ProAudio Review - March 2008 - (Page 15)

STUDIO | Review SENNHEISER Continued From Page 11 condensers, with the top end detail and transient realism of small diaphragms. With either an X/Y, ORTF or spaced setup, the 8040s showed accurate imaging, good frequency balance, and smooth pick attacks. | SUMMARY Fans of the older MKH mics will surely be pleased with the 8000 series. Both studio and live sound engineers can take advantage of the 8000 series’ range of accessories to ideally place the 8040s for classical vocalists (with an extension tube), choirs (with ceiling mount), or any number of stereo apps with various bars and joints. With its remote cable capabilities, muted finish, small size and smooth off-axis response, the 8040 is a natural for many broadcast applications. Its audio purity, realism, and depth of imaging will surely make the 8040 useful for Foley, sound FX, and ADR work. A high-pass filter or pad would be welcome, but the simplici| “MKH 8050 SUPERCARDIOID: AN OUT-OF-STUDIO EXPERIENCE” Although I’m usually in the studio working on audio behind a desk, or on location working a video shoot, I do have a few special clients who simply want a great audio recording of a presentation. Although my go-to mic for presenters is a Countryman E6, a recent assignment for a continuing part of an audio CD series gave me the opportunity to test a pair of the Sennheiser MKH 8050 supercardioids as audience mics. The venue was a 40 x 100-foot room with 10-foot acoustic tile drop-ceilings and wall-to-wall commercial carpet. The podium is centered on one of the long walls. Sixty to 80 audience members are split into two theater-style sections. Each half of the audience usually fits in a 25 x 30-foot area of closely spaced chairs. I normally put up a shotgun mic on each side of the presenter’s position to cover one half (30-40 members) of the audience. That approach gets me “press conference” coverage. You hear the question “bloom” up with all of the off-axis anomalies a shotgun mic is known for as I turn up one of the two audience mics, and then the answer from the Countryman E6 in a more direct space as I pull the shotgun out of the mix. At the most recent event, I swapped out the shotguns for Sennheiser MKH 8050 pair, my thought being that the 8050s would have fewer off-axis anomalies … but would they have the reach? I positioned the 8050s in the same spot I had been using for the shotguns and quickly found that they did just fine. There were fewer off-axis anomalies. The unexpected benefit was that, even at distances of 10-20 feet from the person speaking, the smoothness of the 8050 response sounded more natural than the shotguns. Sensitivity was good. Even on the few occasions in which someone with a soft voice spoke from the rear of the room, the full gain required of my Sound Devices 442 mixer combined with the low self noise of the 8050 resulted in surprisingly little system noise. My conclusion? The Sennheiser MKH 8050 simply makes for good sound, whether in the studio or in harsher environments. ty of the 8040 surely contributes to its lack of coloration and pleasant neutrality. For high-resolution recording, the 8040 is a natural, especially if 2008 sees the release of the digital module accessory (transmitting 24-bit digital audio, sample rates up to 192 kHz, and adjusts pre-attenuation, HPF and compressor/limiter settings). I can confidently recommend the 8040 for all the standard small-diaphragm condenser apps — percusSennheiser 8040 sion, drum overheads, audicapsule ence miking, and acoustic instruments. Considering its accurate bass output, lack of character, dynamic range, and extensive accessories, the MKH 8040 could become one of the most versatile mics in your closet. Rob Tavaglione owns and operates Catalyst Recording in Charlotte, NC, specializing in independent music production. He welcomes your comments and questions at rob@catalystrecording.com. | REVIEW SETUP True Precision 8, Sytek MPX-4A and Manley TNT preamps, Apogee Rosetta A/D converter, Mac Pro computer, Digital Performer 5.12 workstation, monitoring via JBL 4328 nearfields with 4312 subwoofers and Grado SR-125 headphones. — Ty Ford www.proaudioreview.com March 2008 | ProAudio Review | 15 http://www.dwfearn.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProAudio Review - March 2008

ProAudio Review - March 2008 Contents Publisher's Page Studio News and New Products Sennheiser MKH 8040 Microphone Digidesign Mbox 2 Micro Studio Spotlight Upsampler X/Audio Live News and New Products Touring Gear From the Road Broadcast News and New Products ION Audio Tape2PC Cassette Archiving System Brauner VMA Large-Diaphragm Microphone Audio Ltd. RMS 2040 Series Post News and New Products First Look NAB Showcase Buyers Guide Single Slice

ProAudio Review - March 2008

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