional sound mixers.

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