Episode Highlights:
- Introduction and shout-outs to our sponsors: Tribooth and Austrian Audio.
- Overview of the Facebook group microphone poll.
- Detailed discussion of popular microphones including the Shure SM7B, Rode NT1A, Neumann TLM103, Audio-Technica AT2020, and the Sennheiser MKH 416.
- Insights into user preferences and experiences with these microphones.
- Special mention of the Austrian Audio OC18 and its popularity among listeners.
- George's recommendation of the Audio-Technica AT875R as an affordable shotgun mic alternative.
- Stories of exceptional customer service from Sennheiser.
- Discussion on the Sennheiser MKH 800 Twin and its advanced features.
(0:00) Y'all ready to be history? Get started. (0:02) Welcome. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hello, everyone. (0:05) To the pro audio suite. These guys are professional, they're motivated. (0:09) Thanks to Triboose, the best vocal booths for home or on the road voice recording. (0:14) And Austrian Audio, making passion heard. (0:17) Introducing Robert Marshall from Source Elements and someone audio post Chicago. (0:22) Darren Robert Robertson from Voodoo Radio Imaging, Sydney. (0:25) Next to the VO stars, George the Tech Whittem from LA. (0:28) And me, Andrew Pinkers, voiceover talent and home studio guy. (0:32) Line up, man. Here we go. (0:36) And welcome to another pro audio suite. Thanks to Triboose. (0:39) Don't forget that code, T-R-I-P-A-P 200 to get $200 off your booth. (0:45) And Austrian Audio, making passion heard. (0:48) We've had a bit of a passionate response to our new Facebook group, (0:52) which is the pro audio suite podcast group. (0:56) And Rubbo threw up a survey about microphones, (1:00) which one people would like to use and do use and don't use. (1:04) Yeah, I just, I kind of figured a robust discussion about microphones is always well received. (1:10) So I figured I'd start one and it's only a small sample because we've only just started the group. (1:15) But some of the results sort of had me thinking a bit. (1:18) So basically what I did was I did a poll. (1:20) And I didn't go with my favorites. (1:23) I just went with the microphones that as a freelance audio engineer, (1:27) when I'm walking into other studios, I come across a lot. (1:30) And I stuck them up there with an option for people to put their own up there as well. (1:34) So the ones I put up were the SM7B, the NT1A, the TLM103, AT2020, 416, of course. (1:43) And that was about it. (1:44) And then left it open for people to sort of put their own up. (1:48) And the question was, which one's your best mate? (1:51) So what's the microphone that you choose in your studio? (1:55) Now, I've got to be honest, I kind of did figure that the 416 would feature fairly heavily and it has. (2:02) I mean, the 7B sort of comes in fairly close and the TLM103 are exactly the same in terms of response. (2:11) But then some of the ones in the comments were sort of interesting as well. (2:15) Well, the one I thought was interesting was someone jumped on to Bill. (2:21) Now I've got to try and get his name right. (2:25) Bill Answa. Is that right? (2:26) Answa. (2:27) Yeah, I think it's Bill Answa. (2:28) Anyway, sorry, Bill, if I got your name wrong. (2:31) He is using the Austrian audio OC18 into an SSL2. (2:36) Well, someone's been listening to our podcast. (2:38) And is he using the 4K button? (2:40) He says. (2:41) Yes, he does. (2:42) Yeah, he goes, yes, indeed. (2:44) Thanks for teaching me that. (2:44) Yeah, and Phil writes on the Lewitt, which doesn't feature fairly. (2:49) Yeah, we mentioned it on the show, but I don't see it a lot. (2:55) What else was the other one? (2:56) What's the 875R? What's that, a shotgun? (3:00) It's an excellent, excellent bargain shotgun mic. (3:05) Is