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Re: Strange results with mkh 20?

Subject: Re: Strange results with mkh 20?
From: Wild Sanctuary <>
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2006 15:53:29 -0800
Mics commonly used indoors, like the Schoeps and Neumanns, are old
standards and deliver wonderful illusion with orchestral instruments.

But they don't work well where there's much wind and/or humidity.
Best combo if you're looking for XY stereo is the Sennheiser MKH 40
or 50 pair (I'd go for the MKH 40s). Best combo for MS: MKH30/40 (or
30/50). Best combo for SASS: MKH20s in a modified box such as the one
Walt Knapp or Lang Elliot uses. In that circumstance, the 20s are
perfect.

Bernie

>Thanks, Eric. My feeling too. Just plain buggered (that's how we say
>it over here). Re Bernie's comments, what I didn't say was that sounds
>picked up from *anywhere* in the room - from any direction and any
>distance, like paper rustling or me talking some way behind one of the
>mics - sounded equally distorted. I don't think there is a sweet spot
>to be found! And why should the 3032s work so well in exactly the same
>positions? But I'll follow up what Bernie says with some further tests
>(XY, different locations etc) next week, though won't burden NR with
>the results unless to report that they suddenly go sweet.
>
>The hire price was extremely reasonable and the people are nice. I'll
>just suggest they could think about testing (and replacing) the mics!
>
>Schoeps - you tempt me. But as I think you know, we're using TLM 103s
>as the recording mics and we love them. Again, the 3032s are almost
>indistinguishable from these (very subtle, almost undetectable
>differences apart from the omni effect). They're just nice mics.
>Recorded with either the singer's speaking voice is almost uncannily
>real. Piano's good too - especially nice full sound in lower registers
>with 3032s.
>
>Oh, and btw, the whole point of these tests is to find good mics to
>use outdoors. I find the instrumental/voice material, and the dynamic
>range, just very revealing of what a mic can (and can't) do.
>
>romillyh
>
>
>--- In  "Eric Benjamin" <>
>wrote:
>>
>>  "Romilly Hambling" wrote
>>  > our recording sessions with a
>>  > a hired pair of Sennheiser mkh 20s (omnis)
>>  > and am totally baffled by the poor quality.
>>
>>  Romilly,
>>
>>  Without having the mics at hand for instrumented testing, I can only
>say
>>  that it sounds to me as though the mikes are busted (that's American
>for
>>  "don't work properly").  I would take them back to the hire shop and
>demand
>>  my money back.  Then use the AT3032s.
>>
>>  In a side-by-side simultaneous recording with two Schoeps MK2s, we
>found the
>>  AT3032s to be nearly indistinguishable from the Schoeps.  The
>Schoeps was
>>  slightly preferred unless things were really quiet, at which point the
>>  AT3032s were preferred.  The difference was extremely subtle.
>>
>>  Eric
>>
>>
>>



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