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Re: Shure VP88 vs Sennheiser MKE44-p

Subject: Re: Shure VP88 vs Sennheiser MKE44-p
From: "Antti Sakari Saario" antti_saario
Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:28 am (PDT)
Hi,

I have had a MKE-44P in my mic collection since 1998 and have used it 
on wide range of applications and can report the following:

1) Very light bass response that becomes particularly evident when 
recording soundfields with prominent bass content. Have found myself 
reaching for the EQ on many occasions (e.g. urban soundscape recordings 
tended towards the thin).

2). Coloured sound which can be lived with if you are happy to tinker 
with your spectral balance in post-production (I have never had to use 
the mic for non-produced recordings such as realistic representations 
of an ambience or analytical purposes). Basically the top end sounds a 
tad unexciting if one listens to a lot of material recorded with the 
mic. I have created a preset "corrective" EQ setting that I use to 
bring things more in to line (i.e. I got a preset EQ file that I use 
with Audioease Periccope EQ or with GRM TDM EQ depending on which is 
available. Particularly the Periscope EQ can be truly recommended if 
one needs a surgical EQ that does not ruin your sound).

3) Windshield handling was mentioned in some earlier posts and MKE44P 
certainly is a lot easier to mount than Rode NT4 say and is not too 
sensitive towards handling noise (have had to even use it handheld on 
few occasions) unlike the Rode which I find a nightmare on a Rycote 
shockmount with or without a fishpole. Otherwise I do tend to prefer 
the Rode even though again it is far from ideal if not working with 
nearfield sources.

4) Plenty of noise to be found on this mic, particularly when recording 
ambience or other very quiet sources. Admittedly it has been getting 
worse over the years and now the mic if used gets to functions as a 
quick stereo pair in a loud room or as a fast and dirty overhead 
solution.

5) I have used also the equivalent priced ECM series, Audio Techinca 
822 (if I remeber right from the top of my head - the one that looks 
like a hammerhead shark) and the Rode NT4 and they all have their 
shortcomings which appears to be a fact of life at this price point. If 
I were to buy just one such item right now I would get the NT4 just for 
its sound but if the ability to move the mic whilst recording is high 
on your agenda then the Rode's price goes up considerably.

6) Above comments are mainly based on using the mic on-field with 
either a DAP1 or DAP20 with their respective inbuilt preamps and 
admittedly the performance of the mic is considerably better when I 
have used it indoors with a DACS mic pre.

Hope that this helps your decision making and hopefully you will enjoy 
the characteristics of which ever mic you get as perfection does not 
appear to exist.

Regards,
                Antti Sakari Saario


On 26 Aug 2006, at 21:31, lampmeister wrote:

>
>  Anyone able to tell me anything about the Sennheiser MKE44-p? I've
>  looked *everywhere* for info/reviews/user comments on this mic, but
>  still have found nothing [sigh].
>
Dr Antti Sakari Saario
Lecturer and Director of Studies in Music Technology
LICA - Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts
Room A4A, Music Building, Lancaster University, LA1 4YW, UK
Tel: +44(0)1524594496 / Fax: +44(0)1524 593939







"Microphones are not ears,
Loudspeakers are not birds,
A listening room is not nature."
Klas Strandberg

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