it? (3:05) Right. (3:05) It's the one that you recommend, George, isn't it? (3:07) It's so good. (3:08) Like, it's only Achilles heel is that it's not the quietest mic. (3:12) Self-noise is, you know, not as good as a 416. (3:15) But it's a damn good substitute. (3:18) You know, it sounds similar. (3:20) I have one. (3:21) So one of these days we'll pull it out and we'll compare it. (3:23) Yeah, I'd love to hear it. (3:25) But it sounds similar. (3:26) It's not quite as large. (3:28) It's sort of like a short shotgun. (3:30) Is the polar pattern as tight as a 416? (3:32) I would say no. (3:33) I would definitely say it's not as tight at all. (3:37) It's a more, nowhere near sophisticated mic. (3:40) It doesn't have that very complex line tube interference design. (3:45) Yeah. (3:45) So anyway, it's a very simple mic, but it just sounds good. (3:49) And they're always under 200 US, 175 maybe. (3:53) So that one's a... (3:54) 169 B? (3:55) That one's a great value. (3:56) And we've been recommending it a lot to folks who want a stunt mic. (4:00) Well, this is an interesting one from Jeff Berlin. (4:03) Obviously the obligatory 416. (4:06) But he also has a Bosch or Soundalux U195. (4:10) I don't know that microphone. (4:12) What do you say? (4:12) I have a Soundalux U99. (4:15) And it is basically a clone of a U67 using an actual EF86 tube. (4:22) And the Soundalux mics became Bach. (4:25) Yeah, that's right. (4:27) Yeah. (4:28) And they are pretty high-end mics. (4:30) They got bought by Universal Audio. (4:32) Yeah, that's correct. (4:33) Oh, really? (4:33) Yeah. (4:33) Wow, that's too bad? (4:35) Is that too bad? (4:36) I don't know. (4:36) I don't know. (4:37) I mean... (4:38) It's kind of weird. (4:38) I thought they bought Sphere microphones. (4:40) They had to buy all of them microphone companies. (4:42) So I threw all the mics that were in the comments, I think, into the survey. (4:46) So it's easier to see. (4:49) And it's going to make it easier for people to continue voting. (4:51) But did you see anything that surprised you here? (4:55) Not me. (4:55) Nothing really. (4:56) I mean, there's certainly plenty of ones that you don't see regularly in professional studios, (5:01) not that that means jack shit. (5:02) Because in a professional studio, you're looking for a workhorse that will do a whole bunch (5:07) of things, I guess, especially in post-production houses, as opposed to music studios. (5:13) There's just no representation of a PZM mic here. (5:16) Come on. (5:17) There's no crown PZMs? (5:19) Oh, man. (5:21) Like, turn my wall into the microphone. (5:22) Yeah, that's
00:00:00
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai - Go Unlimited to remove this message) Y'all ready to be history?
00:00:01
Get started.
00:00:01
Welcome.
00:00:02
Hi.
00:00:02
Hi.
00:00:03
Hi.
00:00:04
Hello, everyone.
00:00:05
To the pro audio suite.
00:00:06
These guys are professional, they're motivated.
00:00:08
Thanks to Triboose, the best vocal booths for
00:00:11
home or on the road voice recording.
00:00:13
And Austrian Audio, making passion heard.
00:00:16
Introducing Robert Marshall from Source Elements and someone
00:00:20
audio post Chicago.
00:00:22
Darren Robert Robertson from Voodoo Radio Imaging, Sydney.
00:00:24
Next to the VO stars, George the Tech
00:00:27
Whittem from LA.
00:00:28
And me, Andrew Pinkers, voiceover talent and home
00:00:31
studio guy.
00:00:32
Line up, man.
00:00:33
Here we go.
00:00:36
And welcome to another pro audio suite.
00:00:37
Thanks to Triboose.
00:00:39
Don't forget that code, T-R-I-P
00:00:41
-A-P 200 to get $200 off your
00:00:44
booth.
00:00:45
And Austrian Audio, making passion heard.
00:00:48
We've had a bit of a passionate response
00:00:49
to our new Facebook group, which is the
00:00:53
pro audio suite podcast group.
