Oktava MK-012 - Three microphones in One!!!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Gear Used in my Video:
Sony AX53 - amzn.to/2KrQ6YS
Manfrotto Tripod - amzn.to/2Wfl2y3
Falcon F7 Light - amzn.to/2IRXSej
Ulanzi VL49 - amzn.to/3oUcY23 and the RGB Version - amzn.to/34h5AG9
Manfrotto Mini Tripod - amzn.to/3mjJs43
Beachtek Preamplifier - amzn.to/2JY6kt6
The Oktava MK-012 is one of those mics that seems to work well in most conditions. Then you can improve the sound by changing the capsule.
The omni capsule is great for recording more than two people in an interview like situation. It picks up nicely from all around and I've even used it plonked upright on a mini stand in the middle of a table. It picked up everyone around it.
The cardioid is one that many like to use boomed. It has good rear rejection so if you have a low ceiling, this one might work well. It is slightly more treble laden than many other cardioid pencil mics, but that helps with clarity of speech.
The hyper-cardioid is more directional amore 'smooth' kind of sound. It rejects very well so is a good one to use in noisy situations or in a room full of reverb. This one is often used by videographers, boomed on a pole or stand.
There are other capsules that you can buy separately as well as a -10dB attenuator and a high pass filter. They are physical additions to the mic and screw to the top of the body before adding the capsule, so there are no switches on the mic.
This one and the SE8 are my two favourite pencil microphones. This one is more versatile than the SE8 because of the different heads that you can put on it.
Mine has no hyper cardio but hypo cardio, first time I see this directivity
9:12 OMG the sound of the hyper-cardioid is insanely good 👍 such a rich sound and very clear as well, full of low-ends without being muddy
It’s a funny thing David, that many people find it difficult to hear some differences in microphones but for me, the hyper-cardioid is a rich, smooth sound that rejects room reverb pretty well. I love this mic but once you go higher, you pay a lot more for small improvements. For me, this one is worth it.
@@iancraig So I have 6 of the hypercardioid MK-012s and a Sennheiser MKH8050. I can honestly say if you're doing a stationary boom or have really good shockmounting then the Oktava gets you 90% as good results.
Oktavia sounded brighter to me than the SE8. I am tempted to upgrade from my Samson C02 to the Oktavia with HC head.
The Oktava cardioid capsule is significantly brighter, Mike. Another one I haven’t featured is the Lewitt lct340 if you want a pencil mike. Thing is with pencils is that they often hiss more than other types though.
Ultimate in low noise with an amazingly crisp sound .... Lewitt LCT440. Not that cheap but seriously quiet mic. Not a pencil mic though.
The Oktava probably has better self noise than the Samson which I know can be a bit hissy.
Thanks for the comparison 👍
Always a pleasure Ian. Thanks for continuing to make videos!
I've been hearing and seeing rave reviews about this mic. Very tempted to get one.
It does sound great, even in my box room!
There is a guy in Moscow who re-developed the intestines of Oktava. Came in very handy because with that re-designed circuitry (complete with a new PCB) it became less self-noisy and there is quite noticeable gain increase, which is good. I use it with FetHead Phantom. I find it more suitable for higher voices because of that signature “warmth” and “bassy-ness”.
Hi, when was it redeveloped? I've just ordered a pair of them today. Will I get the new circuitry?
Fantastic review and demonstration of the mics! It's exactly what I was looking for regarding the Oktava capsules and the SE8 was a great bonus! I used my Sony MDR-7509 headphones to listen to the cardioid examples of both mics. I noticed the SE8 was a little quieter so boosted the gain. Listening carefully, it seems like the SE8 more s rejection issues and less warm (digital + canny sounding) but just slightly? The price difference on the SE8 is pretty great tho. Which do you think is better?
