Question: Oktava MK-219: Good Mic?
the#1
acoustic instruments?
Anybody have any general opinions on this microphone? sounds like an
excellent deal for a hand made gold sputtered large-diaphragm condenser mic.
$99
Thanks for any help!
Scott Dorsey
>Has anybody compared one of these with a sure sm58LC for vocals? or for
>acoustic instruments?
No, they are so dramatically different that it's not even possible.
>Anybody have any general opinions on this microphone? sounds like an
>excellent deal for a hand made gold sputtered large-diaphragm condenser mic.
>$99
Spend the money and get one from the Sound Room.
The 219 is an interesting creature. It's externally polarized and the
capsules seem surprisingly consistent. The electronics are all over the
place, though, and many of them have bad leak resistors or defluxing
problems. They also use the phantom supply to directly polarize the
capsule with no DC-DC converter, so the S/N is not as good as it could
be and it's very touchy about supply voltage.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Eric Endres
You may want to check the back messages from this group, about the whole
Oktava/Guitar Center issues. Apparently, you'll just have to be careful if you
buy one to make sure it's a good one, and make sure beforehand that you'll be
able to return it if necessary, or get one from the Sound Room for more money,
but better assurance of quality and service...
I picked up an MK319 recently. I was using an SM58, but the MK319 will
definitely take the place of that. Very nice sound!
fa...@fandg.fsnet.co.uk
I represent A & F McKay Audio Limited, the worldwide distributors of Oktava
microphones. By buying your mic from Guitar Center you have a full
replacement 1 year warrantee. Many things have been said on this newsgroup
regarding the quality of Oktava mics, and their consistency between batches,
and admittedly a few years ago when we first introduced the mics to the
market, the equipment in the factory was quite old, and could produce some
poor examples of what the mic SHOULD be like. this is why we have
introduced the full return policy.
If you choose to buy an Oktava microphone please feel free to direct any
queries towards myself by visiting www.oktava.net and e mailing me from
there.
I hope I have been of some assistance
Fergus McKay
A & F McKay Audio Limited
"Eric Endres" <een...@azerty.com> wrote in message
news:3AB68DF7...@azerty.com...
John Corcoran
good uns and there are bad uns. Good idea to test first. Go to a reknowned
recording equipment store rather than a guitar store etc. cos it seems the
good uns are more likely to be found there.
By and large the reports on the Oktava's (Russian by the way) are not too
bad and certainly very competitively priced.
Hope this helps.
Good Luckski
Jonboy
"the#1" <rshe...@homeDIESPAMMERS.com> wrote in message
news:0Svt6.594841$U46.17...@news1.sttls1.wa.home.com...
the#1
is that when you really crank up the gain, you can hear it crackling. But
it'll pick up distant cars, etc nicely. Maybe I need a better mic cable, or
a mic preamp. It's run into a Behringer 602a.
John Corcoran wrote in message <997lvk$c4a$1...@poptelnews.poptel.org.uk>...
Brian Middleton
Excuse me, but a "full return policy" means that I can buy the mic, take
it home, and if I decide I don't like it, return it within a reasonable
period and get my money back. I can't do this with your mics (or anybody
else's) at my local Guitar Center.
If you could persuade GC to discontinue its ridiculous policy of hiding
behind some antiquated or nonexistent "health law" to justify refusing
returns on microphones, many of us would have a different attitude about
shopping for them there.
Brian Middleton
Night Kitchen
Dorchester, Mass.
JnyVee
"the#1" <rshe...@homeDIESPAMMERS.com> wrote:
> I was able to pick one up for $99 and it sounds awesome. My only complaint
> is that when you really crank up the gain, you can hear it crackling. But
> it'll pick up distant cars, etc nicely. Maybe I need a better mic cable, or
> a mic preamp. It's run into a Behringer 602a.
well there ya go...
ANY mic that aint broke will 'pick up distant cars'
Scott Dorsey
the#1 <rshe...@homeDIESPAMMERS.com> wrote:
>is that when you really crank up the gain, you can hear it crackling.
You got one with the board flux problem. Take it back and get a clean one.