00:00:56
And Rubbo threw up a survey about microphones,
00:00:59
which one people would like to use and
00:01:01
do use and don't use.
00:01:03
Yeah, I just, I kind of figured a
00:01:06
robust discussion about microphones is always well received.
00:01:10
So I figured I'd start one and it's
00:01:12
only a small sample because we've only just
00:01:13
started the group.
00:01:14
But some of the results sort of had
00:01:16
me thinking a bit.
00:01:17
So basically what I did was I did
00:01:19
a poll.
00:01:20
And I didn't go with my favorites.
00:01:23
I just went with the microphones that as
00:01:25
a freelance audio engineer, when I'm walking into
00:01:28
other studios, I come across a lot.
00:01:30
And I stuck them up there with an
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option for people to put their own up
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there as well.
00:01:34
So the ones I put up were the
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SM7B, the NT1A, the TLM103, AT2020, 416, of
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course.
00:01:42
And that was about it.
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And then left it open for people to
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sort of put their own up.
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And the question was, which one's your best
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mate?
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So what's the microphone that you choose in
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your studio?
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Now, I've got to be honest, I kind
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of did figure that the 416 would feature
00:01:59
fairly heavily and it has.
00:02:01
I mean, the 7B sort of comes in
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fairly close and the TLM103 are exactly the
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same in terms of response.
00:02:10
But then some of the ones in the
00:02:11
comments were sort of interesting as well.
00:02:15
Well, the one I thought was interesting was
00:02:17
someone jumped on to Bill.
00:02:21
Now I've got to try and get his
00:02:22
name right.
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Bill Answa.
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Is that right?
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Answa.
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Yeah, I think it's Bill Answa.
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Anyway, sorry, Bill, if I got your name
00:02:29
wrong.
00:02:30
He is using the Austrian audio OC18 into
00:02:34
an SSL2.
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Well, someone's been listening to our podcast.
00:02:38
And is he using the 4K button?
00:02:40
He says.
00:02:41
Yes, he does.
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Yeah, he goes, yes, indeed.
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Thanks for teaching me that.
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Yeah, and Phil writes on the Lewitt, which
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doesn't feature fairly.
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Yeah, we mentioned it on the show, but
00:02:51
I don't see it a lot.
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What else was the other one?
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What's the 875R?
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What's that, a shotgun?
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It's an excellent, excellent bargain shotgun mic.
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Is it?
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Right.
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It's the one that you recommend, George, isn't
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it?
00:03:07
It's so good.
00:03:08
Like, it's only Achilles heel is that it's
00:03:10
not the quietest mic.
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Self-noise is, you know, not as good
00:03:13
as a 416.
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But it's a damn good substitute.
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You know, it sounds similar.
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I have one.
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So one of these days we'll pull it
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out and we'll compare it.
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Yeah, I'd love to hear it.
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But it sounds similar.
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It's not quite as large.
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It's sort of like a short shotgun.
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Is the polar pattern as tight as a
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416?
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I would say no.
00:03:32
I would definitely say it's not as tight
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at all.
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It's a more, nowhere near sophisticated mic.
00:03:39
It doesn't have that very complex line tube
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interference design.
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Yeah.
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So anyway, it's a very simple mic, but
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it just sounds good.
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And they're always under 200 US, 175 maybe.
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So that one's a...
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169 B?
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That one's a great value.
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And we've been recommending it a lot to
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folks who want a stunt mic.
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Well, this is an interesting one from Jeff
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Berlin.
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Obviously the obligatory 416.
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But he also has a Bosch or Soundalux
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U195.
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I don't know that microphone.
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What do you say?
00:04:12
I have a Soundalux U99.
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And it is basically a clone of a
00:04:18
U67 using an actual EF86 tube.
00:04:22
And the Soundalux mics became Bach.
00:04:25
Yeah, that's right.
00:04:27
Yeah.