You know, I couldn't choose between them if I'm honest. Both excellent mics. The Oktava came as a set of three capsules so that is useful. Then again, the second is quiet with regards to self noise. These days, I'm using an stc1 or Avantone or even a t.bone sc140. All great mics.
Great demo.
Thanks Richard. I always want to remake old videos though, and improve them tbh.
@@iancraig i understand. I sometimes do go back and redo my editing etc. Thank You
Thanks for these mic videos! I love how the hyper cardioid capsule sounds. I was wondering how this mic with the regular cardiod capsule compares to the t.bone SC 140. Have you ever compared them? I have a great AKG shotgun mic and am looking to find something that will work well for indoor situations. Thanks again.
If you like the supercardioid sound, you may not be as keen on the sc140. The t.bone has less bass weight and is a little more treble focused. To be honest, I like the clarity of the 140.
@@iancraig Thanks! I'm also looking at the EM700 which is supercardioid so that could be an affordable option as well. Any thoughts on that?
I don’t know that one tbh.
Awesome video. Great info! Thank you!
Thanks David. I really like the Oktava mic. Just released a video comparing it with the SE Electronics SE8.
Great comparison, thank you.
I’m glad it was useful.
The hyper-cardioid is really amazing sound, I love to use that capsule but not for video I want it for podcast. That said I have a question, do you know compatible hyper-cardioid/super-cardioid capsules for the Behringer B5? I'm really in love with that mic, but It only have omni and cardioid!
Also, is there any difference between hyper-cardioid and super-cardiod capsules? Thanks.
I’m sorry, I don’ypt know of any capsules that would fit the B5. Why not contact Behringer and ask if they would sell you one? Do theymake a suoer cardioid for the b5? I can’t remember if I have two or three calsules. I think it’s only 2. Omni and cardioid.
Hyper cardioids have a tighter pick up on the front, so they’re a bit more deadly than a super cardioid. Great for rejection but only to pick up one or maybe two people at one time because if you move tour head around, you will hear it on a hyper cardioid.
For me, in my poor sounding front room, the hyper cardioid works well. It really hones in and so it sounds more full than the other heads. It also picks up less reverb. That’s my favourite capsule. It seems to pick out the voice and eq it all on its own!
@@iancraig
I will ask them and then I will comment again to have new material to review ;)
You have convinced me, hyper-cardioid will be! xD
I am seeing supercardioid pattern is an intermediate step between cardioid and hyper-cardioid, which is not bad but of course for what I want it the hyper-cardioid pattern is perfect.
Thanks again for your answers, I'll tell you how the consultation went.
@@iancraig Hi, I got bad news. I just can't contact Behringer, I don't know how to do ^^'''
Also, there's no information about capsules for pencil microphones, and worst the exact size. I guess all capsules have the same sizes, but that's not the impresion I got when I was looking this mics. I don't know.
BUT, I have an alternative solution: just to buy another mic with the hyper-cardioid capsule and then use a small accesory called 'FetHead Phantom'. I think with that It's posible clean the signal of almost all floor noice from the mic.
I don't know, what you think about this solution?
Hi. I mentioned your question of super v hyper cardioid on my recent live stream! I couldn’t remember who had asked so I talked about polar patterns on it. That stream is about cinematic video!
I use a Fethead phantom with my Oktava quite often. I don’t have to really because my preamp is fairly quiet but it makes the output of the mic a lot stronger so you can turn the preamp right down. At least that way, you only really get the self noise from the mic and not self noise plus preamp noise!!
Imo, the Fetheads work really well. They are brilliant with dynamic mics. (Not the phantom version though) I use that as well with my dynamics. Makes nonsense of the low sensitivity of a dynamic mic.
I don’t think that there is a hyper capsule for the B5 and unfortunately, the screw threads and fit aren’t standard so swapping them out might not be that simple. I had a quick look.