Maybe half of the ones GC sells haven't been defluxed at all.
Myles Boisen
other not so great. So I kept the good one, and it continues to impress me to
this day for edgy punk rock vocals, tenor sax, and occasionally room miking.
When buying one, be sure to audition 3 or 4, and pick the one that sounds best
to you. Tap on the body - they all resonate to some degree. And check for
proper polarity - my good one is wired pin 3 hot!
The extreme high and low end frequency response on these is really lacking, but
the midrange sounds nice and hot. Interesting mic.
Myles Boisen
Please note new email address "myles...@aol.com"
Boisen Audio website:
http://hometown.aol.com/mylesaudio/myhomepage/index.html
JnyVee
myles...@aol.com (Myles Boisen) wrote:
> I bought a couple of 219s back when they were $200. One sounded great, the
> other not so great. So I kept the good one, and it continues to impress me to
> this day for edgy punk rock vocals, tenor sax, and occasionally room miking.
> When buying one, be sure to audition 3 or 4, and pick the one that sounds best
> to you. Tap on the body - they all resonate to some degree. And check for
> proper polarity - my good one is wired pin 3 hot!
were your original 2 DIFFERENT in wiring?
Ty Ford
Be prepared to buy some adhesive-backed felt to line the halves of the body
shell to keep the mic body resonance from being a problem.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Ty Ford's audio equipment reviews and V/O sound files can be accessed at
http://www.jagunet.com/~tford
Scott Dorsey
Myles Boisen <myles...@aol.com> wrote:
>I bought a couple of 219s back when they were $200. One sounded great, the
>other not so great. So I kept the good one, and it continues to impress me to
>this day for edgy punk rock vocals, tenor sax, and occasionally room miking.
>When buying one, be sure to audition 3 or 4, and pick the one that sounds best
>to you. Tap on the body - they all resonate to some degree. And check for
>proper polarity - my good one is wired pin 3 hot!
They are all wired pin 3 hot.
>The extreme high and low end frequency response on these is really lacking, but
>the midrange sounds nice and hot. Interesting mic.
Pop off the cover and look at the board. On the two corners nearest the
capsule, you'll see the leak and polarization resistors, which are two
resistors (supposedly 680M but they sometimes stuck whatever they could
get in there), twisted together in series.
Replace them with two 1G Victoreen resistors in series, and the bottom end
will reappear. The transformer in there doesn't help it, but it's really
capable of much better than it's normally giving.
This will also give you a bit more top end extension, but replacing the
FET will give you another octave on top because the gate capacitance on
the FET they are using is a problem.
You can get 1G Victoreens from Digi-Key now, I am pleased to report.
Twist Turner
sell me an Otavia MK219 with the capsule just dangling loose inside?
Seems like that's more of a quality control issue.
-----------------------------------------------------
Re: Question: Oktava MK-219: Good Mic?
I represent A & F McKay Audio Limited, the worldwide distributors of
Oktava microphones. By buying your mic from Guitar Center you have a
full replacement 1 year warrantee. Many things have been said on this
newsgroup regarding the quality of Oktava mics, and their consistency
between batches, and admittedly a few years ago when we first introduced
the mics to the market, the equipment in the factory was quite old, and
could produce some poor examples of what the mic SHOULD be like. this is
why we have introduced the full return policy.
If you choose to buy an Oktava microphone please feel free to direct any
queries towards myself by visiting www.oktava.net and e mailing me from
there.
I hope I have been of some assistance
Fergus McKay
A & F McKay Audio Limited
Twist Turner
http://members.tripod.com/~Twist_Turner/index.html
Jim Gilliland
>
> In article <GgNt6.596064$U46.18...@news1.sttls1.wa.home.com>,
> the#1 <rshe...@homeDIESPAMMERS.com> wrote:
> >I was able to pick one up for $99 and it sounds awesome. My only complaint
> >is that when you really crank up the gain, you can hear it crackling.
>
> You got one with the board flux problem. Take it back and get a clean one.
> Maybe half of the ones GC sells haven't been defluxed at all.
Could be. But don't forget that he said he was going into a Behringer
mic pre. I'd bet that it's pretty easy to overdrive it. Depends what
he means by crackling.