00:04:27
And they are pretty high-end mics.
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They got bought by Universal Audio.
00:04:31
Yeah, that's correct.
00:04:32
Oh, really?
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Yeah.
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Wow, that's too bad?
00:04:35
Is that too bad?
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I don't know.
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I don't know.
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I mean...
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It's kind of weird.
00:04:38
I thought they bought Sphere microphones.
00:04:39
They had to buy all of them microphone
00:04:41
companies.
00:04:41
So I threw all the mics that were
00:04:42
in the comments, I think, into the survey.
00:04:45
So it's easier to see.
00:04:48
And it's going to make it easier for
00:04:50
people to continue voting.
00:04:51
But did you see anything that surprised you
00:04:54
here?
00:04:54
Not me.
00:04:55
Nothing really.
00:04:55
I mean, there's certainly plenty of ones that
00:04:58
you don't see regularly in professional studios, not
00:05:00
that that means jack shit.
00:05:02
Because in a professional studio, you're looking for
00:05:04
a workhorse that will do a whole bunch
00:05:07
of things, I guess, especially in post-production
00:05:09
houses, as opposed to music studios.
00:05:12
There's just no representation of a PZM mic
00:05:15
here.
00:05:16
Come on.
00:05:17
There's no crown PZMs?
00:05:19
Oh, man.
00:05:20
Like, turn my wall into the microphone.
00:05:22
Yeah, that's right.
00:05:24
The MK4, the Sennheiser, what's an MK4?
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It's like a lower end shotgun.
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No, actually, no.
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It's their entry-level side address LCD.
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Large diaphragm.
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Oh, okay.
00:05:35
Large diaphragm.
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It's like, I mean, I think in character,
00:05:40
it's somewhere very similar to a TLM102 or
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103.
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It's in that range.
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Is it kind of like the AKG perception?
00:05:47
Kind of.
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It's like that zone.
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But I mean, it's not that cheap.
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It's still a $400 mic.
00:05:53
I think it's more like a two.
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Oh, it's used.
00:05:57
Maybe it's used $200.
00:05:58
Yeah, maybe.
00:05:59
I mean, Guitar Center's got them, but maybe
00:06:01
those are used.
00:06:02
But Sweetwater's trying to sell it for $400.
00:06:04
How much is an AKG perception?
00:06:07
LDC.
00:06:07
I don't know.
00:06:08
They're quite a bit cheaper, like 200 range.
00:06:12
So, yeah, the Sennheiser MK4 is not bad
00:06:14
at all.
00:06:15
There's quite a few people who have those.
00:06:17
Well, speaking of Sennheiser, just as an aside,
00:06:20
Chris McCallum, who we've had on the show,
00:06:22
he's probably one of Australia's best known location
00:06:25
recordists, put up a post about his Sennheiser.
00:06:29
He says, I have an interesting occurrence with
00:06:32
a 10 year old Sennheiser MKH8060 shotgun mic.
00:06:36
One day it stopped working without warning and
00:06:38
only issued a static frequency.
00:06:40
I've taken it to Sennheiser's service and they've
00:06:42
discovered that they are unable to open the
00:06:44
mic as the special screws holding the electronics
00:06:46
inside the barrel are completely seized.
00:06:49
They say they can see no sign of
00:06:50
corrosion, but are unable to open the mic,
00:06:52
sort of shoring it open.
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What has surprised me is they have offered
00:06:55
to take possession of this mic and offer
00:06:57
me a brand new one for an exchange
00:06:59
of $700.
00:07:00
These mics now retail for well over $2
00:07:03
.
00:07:03
So, I'm very happy with the outcome.
00:07:07
So, this is now the second new exchange
00:07:09
I've had since the original purchase, as there
00:07:10
was a recall in the very early serial
00:07:12
numbers.
00:07:13
So, it was replaced then as well.
00:07:15
I can't really fault their response and commitment
00:07:16
to their brand.
