Jump to content

General purpose cardioid pair MBHO, B9 Audio, Rode


kavenzmann

Recommended Posts

Hi,

 

I'm searching for a general purpose card/pair.

 

First, I want to record my own voice for an upcoming film project while watching old pictures on my computer.

Yeah, it's really while watching pictures in front of my iMac. This project will last some month, sothat renting won't be the best option.

That means far from being a studio environment.

 

Second, I'm a field recordist that likes to record interesting urban and nature ambiences.

I worked with several nice stereo mic's includind the Senni MKH 418, Schoeps MKIV/MK8 and own a AT BP4029 M/S-mic.

I also own some low profile Sennheiser ME64/66 mics and a Zoom H6 recorder.

 

If I can use the mic's for indoor booming for film/video, it would be another nice benfit!

 

 

I'd like to have a versatile set of cards (maybe super cards and also omnis later on) to use other stereo techniques as well.

I will also buy a better figure8 one day for a better M/S-Setup some day if money allows.

 

I like a natural, clean sound. That means good off-axis response (The ME64/66 is really bad here) and also high sensitivity/signal to noise ratio.

 

I'd like to own a set of different Sennheiser MKH mic's but that's clearly out of my budget.

Schoeps sound always great in my ears, but are also to expensive and also not very sensitive.

 

I came across the german Haun MBHO microphone manufacturers, that are doing some very nice SDC modular microphones.

But there are not much infos out there - it's a small manufacturer with 5 people.

The website (MBHO) is very much outdated - most of the products are better now, the preamps being smaller (8 cm long) and built with newer SMD tech.

I have a MBC 603 preamp, a card capsule (KA 400 N) and a matched pair of fixed SDC MBC 400 here for testing purposes.

They came without any extra accessories and I like the sound of the modular combo very much. The fixed SDC is not as good, but very attractive at it's price point/600€ +VAT)  too.

 

Then I read about the latest Rode SDC, the TF-5 matched pair.

They look very nice and the spec's are quite nice with a very hot output (35 mV/Pa) and good noise floor (14db, A), too.

But I can't rent these or get a pair for testing.

 

Then there is B9 audio from Taiwan, who looks like a Schoeps imitator, but really comes up with some own interesting ideas.

An all interchangeable modular system.

 

Also I don't have the best equipment for tests.

The Zoom H6 has okay'ish preamps, but not really good ones.

My USB audio interface (Audient) has only 1 good preamp, but my room is far from ideal for testing purposes, too.

 

I like the MBHO, but it's so hard to get any reliable info and even prices of the latest offerings (the newer pre-amps MBC604 - not the older MBP604, all the newer capsules incl, wide card, card, suoer card, figure8....). Also, they are not the hottest mics out there, so I don't know if they would be also good for quite nature recordings.

On the other hand they give a lifetime warranty and are located in my region.

 

The Rode seems to be very nice, but there are only the card capsules and nobody can say, if there are coming other capsules, too. I doubt it.

So maybe bot a very flexible system for starting out.

 

B9 is rather new and not well known. I don't lnow if I should give them a chance, too.

 

They seem all to be in the same price range more or less - MBHO being a little bit more expensive as they always come with no accessories at all.

 

 

Any input welcome.

THX for reading!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had some MBHO mics and at the time the company was nice enough to send me some mics and capsules to test. 
Since you are in Germany you could probably ask the to do you the same favor. 

 

 

If you are willing to try more 'exotic' brands I'd also suggest you have a look at Nevaton MC59 SDC mics. 

 

Also Shure KSM 137/141series can be found for a good prices second hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i like my gefell m310 hypercard, and neumann km 140‘s pop up sometimes used for a good price...

what kept me away from b9 audio is that there is only the taiwanese seller, so for service it could be problematic...

with gefell and neumann i had good experiences for service and repair...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have some Haun mics, why not try them out and see how you like it? :)

 

I like the MBHO offerings. I have 5 mics with OEM MBHO capsules. They sounds decent and the selfnoise is in the ballpark of schoeps, so should be a non issue for most dialogue.

 

For quiet field recordings they are a bit noisy imo. But the KA500 and KA200 (I think, not quite sure what the KA cap is for Audix SCX1C) sounds good on voice. The fig8 is a bit of a rarity to find, but the Ambient Emesser ATE 208 sports a MBHO capsule in a very small form factor and can be had for reasonable price 2nd hand. There is one now on FB for 300 Euros, which is a lot less than I spend on mine.

 

I have regularly been using Audix SCX1HC with the emesser on top for SFX gathering or action filled scenes where it could be fun to pull out the stereo perspective.