Myles Boisen
> proper polarity - my good one is wired pin 3 hot!
were your original 2 DIFFERENT in wiring?
...I don't know. I ditched one before I did the complete polarity check on all
my studio gear.
Myles
fa...@fandg.fsnet.co.uk
There are (as with any product) some faulty goods that unfortunately make it
to the end user. We are sorry about this, and will replace your mic free of
charge if you haven't already had a replacement. However, as the sole
official importer and exporter of the mics worldwide we can state with all
honesty and confidence that a) the quality control at the factory and at the
distribution point in the UK has improved vastly over the last few years,
and b) the percentage of returns we recieve, relative to the numbers we ship
is below 1%.
If you do have issues with Oktava microphones I would ask that you direct
them to me personally and I will do what I can to assuage your problems.
Oktava microphones do generally provide a very good product for a very low
price. It is unfortunate that in the past the quality control was not as it
is now, and this does have the effect of meaning that every isolated
incidence of faulty product adds fuel to the fire.
"Twist Turner" <Blu...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:16480-3AB...@storefull-241.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Mike Rivers
In article <c73cfe301420b0b0...@remailer.privacy.at> nob...@remailer.privacy.at writes:
> I doinked around with a pile of these for a while and
> came up with a couple of nice-sounding studio microphones
> for under two hundred bucks. I don't see paying about three
> times this to buy them from [Sound Room], though I suspect
> that there would be some possible advantage to doing so if
> money were absolutely no object. But it is.
You have, in essence, done at least part of the quality control. You
tested, you rejected, you accepted. How long did that take you,
including driving time? What's your time worth? If the answer is
zero, then, sure, it's easy to come out ahead. But if you could have
been making $75/hour in the studio instead of going to Guitar Center
and doinking around for a few hours, then maybe paying someone else to
pre-select and guarantee your mics would seem more attractive.
--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mri...@d-and-d.com)
Shane A. Bushman
guitar center are underpaid geeks who too often know nothing (this is not always the case - there are
some that know their shit), but to assume that every piece of gear they sell is inferior to the same
gear bought elsewhere is rediculous. I have received flame after flame for saying this, so I won't go
on too long. Although, Guitar Center in Hallandale also sells Vintech 1272's, Millenia and Avalon pres,
Neuman mics, Blue mics (in fact, where else can you get a Blue other than Musician's Friend?). They
have plenty of the stuff guys like you and I need...and they're pretty inexpensive too. Down here in
Ft. lauderdale we have very few reputable dealers...MAE is just dying, and hardly keeps stock of
anything - Mars is okay, but reminds me too much of Wal-Mart, and ACE Music is full of 55 year old
hippies that don't know jack either (for instance, they insisted that an AKG C3000 black was the same
mic as the 414 in a different body). So...why not reserach your purchase here (and through the web) and
buy it at the Guitar Center down the road, at a discount...if it doesn't work it's a short drive back to
the store for an exchange (as opposed to shipping the shit back and waiting).
Mike, you are one of the few guys around here that i can tell really knows their shit. Why criticize
people for where they buy?
Shane
JnyVee
<sbus...@gate.net> wrote:
> This whole Guitar Center issue has me rolling
...
> Mike, you are one of the few guys around here that i can tell really knows
> their shit. Why criticize
> people for where they buy?
He didn't.
If you'd READ what he wrote then you;d have the answer to your question.
You;re happy pootin' around at GC swappin mics... what you DON:T
know is how Taylor's Sound Room mics sound to compare with the
'sounds-ok-ta-me' one you kept. You may well HAVE one of the better
Octava's... then again you may have a 'nice-sounding-mic' that's
nowhere near what those mics are capable of.. only thing for CERTAIN
here is -you don;t know-.
Taylor Johnson's had more of these past his ears and test gear than
you;re going to see in your lifetime and so has a bit of a clue as to
what design-normal for these things is. You are not in a position to
care if you have a hip one or not. It's no big. You're happy. Just
don't get all whacky when somebody maintains that there's Somethign
Else out there that's a little farther along than you need or want to
worry over.
