muffinmand Posted March 11, 2018 Report Share Posted March 11, 2018 Hi, I just received a secondhand Sennheiser MKH8060, and did a quick comparrison between it and my old MKH416. I was expecting a big difference in self noise, but in the recordings the difference isn't that big I think. I recorded into my Sound Devices MixPre-6 at around 45 dB gain. Here's my test: https://youtu.be/cqa-U8GqBz0 What do you think, is my microphone alright? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted March 11, 2018 Report Share Posted March 11, 2018 They sound very similar almost impossible to say which is which. Nothing to worry about IMO. If there's a HPF on the 8060 I would keep it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted March 11, 2018 Report Share Posted March 11, 2018 I'd definitely get your microphone looked at, a 70's design, tweaked in the 90's has no right to be competing with a new 2012 design it should be noticeably noisier, it can't be allowed to undermine our confidence in never ending progress and expenditure .....:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 I can hear a very clear difference of noise level sitting in my bed with a towel covering my ears on my 30 year old gdr speakers. the 8060 wins clearly to my ears! I know an sound enginer who was complaining that the 8000 series has a higher self noise than the MKH 40/50/60's and so on... But noise levels are funny. my sanken cs1e has as much self noise as my probably 40 year old sennheiser mkh416T. Still the sanken is a great mik and my first choice when it comes to documentary allrounder needs! Self noise in general is not that big of issue, imho... cheers, oscar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobilemike Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 The specs for the two mics only list a 2dB difference in self noise between the mics. Depending on how accurately you matched preamp gain and your monitoring environment, I’d say that’s small enough to go unnoticed. -Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Ford Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 Similar gain is NOT a good place to start. In order to test properly, you'd have to have someone speak into both mics to make sure the level of signal was the same, then listen for noise. That's because different mics have different sensitivities. If the 416 is 4 dB more sensitive, then adjusting the gain down four dB will also reduce the selfnoise. Even though YouTube's stuff, the 416 selfnoise is louder by at least several dB, based on raw listening on my MacBook Pro. There's also some spectral difference between the two, with the 416 sounding more hissy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efksound Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 the MKH8060 has a hotter output as well (63mV/Pa) vs MKH416 (25 mV/Pa) So you will need to apply less gain from the 8060 to get to the same level as the 416 At the same gain settings MKH416 Equivalent noise level 13 dB MKH8060 Equivalent noise level 11 dB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 The 8060 has lower self noise a hotter output and better off axis response than the 416 that being said its very similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismedr Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 how much harder is the handling of the 8060 vs the 416? I found the 8050 very delicate and much harder for my clumsy hands then a MKH50 or 416. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kavenzmann Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 The 416 is a classic for a reason.It's able to deliver on almost every condition.Shortcomings? Most likely off axis and indoor sound. Never really bad, but far from ideal.The 8060 on the other hand, at least in my eyes, does sound better. Off-axis is more natural, it's practicaly noise-free and lightweight, too.Shortcomings? Most likely low frequency pick up and handling noise. You need a HPF either on the mic or at least on your mixer and a good shockmount. Nothing is for free...You prefer a most natural pick up pattern that's still hot - here you are.I'd prefer a 8060 in a heartbeat, but the 416 is a safe bet and prooved to be a workhorse for decades. Can't go wrong with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmand Posted March 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2018 I just got the microphone replaced by the great Sennheiser customer support, because it also occasionally made a fizzeling sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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