 

I have enough MBHO mics to try double MS, something I want to do. Can report my findings later, I think it will be useful to be able to make a 5.1 and pan - but for field recordings I really enjoy DPA4060 AB. So if I were to buy something again for only fieldrecordings,  I would look for some good sounding omnis with low self noise. The MKH20 or potentially Nevaton MC59 would be my top picks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Paulo Ricardo Nunes said:

I suggest the Line Audio CM4. It is a wide cardiod, with 140 dB SPL and 16 dB(A) noise level. I have four of the previous version CM3 and use them a lot for ambience and some voice recordings. Cheap and good.

http://www.lineaudio.se/CM4.html

I used the CM3 recently for an upright piano recording. Sounded fine. It was sitting very close to the strings and hammers inside the cabinet, held by a Nite Ize Gear Tie. 

 

The mic has no proximity effect, I think. To my ears it's a good mic for any situation in that it doesn't really have a character. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the input!

I would really love to hear the MBHO performing in a quite environment. What I found was studio music recordings only.

 

The Line Audio seem to be less sensitive and have higher noise. They really seem to be very nice for the price though!

 

The modular MBHO system is much more flexible and thus attrative to me.

They have all sorts of capsules incl. omnis, wide cards, cards, hypercards, figure8, LDC omni, LDC card and also built upon special request without being expensive. Plus they have a lifetime warranty for the original owner.

 

I never really read a bad review, only that they are characterized more high and a little lacking in the deep lows than i.e. the Schoeps or Gefells.

Personally, I like the character of the cards that I have here during my very limited tests. There is some noise if you ramp up your preamps, but I won't call them noisy. Just more noisy than the Senni MKH8040, which isn't surprising really. But still they have a very clear, uncolored character with rich base on short distances. With a small popkiller even my voice sounds nice.

For ambient recordings the little peak in the highs will nicely compensate for the Rycote windshield and windjammer.

 

I'm sold!

Will order a matched pair of the cardoids capsules KA200N with the small MBC604 preamps. Plan to buy hypers and figure8 later on to have a flexible set.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Update:

 

I have received 2x small MBC604 preamps, KA200N matched pair cardioid capsules, 1x KA500HN hypercardioid capsule.

Very small, somewhere in between the older Schoeps CMC6 and the new CMC1. Really like the sound from the first fast test setups here.

Sensitivity is a tight match to the Schoeps system with a little peak in the 10kHz range that make tehm sound a little more clear but still without sounding harsh or agressive. Of axis coloration os also very well controlled.

These make a very nice modular setup on a mid budget.

Still waiting for the KA800A figure8 capsule...

 

These will be setup and used next week. I'll try to check MS and ORTF setups as well as single capsule setups with cadioid/hyper cardioid for booming voices.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Update:

 

I completed my order with a third MBC604 preamp, a figure8 and a matching KA500 hypercard.

I really like these mics a lot.

 

Have used them for a few gigs primarily for voice with either a KA200 card or the KA500 hypercard.

The KA500 is a really nice mic for booming voices.

 

Did some unscientific tests against the Schoeps (MK40/41 + MK8) in a M/S combo.

The Schoeps is a benchmark for me with its most natural sounding off-axis character and generally open and warm sound.

The MBHO also have a quite uncolorized off-axis sound, sound generally open and more 'airy'.

They also have a better noise floor but miss a little openess vs the Schoeps which still lead the pack in my ears.

They also tend to sound less warm. I'd say it's not miles away but still a difference, though.

 

Would buy them again as they are superb value for the money.

The Schoeps are more flexible due to the more advanced and lighter/smaller preamp choice, which makes them suit better for long booming sessions

and in double M/S or other advanced surround combos.

 

Since I have a MixPre6 II, all tests and recordings are made with it though.

 

Let me know if you need more infos!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Do you have the possibility to test the new MBC with HF in the surrounding?

My MBHO (older MBP603 with KA200+KA400) are very sensitiv against radiation, so with Lectro HM not usable. 

I like the sound as well, but they seems to me more built for perfect studio conditions than for film, where humidity and RF can happen. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just returned from a job in Tanzania, where I also used the MBC604 with the KA500 for indoor booming and some exteriour athmos. Humidity was quite high and I didn't experience any problems.

That was all wired though.

 

As I only have a Deity Connect and Sennheiser EW100 G3, that is what I can test it with only.

 

I'm in home quarantine, so that there's plenty of time for some tests.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Balthasar said:

Do you have the possibility to test the new MBC with HF in the surrounding?

My MBHO (older MBP603 with KA200+KA400) are very sensitiv against radiation, so with Lectro HM not usable. 

I like the sound as well, but they seems to me more built for perfect studio conditions than for film, where humidity and RF can happen. 

I solved this with an EMC connector at the mic and a 20cm starquad cable to the plugon. Had issues with a UH400a and Audix scx1c, hc (both which have mbho capsules) and even a Sanken CS3e exhibited the issue at a low volume before this.

 

Also used the audix with a HMa this way without any issues last summer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...