Now, Just go record something!
curiosity: what other mics did you compare the Octavas to?
jv
Brian Middleton
think you missed his point entirely.
Brian Middleton
Night Kitchen
Dorchester, Mass.
Mike Rivers
> Mike, you are one of the few guys around here that i can tell really knows
> their shit. Why criticize
> people for where they buy?
Whoa! You missed the point entirely.
I replied to someone (was that you?) who went to Guitar Center to buy
mics, and spent some time there picking out good ones. A significant
amount of time, I suspect. It doesn't matter where he went. He could
have bought them at Wal-Mart (though they probably wouldn't have had
the facilities for him to test them). The point was that he had to
spend the time doing what a respectable manufacturer should have done
- send back the bad ones. I wasn't criticizing his shopping at
Guitar Center, I was commenting on the fact that if he considered his
time was of any value, he could have probably come out ahead by paying
more for the mics to someone who would do that work for him.
When I don't have anything too do on a Saturday afternoon, I can
change the oil and filter in my car for about $8. Takes me about an
hour including the time to buy the materials, change the oil, then
bring the old oil up to the gas station for disposal. But if I had a
session and needed to maintain the car on the same day, you can bet
I'd have the gas station do it in 15 minutes for $20 while I was
making $75 in the rest of that hour.
FJPers
>
>I replied to someone (was that you?) who went to Guitar Center to buy
>mics, and spent some time there picking out good ones. A significant
>amount of time, I suspect. It doesn't matter where he went. He could
>have bought them at Wal-Mart (though they probably wouldn't have had
>the facilities for him to test them). The point was that he had to
>spend the time doing what a respectable manufacturer should have done
>- send back the bad ones. I wasn't criticizing his shopping at
>Guitar Center, I was commenting on the fact that if he considered his
>time was of any value, he could have probably come out ahead by paying
>more for the mics to someone who would do that work for him.
>
>When I don't have anything too do on a Saturday afternoon, I can
>change the oil and filter in my car for about $8. Takes me about an
>hour including the time to buy the materials, change the oil, then
>bring the old oil up to the gas station for disposal. But if I had a
>session and needed to maintain the car on the same day, you can bet
>I'd have the gas station do it in 15 minutes for $20 while I was
>making $75 in the rest of that hour.
I agree with mic ...i mean mike. I picked up a 319 there a year or so ago and
like a fool didn't test it... long story short i must have spent a total of 4
hours with returning it picking out a good one ...etc. If there is anything to
begrudge GC for its for selling products that aren't quality controlled without
testing them first themselves, but hey what do i know. So i lost four hours at
GC but i don't get 75/hr so i gets its no big loss for me...;)
frankie
Ty Ford
Would anyone who has been told by a music store that mics can't be returned
due to health hazards please email me with:
1. The name of the store.
2. The location (with address) of the store.
3. The telephone number of the store.
4. If possible, the name of the person who told you that.
Thanks,
nuke
Would anyone who has been told by a music store that mics can't be returned
due to health hazards please email me with:
1. The name of the store.
2. The location (with address) of the store.
3. The telephone number of the store.
4. If possible, the name of the person who told you that.
Thanks,
Ty Ford >>
Guitar Center
3430 Stephens Creek
San Jose, CA.
Didn't get the guy's name either time. Picked up some SM57's a few months ago,
was told that at the time. Asked about $99 MK219's a couple of weeks ago, was
told the same thing. (They didn't have the 219's either, nor did they ever get
any in for that price.) I have seen this policy posted in writing in this
store.
Jay Kahrs
>due to health hazards please email me with:
>
>1. The name of the store.
>2. The location (with address) of the store.
>3. The telephone number of the store.
>4. If possible, the name of the person who told you that.
It's printed on the back of the Guitar Center receipts. Under the "30 Day
Satisfaction Guarantee" is says:
Due to certain legal and health restrictions, computer software (copyright
legislation mandates no returns on opened software), books, videos, CD's,
harmonicas, internal earphones, earplugs and microphones are exempt from this
policy.
The guys in the store say the same thing. Paramus, Springfield and Totowa, NJ.