For me in my acoustically poor room, the hyper cardioid is ideal. It really hones in on the voice. By comparison, close up, it can sound quite a bit thicker than the cardioid and omni. But it excels when you take it back. In other words, boomed. It beats the pants off the cardioid in sound because the cardioid goes thinner. Cardioid is good closer indoors (with a cover on) and the omni works outdoors close up because it doesn’t react as much to wind as the other two. Also, no proximity effect with an omni.
So I choose my capsule according to where I am.
If you’re not happy with the B5 cardioid, I would honestly get just the Oktava body and a hyper capsule.
You can buy each component separate. I have all three heads because I have to make videos in very different environments and they’re not just home videos, so the audio needs to be good.
For instance, I had to do a UK Tourist Board video with interviews in the Summer in a seaside town called Bournemouth, just after lockdown. For that, to keep a low profile, I actually used a GoPro with its wide field of view and the hyper cardioid capsule. That gave a lovely view of the pier with my interviewees (holiday people) talking in front. I ‘underslung’ the hyper cardioid on a selfie stick!!!
The mic was heavily covered but I chose a calm sunny day to do it. It picked up the people I was interviewing beautifully and sounded lovely and full outside. If it was breezy, I would have used the omni close up.
But the cheaper option is just buy a body and one capsule. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about the audio. The Fethead as well would be a bonus if your preamp isn’t too good. The Oktava needs more gain than say the se8. I would use the se8 with a cheaper preamp. It’s not quite as good but is perfectly useable. The Fethead would keep preamp noise down.
If you’re making anything serious, I wouldn’t skimp on a microphone tbh. A good microphone makes your life a lot easier and actually, even if the video doesn’t look that great, people are far more accepting if the audio is good. I don’t take chances with anything serious as far as audio goes. IMO, audio an be more difficult than video!!!! That’s because we are so much less aware of the acoustics in a room because our brains translate it very efficiently. If the light is wrong, we plainly see it but we tend not to hear acoustics properly.
@@iancraig Thanks for the reply man, unfortunately I don't want to spend more than 200€... In one single mic, It's insane. And I really want the hyper-cardioid capsule or at least the super-cardioid one. I think I'm gonna decline for the neewer nw-410 with FetHead Phantom, or maybe without the Fethead.
I just want a nice mic for talk and do a bit of amateur podcast, nothing really serious.
Again, thanks for your replay, I really apreciate it.
Do you like more oktava mk012 or sennheiser mke 600?
I prefer the Oktava. It comes with three distinct capsules and so is way more useful in different situations. It has a more luxurious bottom end and a great ‘clarity’ about its sound that makes the Semnheiser seem quite bland. (And the Rode ntg4)
Ian Craig - Audio, Video, Reviews & Tips Thank you very much Ian for your time. I am thinking in buying only the hypercardioid, I am not seeing any situation were i might need the other capsules. All the best!
Thanks for this. I'm using the Citronic at the moment because it was so cheap. But I'm seriously considering picking this up to use with the hypercardioid capsule, although being swayed by the versatility of the Deity D3. For indoors would this be considerably better than the Deity?
It’s possibly a little more refined than the D3. I’m always a little wary of shotgun type mics indoors. (Mics with side rejection ports) The reason being that other than in treated rooms, they can produce a weird tonal change depending on what those side rejection ports actually reject. The wall reflections that leak into the mic in order to ‘phase cancel’ noise can interact with the direct sound and cause the mic sound to become boomy.
That’s basically why I don’t tend to use shotguns inside. I have a Rode NTG5 that sounds thick and congested in a small room but brilliant outside.
If you would get a lot of use out of the D3 portable, on top of your camera as well, then it’s worth it, but for indoor speech, I’d be happier with the Oktava.
@@iancraig Thanks for the reply. Pretty much confirms what I'm thinking. Now if I could just find the movie set in stock, not even Thomann have them atm.
Are you UK based? Thomann look as though they’ll have them in a week. The super cardioid sounds best boomed further back. It has a thicker sound than the cardioid. Closer, I find the cardioid great. More clarity in the treble for speech.
