mkh 416 vs sanken cs-3e vs mkh60

lowswing · 21st November 2009

Looking for your opinion on these mics.
application is mainly location recording/interview camera sound for documentary film
thanks

aracu · 22nd November 2009

If you are considering the Sennheisers the 8050 is also a good candidate. In noisy city environments the 416 can distort with additional dialogue. The 8050 has a higher spl and a more natural sound quality. It is more sensitive to wind though.

Petrus · 22nd November 2009

Sanken is The Mic for video and film work at least. It is not a normal hypercardioid or short shotgun, but a linear array of three capsules. I have used one for several years and have no complaints at all.

John Willett · 22nd November 2009

The MKH 60 is a better mic. than the 416 and about 10 years younger.

The 60 has a symmetrical capsule (like the MKH 20-50 series and MKH 8000 series) - the 416 does not have a symmetrical capsule.

All above are RF condenser mics which give excellent results in damp conditions as the capsule is low impedance and is used as a tuning capacitor - rather than a very high impedance capsule (like normal AF condensers) where the stored charge can leakj away on water molecules in the air, causing noise, "frying" and clicks.

bigcitysound · 22nd November 2009

The sennheiser 60 and 416 are great mics, I have used both and lean towards a preference for the 416. I have just bought a Sanken CS3E however and so far am very impressed. Its noise specs may be slightly higher than the sennheisers but this is NOT a concern. The mics off axis rejection is amazing and works across the frequency spectrum. It still manages to sound natural and has good reach. This will be my main shotgun from now on.

MichaelPatrick · 22nd November 2009

Looks like the Sanken transducer is DC biased while the Sennheiser shotguns all have RF transducers. For high humidity environments a Sennheiser will be more reliable.

Petrus · 22nd November 2009

As I Hear It - Choosing the Right Microphone

shotguns and hypercardioids for video compared

21st November 2009	#1
lowswing Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 1,446 Thread Starter	mkh 416 vs sanken cs-3e vs mkh60 Looking for your opinion on these mics. application is mainly location recording/interview camera sound for documentary film thanks __________________ Guy Sternberg Engineer, Producer LowSwing Studios, berlin www.lowswing.de

22nd November 2009	#4
John Willett Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Posts: 4,892	The MKH 60 is a better mic. than the 416 and about 10 years younger. The 60 has a symmetrical capsule (like the MKH 20-50 series and MKH 8000 series) - the 416 does not have a symmetrical capsule. All above are RF condenser mics which give excellent results in damp conditions as the capsule is low impedance and is used as a tuning capacitor - rather than a very high impedance capsule (like normal AF condensers) where the stored charge can leakj away on water molecules in the air, causing noise, "frying" and clicks. __________________ John Willett Circle Sound Services President - Fédération Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons (and lots more - please look at my Profile)

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22nd November 2009	#2
aracu Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 792	If you are considering the Sennheisers the 8050 is also a good candidate. In noisy city environments the 416 can distort with additional dialogue. The 8050 has a higher spl and a more natural sound quality. It is more sensitive to wind though.

22nd November 2009	#3
Petrus Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Espoo Finland Posts: 792	Sanken is The Mic for video and film work at least. It is not a normal hypercardioid or short shotgun, but a linear array of three capsules. I have used one for several years and have no complaints at all.

22nd November 2009	#5
bigcitysound Gear Head Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: NYC Posts: 34	The sennheiser 60 and 416 are great mics, I have used both and lean towards a preference for the 416. I have just bought a Sanken CS3E however and so far am very impressed. Its noise specs may be slightly higher than the sennheisers but this is NOT a concern. The mics off axis rejection is amazing and works across the frequency spectrum. It still manages to sound natural and has good reach. This will be my main shotgun from now on.

22nd November 2009	#6
MichaelPatrick Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 2,311	Looks like the Sanken transducer is DC biased while the Sennheiser shotguns all have RF transducers. For high humidity environments a Sennheiser will be more reliable.