MKH-416 vs MKH-40

[rabbit friendly]

I'm looking into an outdoor M/S setup. I guess the MKH-30 is the standard choice for Side, but I'm wondering what the difference is between the MKH-40 and the MKH-416 for M? Does one have a lower noise floor?

[ghellquist]

Originally Posted by rabbit friendly

but I'm wondering what the difference is between the MKH-40 and the MKH-416 for M?

The MKH40 is a cardioid, the MKH416 is a short gun. Guns are generally used to record dialog outdoors, gives a little extra directivity in the hands of a good boom operator. Not really first choice indoors as they (generally) has odd frequency responses for sounds reflected and reaching the mic from the side. Not generally first choice for recording music, again due to some oddities in frequency response although sometimes they are what it takes.

What are you planning to record?

// Gunnar

[Mats H]

Originally Posted by ghellquist

The MKH40 is a cardioid, the MKH416 is a short gun. Guns are generally used to record dialog outdoors, gives a little extra directivity in the hands of a good boom operator. Not really first choice indoors as they (generally) has odd frequency responses for sounds reflected and reaching the mic from the side. Not generally first choice for recording music, again due to some oddities in frequency response although sometimes they are what it takes.

What are you planning to record?

// Gunnar

Indeed shotgun mics have strange off-axis frequency response which will probably make your stereo field sound more odd than what you'd get from a MKH40. If you absolutely have to use a shotgun mic, the MKH60 has better off axis response than a MKH416.

[rabbit friendly]

oh, i see. I missed that the mkh40 was just a cardioid mistaking it with its shotgun shape.

I want to record nature ambiances. seems like the choice for this is the mkh30/40 combo. I'm also wondering if I could use 2 mkh30s for a blumlein config?

Maybe I should get 2 of the senn mkh multipatterns and then I can set up either m/s or blumlein or even a spaced pair? Would that be the ideal situation after I rob a local bank?

[John Willett]

The MKH 416 is a short gun mic. of the earlier series.

The MKH 40 is a cardioid mic. from the newer symmetrical capsule series.

The MKH 30 is a fig.8 in the same series as the MKH 40 - others in the series are MKH 20 (omni), MKH 50 (super-cardioid), MKH 60 (short gun [equivalent to the 416 in the newer series]) and MKH 70 (long gun).

Yes, you can use a second MKH 30 for Blumlein; though, personally, I would use the two fig.8s in MS rather than XY to get the Blumlein result (Blumlein himself often used MS like this).

[ghellquist]

Originally Posted by rabbit friendly

I want to record nature ambiances. seems like the choice for this is the mkh30/40 combo. I'm also wondering if I could use 2 mkh30s for a blumlein config?

Yes. But do think a bit about how to mount them and protect them from wind noise. You would have them "head to head" with the bodys and cables going up/down. This makes for some, hmm, inventions in mounting hardware. It is a lovely combination though when the acoustics work. 30/40 is more of a general solution and there is a standard Rycote windshield available for that.

// Gunnar