Sennheiser ME66

PaulGriffith

PaulGriffith

Hey audio guys :)

What's your opinion on the Sennheiser ME66?

How does it compare to a MKH 416?

I'm reserving rentals for our shoot next month. Found a decent price for the ME66 but I don't know much about it. We'll be running through a Zoom H4n.

Thanks much!

Oh, and whatever we go with will probably be the only mic on set. 95% of the dialogue is indoors in a "controlled" environment but there's a bit outside and our operator will be getting lots of nice ambience as well.

Thanks.
 
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Shotgun mics are never a good choice for indoors*. I would get a hypercardioid like the AT4053b or the SE300B if that is an option. Given the choice I would go for the MKH-416, it's a bit fuller and more present sounding. Don't get me wrong, the -66 is a nice mic but the -416 is a lot nicer.


*Really experienced boom-ops can use shotguns indoors, but it takes a great deal of skill. You should do as much sound treatment to the room as possible - sound blankets, carpeting, etc. and make sure that you get the mic in really close.
 
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Trew Audio. Good folks, good prices and they ship just about anywhere. Give 'em a shout and see what they have available; if not the two I recommended they'll have something as good or better.

PS - they can put together a nice production sound package for you at a good rate.
 
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The NTG-3 is a really nice mic, considered by many as the poor mans -416. However, he is renting, not buying, and the rental houses that I am familiar with don't stock them as of yet. Most folks who rent expensive sound packages want the tried and true, and the NTG-3 hasn't been around long enough to fall into that category. Rode has come up with some very nice budget-priced products, but they aren't one of the "good 'ol boys" yet. (There's some inside buzz that they are developing an under $1k field recorder - can't wait!)
 
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It's interesting that you say this. We have used shotguns many times in the studio where lavs aren't a good option. They work fine. The advantage is that you can have guests come into the LIVE show without having to mic them up in a one minute break.

Guests like it as well. You aren't forced to help a female thread the mic up her top...if you know the problems with that.
 
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The thing is, a studio setting may well support the use of a shotgun, provided there are no reflective surfaces in the vicinity of the talent being boomed. The problem with shotguns indoors is where there are reflective surfaces nearby which reflect sound into the interference tube often causing a "ringyness" to the signal. I, too, have some some indoor applications for shotguns when the room is large and/or less reflective.

scottfs said:
It's interesting that you say this. We have used shotguns many times in the studio where lavs aren't a good option. They work fine. The advantage is that you can have guests come into the LIVE show without having to mic them up in a one minute break.

Guests like it as well. You aren't forced to help a female thread the mic up her top...if you know the problems with that.
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gpforet001 said:
The problem with shotguns indoors is where there are reflective surfaces nearby which reflect sound into the interference tube often causing a "ringyness" to the signal.
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Interesting. I just used an older M-66 shotgun for my latest feature - indoors and out - and never noticed anything like that. I'm not contradicting you and Alcove; I'm sure you know what you're talking about. Few of my indoor locations had flat, blank surfaces, though. From a production design perspective, I wouldn't want that anyway. :)
 
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gpforet001 said:
The thing is, a studio setting may well support the use of a shotgun, provided there are no reflective surfaces in the vicinity of the talent being boomed. The problem with shotguns indoors is where there are reflective surfaces nearby which reflect sound into the interference tube often causing a "ringyness" to the signal. I, too, have some some indoor applications for shotguns when the room is large and/or less reflective.
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A television studio usually has high ceilings and, whether you've noticed it or not, some sound control is inherent in the design and many have some additional sound treatment spread around the studio. Add in the fact that, as I mentioned in my first post
Really experienced boom-ops can use shotguns indoors, but it takes a great deal of skill.
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2001 Productions said:
Interesting. I just used an older M-66 shotgun for my latest feature - indoors and out - and never noticed anything like that. I'm not contradicting you and Alcove; I'm sure you know what you're talking about. Few of my indoor locations had flat, blank surfaces, though. From a production design perspective, I wouldn't want that anyway. :)
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Most low/no/micro budget indie film types seem to choose an empty room in which to shoot; blank walls, low ceilings (normal home height of 8 feet or so), no carpeting and then pull all of the furniture out to make room for the equipment and crew - leaving it an echo chamber. Then they hand a boomed shotgun to a PA with nothing to do who points it at the wall between the two actors instead of at them and voila! super roomy echoey sound!

My soapbox has always been that you need to pay as much, if not more, attention to the sound as you do the visuals; but my advice goes largely ignored. Then I get "why can't you get rid of the echo?" when they bring it in for audio post.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Most low/no/micro budget indie film types seem to choose an empty room in which to shoot; blank walls, low ceilings (normal home height of 8 feet or so), no carpeting and then pull all of the furniture out to make room for the equipment and crew - leaving it an echo chamber. Then they hand a boomed shotgun to a PA with nothing to do who points it at the wall between the two actors instead of at them and voila! super roomy echoey sound!
Click to expand...

Aah, got it. Hard to believe you could get decent sound with any microphone under those conditions. :hmm:
 
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