---
-Jay Kahrs
Owner - Engineer - Producer
Mad Moose Recording Inc.
Morris Plains, NJ
http://www.madmooserecording.com
JnyVee
Jay Rose
|: It's printed on the back of the Guitar Center receipts. Under the "30 Day
|: Satisfaction Guarantee" is says:
|:
|: Due to certain legal and health restrictions, computer software (copyright
|: legislation mandates no returns on opened software), books, videos, CD's,
|: harmonicas, internal earphones, earplugs and microphones are exempt
from this
|: policy.
|:
So all the companies that rent microphones for film shoots are illegal? Or
are we supposed to believe they keep an autoclave handy?
The 'certain legal and health restrictions' at GC and Mars may be real,
but they're corporate policy, not law. And I suspect they have a lot more
to do with people trying to return equipment after a one-day gig.
--
Jay Rose <<jay at dplay dotcom>>
Clio/Emmy-winning Sound Designer
Learn audio for video at http://www.dplay.com
Eric Frampton
JnyVee <moc....@ybmurbrevlis.com> wrote:
> BOOKS?
> CD's?
> VIDEOS?
>
> hell, what about wind instruments,
>
> In article <20010326000317...@ng-cr1.aol.com>,
> brown...@aol.com (Jay Kahrs) wrote:
> > It's printed on the back of the Guitar Center receipts. Under the "30 Day
> > Satisfaction Guarantee" is says:
> >
> > Due to certain legal and health restrictions, computer software (copyright
> > legislation mandates no returns on opened software), books, videos, CD's,
> > harmonicas, internal earphones, earplugs and microphones are exempt from
> > this
> > policy.
I used to work at a large music store outside Atlanta, GA. We ran into
similar situations.
The GC rule about computer software, books, videos, cd's, if they've
been opened, I could understand. Who's to say that someone hasn't bought
the book/video/cd/software, made a dupe, and brought it back. They will,
however, usually let you return one for the same title, if the copy you
got was received damaged or something.
Harmonicas cannot be returned because you actually have to place them in
your mouth. I don't know about other states, but I know the Ga. Dept. of
Health won't allow them to be returned for that reason. I'd guess some
crafty lawyer could stretch the same law to apply to internal phones,
plugs, and opened/used mics, because you either have to place them in a
cavity in your body (the earphones/plugs), or you might have spat on 'em
(used mics), and those items can't be re-sterilized terribly easily. Big
lawsuit potential, and I'd guess GC just wants to nip it in the bud.
Woodwind and brass instruments are a different story. As far as school
rentals and such go, you can re-sterilize a woodwind or brass instrument
without ruining it (you just have to sterilize the mouthpiece), and
besides that, many pro wind/brass players will have their own favorite
mouthpiece that they'll bring in to try out a new instrument.
Eric
Chris G.
"Eric Frampton" <ericSPA...@ericframpton.com> wrote in message
news:ericSPAM-ME-NOT-9E...@skycache.prestige.net...
Yeah but those things still collect a whooooole lot of saliva. I used to
play the French Horn and that thing had a million places that accumulated
saliva.
For something like a kick-drum mic I don't see too many people spending a
lot of time singing into it. Besides people try out mics at the music store
all the time. Soon they won't let people try out mics for "health and
sanitation" reasons.
Chris G.
Jay Kahrs
>crafty lawyer could stretch the same law to apply to internal phones,
>plugs, and opened/used mics, because you either have to place them in a
>cavity in your body (the earphones/plugs), or you might have spat on 'em
>(used mics), and those items can't be re-sterilized terribly easily. Big
>lawsuit potential, and I'd guess GC just wants to nip it in the bud.
>
I can see not being able to return a 58 or handheld vocal mic but they can be
cleaned and sterilized. The bigger deal is with studio mics. Why can't someone
be able to buy a D112 or SM-81 and not return it if they don't like it? You can
return a $4000 PRS but not a $200 mic? What's up with that?
Carrie Bryson
Jay Rose wrote:
>
>
> So all the companies that rent microphones for film shoots are illegal? Or
> are we supposed to believe they keep an autoclave handy?