00:07:17
So, hey, that's...
00:07:18
Did you see my response on that?
00:07:21
No.
00:07:21
What's yours?
00:07:22
What did you say on that?
00:07:22
But they're charging him...
00:07:24
I was the original recording of the screws
00:07:26
falling out.
00:07:29
They're basically saying they'll do the repair for
00:07:31
$700.
00:07:32
So, they're basically giving him a brand new
00:07:34
mic for $700, yeah.
00:07:36
As the repair?
00:07:37
As the repair, I guess, yeah.
00:07:38
I'd say yes if it came with a
00:07:39
one year warranty.
00:07:40
Right.
00:07:41
At least.
00:07:41
Or whatever the new warranty is, I guess.
00:07:44
It's a bit of a bummer though.
00:07:47
But yeah.
00:07:47
I had a similar thing.
00:07:48
I actually had a similar thing happen with
00:07:50
my 416.
00:07:52
It was an old one and it was
00:07:54
playing up, I sent it into Sennheiser and
00:07:56
they kind of said, look, we can fix
00:07:58
it, but it's probably going to cost, you
00:07:59
know, almost the same price as a...
00:08:02
Probably about half the cost of a new
00:08:04
one.
00:08:04
And then they...
00:08:06
Yeah.
00:08:06
But then they sort of said, look, you
00:08:08
can fix it, but we can't guarantee it
00:08:10
because it is old and there's components could
00:08:11
let go.
00:08:12
Then did me a cracking deal on a
00:08:14
new 416.
00:08:16
Nice.
00:08:17
As long as the mic wasn't cracking, that's
00:08:18
a good deal.
00:08:19
Yeah, exactly.
00:08:20
Well, the first one was, the second one
00:08:21
wasn't.
00:08:23
Are you making fun of this London accent?
00:08:24
So, that's 8060 is a step up from
00:08:25
the 416 in terms of...
00:08:27
Yeah, it looks like it.
00:08:29
Yeah, yeah.
00:08:29
Better signal response, maybe.
00:08:31
Yeah.
00:08:32
The 8000 series is sort of their...
00:08:35
That's their new flagship line.
00:08:38
You know, small diaphragm mics in the head.
00:08:39
Did Chris mention it in the episode when
00:08:41
we had him on?
00:08:42
I feel like he did.
00:08:43
I feel like he's sort of go to
00:08:45
mine.
00:08:45
Yeah, yeah.
00:08:46
But see, Chris doesn't have a microphone locker.
00:08:49
He has a microphone walk-in wardrobe.
00:08:52
Yes, exactly.
00:08:53
That's right.
00:08:55
Yeah.
00:08:56
He's the Imelda Marcos of microphones.
00:08:59
I think Sennheiser makes a sight address version
00:09:01
in that 8000 series.
00:09:02
It's multi-pattern and it's like $4000, but
00:09:06
it's supposed to be really excellent.
00:09:08
You know what I'm talking about?
00:09:08
800.
00:09:09
Is it the 800?
00:09:10
Is that what it is?
00:09:11
It's a really odd little mic.
00:09:12
It's very small.
00:09:16
And let's see if I can share.
00:09:18
No, it's a multi-pattern.
00:09:19
It's not the little small tiny ones.
00:09:20
I know, but it's really small.
00:09:22
I mean, I saw it at NAB.
00:09:24
I was like, oh my God, that thing's
00:09:27
tiny.
00:09:28
I think I saw your video.
00:09:29
I'm looking at the MKH 800 Twin.
00:09:33
This is a new model of microphone they
00:09:35
just launched.
00:09:36
This is a different animal completely from what
00:09:38
you're describing.
00:09:40
This one's 3200.
00:09:42
And it is their variable pattern mic where
00:09:46
you just simply...
00:09:47
What's that?
00:09:49
MKH 800 Twin?
00:09:50
Yeah, this is it right here.
00:09:52
I have it on screen, I think.
00:09:53
Maybe.
