Microphone Sound Samples
by: Bryan Beasleigh

The latest mic files.

I’m no audio expert so anyone jumping in with more info and different opinions is totally welcome. I’m just trying to help other people in need of a bit more direction.

Dave Largent a friend and fellow Audio Nut has given me the OK to share a few files. All mics were recorded at 2 feet and at 4 feet. These are all WAV files and the preamble explaining what mic has been tested and the pertinent info has been recorded with my favorite ENG dynamic, the AKG D230

The first mic is an AT4071 Long shotgun followed by a short shotgun the AT 4073 Matt Gettemeier my microphone obsessed buddy has several examples of these mics as well. They offer excellent bang for the buck and have a fairly flat response except a boost at between 4k and 5k and 8k and 17 khz. They’re warmer and a lot smoother than the ME66, they also sound a whole lot more accurate. The PDF spec files and the polar plot and response curves can be found at Audio Technica for the PDF. The price is $530 US at B&H Photo Video

The 4071 is a looooooooooooooooong shotgun and has a very tight pattern. It has a very flat response as you can hear in the clips. I prefer the (JMHO)

The Sanken CS-1 is supposed to be God’s gift to the ENG world. It has super off axis rejection but sounds a little (a whole lot) light in the bottom end. If the mids and high end are ok then the low end can be boosted in post. Listen to the clip a few times, and then boost the bottom end, it is accurate. Looking at the frequency response graph you can see why it sound the way it does. Found at B&H Photo Video for approx. $795 US.

There are no real deals on this mic and the price will be with $10-$20 .

The Neumann KM184 is a cardoid and in our business a hyper would be better. (The KM185) but this will give you an idea of the much ballyhooed Neumann sound. Truth be known , I prefer the Gefell Microtech M300. Gefell was actually one of two Neumann factories, it was isolated for years because it was on the other side of the Berlin Wall.

Pricing can be found at B&H Photo Video under studio mics. They’re a shade under $700US

The ME64 is another capsule in the K6 family from Sennheiser. It’s a cardoid and cost around $160 plus the K6 preamp found at B&H Photo Video.

Am I excited about the ME64? Well, listen!

LATEST MIC FILES:

	AudioTechnica 4071 at 2 feet
	AudioTechnica 4071 at 4 feet with 4 dB boost
	AudioTechnica 4073 at 2 feet
	AudioTechnica 4073 at 4 feet with 3 dB boost
	Saken CS-1 at 2 feet
	Saken CS-1 at 4 feet with 9 dB boost
	Neumann KM184 at 2 feet
	Neumann KM184 at 4 feet
	Sennheiser ME64 at 2 feet
	Sennheiser ME64 at 4 feet, no post gain

Click on the headphones to listen