>
> The 'certain legal and health restrictions' at GC and Mars may be real,
> but they're corporate policy, not law. And I suspect they have a lot more
> to do with people trying to return equipment after a one-day gig.
No doubt in my mind that that's the only reason.
I can't allow GC to handle my money, because of
certain health restrictions.
Tim
Mike Rivers
In article <260320010945428807%moc....@ybmurbrevlis.com> moc....@ybmurbrevlis.com writes:
> BOOKS?
> CD's?
> VIDEOS?
Learning can be hazardous to your health.
> hell, what about wind instruments,
Who would ever have the nerve to return a trombone? <G>
I suspect that wind instruments are returnable, but not mouthpieces.
JnyVee
wrote:
> I suspect that wind instruments are returnable, but not mouthpieces.
>
ok.. I'll assign YOU to draining/cleaning the french horns
It's called a 'spit valve' for a reason, right?
Les Cargill
"Chris G." wrote:
<snip>
> Yeah but those things still collect a whooooole lot of saliva. I used to
> play the French Horn and that thing had a million places that accumulated
> saliva.
That wasn't all saliva. Not even much. Most of it was moisture condensed
from your breath - plain ol' water. If it was all saliva, it'd be gooey and
dry fast.
> For something like a kick-drum mic I don't see too many people spending a
> lot of time singing into it. Besides people try out mics at the music store
> all the time. Soon they won't let people try out mics for "health and
> sanitation" reasons.
The "cootie clause" :) Bogosity, my man. :)
> Chris G.
Les Cargill
Jay Kahrs wrote:
>
> > I'd guess some
> >crafty lawyer could stretch the same law to apply to internal phones,
> >plugs, and opened/used mics, because you either have to place them in a
> >cavity in your body (the earphones/plugs), or you might have spat on 'em
> >(used mics), and those items can't be re-sterilized terribly easily. Big
> >lawsuit potential, and I'd guess GC just wants to nip it in the bud.
> >
>
> I can see not being able to return a 58 or handheld vocal mic but they can be
> cleaned and sterilized. The bigger deal is with studio mics. Why can't someone
> be able to buy a D112 or SM-81 and not return it if they don't like it? You can
> return a $4000 PRS but not a $200 mic? What's up with that?
>
Because that way they don't have to process returns.
> ---
> -Jay Kahrs
> Owner - Engineer - Producer
> Mad Moose Recording Inc.
> Morris Plains, NJ
> http://www.madmooserecording.com
Nomen Nescio
>I replied to someone (was that you?) who went to Guitar Center to
>buy mics, and spent some time there picking out good ones.
The quote was simply forwarded from another venue and was a description of
the experience a poster there had buying Oktava MK219s at GC. He was not a
participant here.
> A significant amount of time, I suspect. It doesn't matter where
> he went. He could have bought them at Wal-Mart (though they probably
> wouldn't have had the facilities for him to test them). The point
> was that he had to spend the time doing what a respectable manufacturer
> should have done - send back the bad ones.
This is Russian manufacturing, in spades. Can't fight it, can't fix it.
> I wasn't criticizing his
> shopping at Guitar Center, I was commenting on the fact that if he
> considered his time was of any value, he could have probably come out
> ahead by paying more for the mics to someone who would do that work
> for him.
Approximately $400 more for the two mikes he bought? I don't know where
you live, but here $400 isn't chopped liver.
Look, if you're really Lord Muck, you can delegate the whole session to
your underlings and take your private jet off to Aspen for a week's skiing
and blow off all the work while you schmooze with supermodels.
It's all relative. If you want to ritz people for trying to save a few
hundred dollars on a couple of microphones, go ahead, there are plenty here
who don't have that kind of money to throw around. I doubt that 1% of the
participants in this "pro" newsgroup really get a living wage purely out of
recording.
For most of us, dropping $600+ for a couple of Oktava MK219s is out of the
question, but $200 might be just practical and a bit of in-store testing
isn't all that much of a burden for the savings.
Not everyone here wears your Guccis, Mike. It wouldn't hurt if you kept
that in mind when judging other peoples' priorities.