00:09:54
There it goes.
00:09:55
There it is.
00:09:57
Look at that sexy baby.
00:09:58
Quite spendy.
00:09:59
This picture doesn't show...
00:10:00
Well, you see how small it is by...
00:10:02
Because you can see the XLR barrel.
00:10:04
The tail, it's small.
00:10:06
It almost looks like a mic port pro,
00:10:08
the original one.
00:10:09
It is like the old KM86.
00:10:13
The Neumann KM86, which is a side address,
00:10:15
multi-pattern, small diaphragm mic that people go
00:10:19
kind of gaga over.
00:10:20
Well, that's quite a spendy mic, 3200.
00:10:23
Which is two symmetrical push-pull...
00:10:28
It's a dual diaphragm.
00:10:30
Is it dual output too?
00:10:32
Like, could we use it with our...
00:10:34
Yeah, so the way it works is you
00:10:35
simply pot up and down the other capsule,
00:10:39
and that's how you go.
00:10:40
So it's like...
00:10:41
But do you have a separate output of
00:10:42
the other capsule so we can run it
00:10:43
into our new software that you and I
00:10:45
have purchased?
00:10:46
Right.
00:10:48
Yeah, it is quite a spendy mic.
00:10:52
You know, it's so funny.
00:10:53
I have video of me interviewing the Sennheiser
00:10:56
rep at NAB on YouTube, and someone's like,
00:10:59
Hey, isn't that Julian Kraus standing right behind
00:11:04
him?
00:11:04
It was Julian Kraus standing behind you.
00:11:07
It was, it was like I missed an
00:11:09
opportunity to chat with him.
00:11:11
Oh, I saw it when I saw your
00:11:12
video.
00:11:12
I saw him in the background.
00:11:13
He was having a look at the mics
00:11:14
as well.
00:11:15
Is that Julian Kraus?
00:11:16
I'm like, son of a gun, it is.
00:11:19
There are so many YouTubers at NAB, of
00:11:20
course, you know.
00:11:21
I saw a couple, they were always like
00:11:23
in transit, you know, but I would love
00:11:25
to send hello to Julian and thank him
00:11:28
for his unbelievable commitment to very, very consistent
00:11:33
and dry videos about audio interfaces.
00:11:37
He's like the equivalent of the Sahara desert
00:11:40
for YouTubers.
00:11:41
It is so freaking dry.
00:11:43
Yeah, but it's useful.
00:11:45
And big.
00:11:46
You know, we're the polar opposite, really, aren't
00:11:48
we?
00:11:50
Exactly.
00:11:51
And in fact, on that note, if you
00:11:52
do want to vote for one of these
00:11:53
microphones or tell us what you have, go
00:11:56
to your Facebook and or the Facebook, as
00:11:59
I saw people call it, and look for
00:12:02
the Pro Audio Suite podcast group and you'll
00:12:05
find the thread down there somewhere.
00:12:07
Not the page, the group.
00:12:08
Yeah, the group.
00:12:09
We can even pin that, I think.
00:12:10
Maybe it might be a way to pin
00:12:11
it.
00:12:12
Well, I will.
00:12:12
I'll pin it to the top of our
00:12:13
Facebook page.
00:12:13
Oh, I can do it right now.
00:12:14
Oh, you can do that.
00:12:16
There you go.
00:12:16
Pin the feature.
00:12:17
There you go.
00:12:18
So yes.
00:12:19
Done.
00:12:19
Out.
00:12:20
Pinned.
00:12:23
Pinned.
00:12:24
So that was fun.
00:12:26
Is it over?
00:12:28
The Pro Audio Suite.
00:12:30
Thanks to drivers and Austrian Audio, recorded using
00:12:33
Sauce Connect, edited by Andrew Peters and mixed
00:12:37
by Blue Doo Radio Imaging.
00:12:40
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and
00:12:42
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00:12:45
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00:12:47
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00:12:48
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