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How does Sennheiser ME65 mic compare to their MKH50?
I was looking for a good supercardioid mic for indoor dialog recording in film/video (via overhead boom). I’ve read all over the place that the Sennheiser MKH50 is pretty much the industry standard mic for that purpose, but it’s a bit pricey for our budget. Would anyone recommend, as a substitute, the Sennheiser ME65/K6 combo, which is less than half the cost of the MKH50? I figure it has the same pickup pattern as the 50 (supercardioid), and for outdoor dialog recording, we’ve had pretty good results with a “sister” mic, the ME66/K6 shotgun. I’ve tried that same shotgun indoors and got sound reflections; I have since learned that shotguns are not very good for indoor use. I just want to avoid reflections and have a pretty strong pickup from 1-2 feet away or maybe even a little more.
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8 Replies
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Hello Dale and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.
What you’ve learned about shotguns indoors (or eve out doors in highly reflective surfaces) is true.
ME66: Student grade
MKH50: Professional gradeRegards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum LeaderWant better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford’s Blog -
[Dale Cornibe] “Would anyone recommend, as a substitute, the Sennheiser ME65/K6 combo”
The MKH50 is excellent, the MKH8050 is arguably better. But if you’re after the biggest bang for the buck at about half that price, I’d be looking at the AT 4053b or the Audix SCX1-HC. These have been thoroughly vetted by the indy video crowd; they are the go-to mics for the people who can’t afford the MKH8050.
Can’t say anything one way or the other about the ME65/K6, but it’s designed to be handheld, not boomed.
[Dale Cornibe] “I’ve tried that same shotgun indoors and got sound reflections…”
You’re going to “get” reflections no matter what mic you use. The problem with shotguns and reflections is due to the interference tube and how it reacts to rapid reflections of your source coming off nearby surfaces. If the time of arrival of your direct sound and the time of arrival of the reflections are close together the result can be comb filtering artifacts. That’s probably what you were hearing.
A hypercardioid or supercardioid pattern hears the same reflections as a similarly placed shotgun. But the hyper simply attenuates sound that is out-of-pattern compared to the sound coming from in-pattern (where you are pointing the mic). So, no comb filtering artifacts.
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[Ty Ford] “ME66: Student grade
MKH50: Professional grade”I was actually trying to make a comparison between the ME65 and the MKH50. I only mentioned the 66 shotgun to say that that’s what I tried to use at first, and I thought the ME65 supercardioid, being in the same family, would work for indoors just like the 66 works well for us outdoors. And could you please elaborate on the terms “student grade” and “professional grade”? (Sounds like equipment snobbery.) I realize of course the MKH50 is most probably better, but that’s more than double our budget. I realize the 50 may be the Rolls Royce, or at least the BMW, of indoor boom mics, but is the ME65 at least acceptable for indoor booming, or will it sound like total crap? That’s all I’m getting at.
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Thanks, that’s really helpful!
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Dale,
65, 66, 67 makes no difference. They’re still student grade versus the MKH series.
That’s why the MKH series costs more. That’s not snobbery, it’s a fact. Why is that so difficult to believe?
This forum is pretty much a “no BS zone.”
If you buy an MKH50 it’ll remain relevant long after several iterations of future cameras you buy are in the dumpster.
You can buy the right mic once, or buy one then, when your ears wake up, realize you needed a mic that costs more. Then you need to buy the better mic and you’ve wasted money on the first one. And, every piece of audio you recorded with the student model will have been of lesser technical quality. If that’s OK with you, then, by all means, go for it.
Got it?
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum LeaderWant better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford’s Blog -
I don’t have an answer, but I’m also interested in the question.
I already own an ME66 and the K6 power module, but, as has been discussed here, a shotgun is not a good choice for indoor recording because it can produce strange artifacts with reflected sound. I’ve been happy with most of my Sennheiser mics, so I am intrigued by the ME65.
The ME65 supercardioid capsule is a fairly cheap addition (about $200 – if you already own the K6, that’s less than half the price of the Audix SCX1/HC). It looks like it would make an attractive handheld mike, but, as a supercardioid, should be fairly well suited to indoor use on a boom.
But it seems to be the mic that time forgot. I can find no reviews of it. Nobody mentions owning it or using it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in a store. If you look up this mic, you’ll mostly get redirected to reviews of the much more popular ME66 shotgun mic. Why is the ME65 so obscure? Is there some dark mystery surrounding it? Is it radioactive? Does it explode? Does it even exist?
Has any one actually had experience working with this mic?
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Hello Duncan and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.
It’s usually a good idea to read the previous responses.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum LeaderWant better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford\’s Blog -
Hi Duncan,
A bit late to this thread but it just caught my eye. I have several mics including the ME65 MKH40 MKH416 Sanken CS1 and a couple of new Rode mics. And I have to say that the ME65 has worked well for me a few times admittedly in fairly ideal conditions… I often use it as an on camera scratch audio top mic and it is great at that and occasionally the sound mixer in post has used it for ambience. Anyway yes they exist and yes they work! NO BS!! hahahaha maybe prosumer might be a better description that ‘student’ I know several students that might be offended by that lol!!
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