Sennheiser MKE 600
I discovered this mic while obsessing over the Sennheiser classic MKH-416. I loved the sound of 416 in every youtube video I watched about it. And may be I would have said that the 416 is the best voice over mic if I had owned it. But it cost around 80k INR ( ~1000USD) ,which was not a reasonable budget for a then beginner like me.
By then I had figured out which direction I should go to find the best voice over mic for me. I was not happy with the amount of pre-amp gain required for my Shure SM48 which is a dynamic mic. Because of this reason ,there was a lingering noise floor while using this mic, in the form of a hiss. Also I felt it didn’t have the shimmer the MKH 416 produced ,no matter how much I processed the SM48 audio.
I stumbled upon the MKE 600, a much cheaper shotgun from Sennheiser ,on a one on one comparison video against the MKH-416, on Youtube. Honestly I couldn’t tell much difference in the way they both sounded, in a close proximity voice over narration scenario. And that too for 21k INR – 1/4 the price of MKH 416. Lets discuss why I think it is the Best Voice Over mic !
Why is it the Best Voice Over mic?
Buy MKE 600 on Amazon.com
A shotgun mic’s ability focus on the subject is highly useful to isolate and reject background noise. This gives a clean recording even in less than ideal environments. It outshines almost all other type of mics if you don’t have enough money to create a fully treated soundproof studio. The warm , rich, clean audio that can be achieved by the MKE600 in a less than ideal room, at its price range is unmatched by any other mic I have used so far which includes an NT1, SM48 etc. At this price the audio it produces is of top quality and any other mic ,even a much higher priced one, if at all , could only make a marginal improvement from this . And in most cases this difference won’t be noticeable in a voice over narration scenario. Therefore after using it for more than 3 years and even comparing it one on one with a 416 ,I am under the conclusion that you won’t need anything better than this. Unless you need a better glamour quotient to your studio!
Shotgun mics in general, were to be used as a boom pole mic to capture sound in video shoots. But like the MKH 416 the Sennheiser MKE600 also works great in close proximity and produces audio recording at par with the MKH 416.
The origin story of using shotgun mics for voice over goes like this.
A voice over artist who was tired of not having the engineer and director in the recording booth, wanted to sit with them while he recorded. So he got out of the booth and went and sat in the control room and asked the engineer to mic him there. The engineer took the best shotgun mic he had which was coincidently the MKH 416 and pointed it at him in very close proximity. The result surprised everyone as it sounded terrific. Rest is history.
Shotgun Mics -Polar Pattern, Side Rejection
The MKE 600 was ideal for less than ideal recording room I had. The hyper-cardioid and super-cardioid polar patterns are better at rejecting background noise and reverb compared to the large diaphragm condenser mics with cardioid pickup patterns. Even at par or slightly better than the dynamic mic in background noise rejection.
Shotgun mics employ interference tube technology to achieve more side rejection by phase shifting and cancelling out the sound waves approaching the mic from its sides . This makes its pickup pattern very focused and narrow on its subject.
In comparison the MKE 600 has a super cardioid pickup pattern where as the MKH-416 has a hyper cardioid pattern which is slightly more focused.
Pros of MKE 600
1. Best background noise rejection and Signal to Noise Ratio Compared to Large Diaphragm condensers and Dynamic mics including Rode NT1, Shure SM48 , Behringer XM8500 etc
2. Good Sensitivity -33.55 dbV/Pa almost at par with Rode Nt1’s
-32 dbV/Pa and Low Self noise around 15dBA
3. Warm, Rich and Neutral sound with good bass response.
4. Sturdy and long lasting.
5. Has battery powered option and in-built 100 Hz high pass filter
Cons
1. Prone to mouth noises and plosives in close proximity operation. Make sure to Employ good mic placement techniques.
2. Gets muddy and boomy if you get too close to the mic. Maintain more than 6 inches distances for best sound.
3. Extra care in mic placement required in less ideal environments as it zooms in on whatever it is pointed at. For eg: if you point it at a noisy window or a reflective surface it may accentuate the traffic noises or reverbs.
4. Due to its narrow pickup pattern very less movement around the mic’s axis is possible as it colours and attenuates off-axis sound. Don’t go off axis to prevent the audio from sounding inconsistent or un-natural
5. It is slightly sensitive at the rear end and may capture unwanted echoes or noises from that area. Always make sure to have some kind of acoustic treatment in your recording space, however minimal you can achieve.
What comes in the box:
Raw audio from MKE 600
This was recorded in a normal bedroom with no acoustic treatments or soundproofing. The mic was pointed downwards towards the chest from above and was at around 4 inches away from the mouth.
If you are a beginner and upgrading your dynamic mic , this is definitely a highly recommended option to go for. By far MKE600 is the best shotgun in its price range with the Sennheiser brand name and service trust that can be expected compared to others brands.
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If you wish to read some of his musings please try Sam’s blogs!