@@iancraig Yeah UK. I'm hoping to not need to have the Octava so close. I need to get the Citronic really close to sound good in my room. Makes it really hard to keep it out of shot. Even just an extra inch or two more reach would be useful.
Oh ok. The hyper is great further back. I personally don’t like it close. It sounds dead and closed in. Then the cardioid works well with its boosted treble. On a boom, the hyper sounds really full; almost shotgun like really, except it doesn’t catch weird artifacts from walls like shotguns can. (Via the rejection slots) I can see why video people would like the hyper cardioid on a boom.
The only problem buying from Thomann now is import tax and handling fees. Because it’s not a budget mic, (as far as I’m concerned anyway) the costs might be high.
I know what you mean about the Citronic. Goes thinner as you back off.
I see you’re a headphone guy. I started a headphone site a few years back with a great guy called Solderdude from Holland. It doesn’t do much these days but we had great fun with it. DIYAH or DIY Audio Heaven and a more serious site run by Solderdude where he measured a ton of headphones.
After all the years I have spent with headphones, I just return to a Senn HD650 powered via one of Solderdude’s amps, the Polaris or an Ifi IDSD. The HD650 is kind of that ‘middle ground’ where there is no piercing treble or overblown bass (at least not massively) with mids to die for as far as headphones go. I'm a retired musician and spent a lot of time recording in studios.
I have continually found so many that sound impressive at first but they become fatiguing. DT19990, DT1770, Fostex ... can’t remember the number off hand... it is a red coloured headphone. Closed.
They’re all such nice headphones and I have spent a fortune, only to return to the one I have owned since it came out . The HD650. I had the early rendidtions of it too when they came out ... the HD600 and the ones before that one.
I’ve used headphones for over 50 years, starting with some old JVC’s and then the Senn HD414 which I thought was amazing. And those were the days when headphone use was regarded as a very poor way to listen. Not really until the old portable tape machines were headphones taken a little more seriously, when I moved on to another headphone that I’ve also had since it came out, the Portapro..... just because it kind of ‘resembled’ the Senns in sound.
The hd600 and hd650 have such great 'spatial' representation with such good mids, but so many people these days want more of an 'in yer face' flashy sound and so the hd650 sound is kind of regarded as 'old fashioned' I guess.
Headphone forums have quite a tough time these days, other than Headfi so I rarely turn up on mine now!
There's a guy here in the US that modifies the power supply to add premium parts and it greatly improves the sound. Say the word and I'll connect you.
I’d heard about that Allen. Lowers the noise floor. I think he might have made a video somewhere on here explaining it too.
I have the Oktava MK-012 kit with the 10dB pad and the three capsules, I picked it up around 4 months ago. I find myself using it for all the indoor dialog scenes now especially with the hyper cardioid capsule. I haven’t noticed any real noise issues with it, but I am curious about this mod you speak of Allan and Ian. Nice video by the way. The Oktava hypercardiod capsule sounds really good for your voice.
@Sound Speeds is that you? Can you make these mods to the Oktava?
thanks for the video! May I ask what mic you were using to record the first part of the audio? Or was it all done with the Octava?
I used an SE Electronic SE8 going into a Beachtek preamp straight into my camera. Ax53. Do you think the SE8 sounds better than the Oktava?
I have a pair modded by Michael Joly. My precious as I call them. I only have the cardioid small capsules but also have a pair of MK-102 large diaphragm capsules which I adore and got a single MK-104 capsule that I haven't tested much yet. I think they are discontinued The fact they are modular is incredibly addictive. I'm interested in acquiring supercardiod capsule and maybe one figure 8.
Very nice. Lower noise with the mod.
The super cardioid capsule has a less ‘strident’ sound. Top end is slightly reduced in comparison to the cardioid, which can be a bit inconvenient if you mix the two together.