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MKE300D was Re: Yet another beginner gear question

Subject: MKE300D was Re: Yet another beginner gear question
From: "tk7859" tk7859
Date: Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:06 pm ((PDT))
--- In  "stoatwizard" <> wrote:


> The MKE300 is a nice starter mic at a good price, and used with the 
> rycote special 190 furry windgag (about GBP30) handles a reasonable 
> level of wind and works really well with MD. 
> 
> I'm a fan of this at the entry level - the bass-lightness makes it 
> easier to handle in the field and isn't a problem for birds, and the 
> mic givs a useful amount of directionality. Here's a Blackbird in a 
> wood recorded with a MKE300 and a MZ-NH700 first-gen HiMD, and a 
> simultaneous recording from the same location using a Sennheiser 
> KH30/40 (loads more $$$$)
> 
> http://www.suffolkbirds.co.uk/article/35/first-law-of-signal-
> processing
> 
> That's not to say the MKE300 is the best mic in the world, but I can 
> vouch for that particular combination - I have many pleasant 
> recordings made with that and it's reasonably lightweight and 
> unobtrusive.
>

Interesting.  A couple of weeks ago I bought a MKE300D.  My thinking
was this:

I am happy experimenting with my triplet mics made up from cheap
capsules.  Results have been very pleasing using them in barriers and
a recently completed 21", plastic, parabolic dish microphone is giving
very good results - strong focussed sound against a stereo background.
 However, neither the barrier or the parabolic could be described as a
"grab and go" microphone.  I felt the need to have a recording system
that, at a moments notice, I could grab from the bench in the utility
room and be out recording that unusual bird song in the garden.

The recorder was no problem - my MZ-RH910 is relatively ergonomic.  I
toyed with the idea of a K6/ME66 combo but in the UK the retail price
is 50% more than a pair of matched NT1As. Given my interest in
recording ambience the K6/ME66 looks unattractive at that price.

So the MKE300D it was.

So far I'm pleased with the purchase.  It sits permanently caged in a
home made suspension/handle/ windjammer.  It is no match for the
parabolic triplets but then I won't be taking that along too often on
my regular 5 mile walk.

A big disapointment is that it will not fit on the hot shoe of my JVC
video recorder.  I think that hot shoe is an in-house item
specifically for their zoom mic.  I therefore have to hold the MKE300D
in one hand and operate the camera with the other - probably a good thing.

Well I don't have any excuse now for not taking my recording kit along.

Cheers- Tom







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