a noisy question...
Napoleão
against my old 416. I found the 416 incredible noisy! Tell me what you
experienced with these 2 great mics.
Cheers.
craesmeyer
The MKH 50 is quieter than the 416, the MKH 60 and 70 have an amazing
low noise floor (how i miss my 60!).
If the difference is absurd your trusty 416 maybe need to visit an
technician
Craesmeyer
Eric Toline
A new mkh 50 against an old 416? It could be the age difference but
the 50 is quieter than the 416. Hard to define what incredibly noisy
means.
Eric
Napoleão
the 416 has about 6dB louder noise floor. I think it is quite normal.
I tested both in a superblimped music studio (recording a male voice)
and I believe this potentialized my impressions.
A friend tell me that his RODE NTG3 is quieter than 416 and he loves
its performance. Any opinions? I want to buy a spare mic and i am
thinking about NTG3.
Thx for the answers.
N.
Eric Toline
If you can, give a listen to his RODE and judge for yourself. That
said the NTG3 has gotten a lot of favorable comments from users so
even if you bought it without listening it won't bite you. I might
also suggest the Sanken CS3e as a very good choice.
Eric
GripSound
Even though I've always wanted one, I still don't own an MKH50. I do
however own the MKH60, MKH415, MKH416 and the Rode NTG3. The MKH60 is
quietest of those 4 mics, and as I recall the MKH50 was as quiet as
the MKH60.
As for the NTG3, I am VERY impressed with this mic. I picked it up as
a spare but am using it more and more. In actual use, the NTG3 is
every bit as good as the 416 and 415. To me, the NTG3 is as good as
the 415 and 416. If you plug in the 416, then the NTG3, you will have
a difficult time discerning the difference between the 2. In a side-
by-side comparison, the NTG3 and 416 are a little different sounding,
but I don't feel either can be called better. Kind of like the
difference between the 415 and 416. They sound only slightly
different from each other, but not by much. I always felt the the 415
was a tiny bit warmer than the 416 and maybe slightly noisier in the
quietest of settings. Well, the 416 may be slightly warmer than the
NTG3, but the NTG3 sounds better as you go off-axis. If you roll off
the low end to cut wind and handling rumble the difference between the
2 is practically non-existent. Also, the NTG3 seems to have a slight
boost in upper mid range, but only slightly. Again, slightly different
but not really better. So, I feel the 415, 416 and NTG3 are equals
with minor differences that are noticeable only under the most
critical listening.
Edwardo Santiago
I like my 50. It has served me well. I use it on everything; interior,
exterior, etc. When I mix off the cart it's my main interior mic while
I use the 60 as my main exterior mic, but I do own a Rycote Ball gag
with Windjammer for the 50 if an exterior needs a small mic. When I
work single man in my bag I use the 50 exlusively, with or without
Ball Gag, and It always sounds great. I've used the 416, the CS3E,
Schoeps (MK41, CMC-6, etc.), but not the NTG3. But I like the 50 for
it's sound/price/value over the Schoeps and for the low noise floor
with beautifully natural sound.
E. Santiago
Napoleão
will take a look in NTG3 this weekend to test it carefully. Maybe my
416 need some tech repair, but the truth is that I did not notice its
self noise until the comparision with the mkh50. Thanks for the posts
guys.
Napoleao
Ty Ford
(in article
<4c84b00f-9a5a-4fcf...@w17g2000yqj.googlegroups.com>):
More reviews at TyFord.com. This one from Pro Audio Review
NTG-3 - New Shotgun Mic from Rode
Ty Ford
A $699 USD street, the new Australian-made Rode NTG-3 seems extremely
well-placed for its price and performance. Like the Sennheiser 416, the NTG-3
is an RF-condenser that combines a somewhat sophisticated RF circuit with the
capsule to reduce the deleterious effects of high humidity. Tricky to design,
but worth the effort. That design element has contributed greatly to the
416ąs łbullet proof˛ reputation and should do the same for the NTG-3.
FEATURES
The RF environment is growing significantly more hostile, though, and Rode
seems to have taken shielding a bit farther than Sennheiser did back in 1974
when the MKH 416 came to market. Attention to the mechanical and electronic
lay out of the NTG-3 including the surface mount technology (SMT), PCB
layout, component selection and dual chamber design of the internal brass
tube that appears to separate most of the circuitry from the tunable RF
section and capsule, all contribute to RF resistance and mic performance.
The upper chamber and part of the lower chamber of the internal metal tube in
which the circuitry and capsule sit is completely covered by a thin grounded
metal mesh. Just behind the capsule a rubber o-ring in a small groove and one
closer to the tip snug the internal metal tube inside the slotted outer tube.
The internal tube runs the full length of the outer tube for increased
shielding. A small foam plug a little over a half inch thick sits within the
top of the internal tube to reduce popping. The extended upper section of the
internal tube, above the capsule, has two rows of precision holes drilled on
opposing sides covered with a thin fabric to mechanically filter the sound
once it has already been filtered by the slots on the outer tube.
Rode also adds some further insurance by integrating their longer pin 1
ground pin into a very well designed grounding scheme. The XLR connector is
not stock. The base is machined from solid brass. The ground pin is
permanently mounted into that case. Pins two and three are isolated via
Teflon bushings. All pins are gold-plated.
The Rode NTG-3 employs a line gradient supercardioid capsule. Output
impedance is 25 Ohms. Sensitivity is listed at -30 dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (31.6
mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz, EIN noise is 13 dB-A and it can withstand
130 dB SPL. The 416 and NTG-3 share the same 13 dB-A selfnoise and
sensitivity. At about a quarter inch longer and about the same weight as a
416, the NTG-3 weighs less than six ounces. Its matte champagne finish is not
reflective.
Itąs not unusual to have to roll the low end off on a 416 these days unless
youąre in the middle of nowhere or in a studio. Sanken rolled off the bottom
a bit with their CS-3e and Rode follows suit with the new NTG-3, so thereąs
not quite as much in the upper bass or lower midrange on the NTG-3. That
makes the NTG-3 sound slightly crisper and brighter. More so when used very
close. As you back it off, though, normal air diffusion makes any
high-frequency differences between the two mics pretty unnoticeable. However,
the fact that my 416 is over fifteen years old may suggest that it may not be
as bright as it once was. Regardless, with a zep and a furry, of course,
youąll lose a bit of top end.
IN USE
The NTG-3 pattern is a little wider than the 416, with more gently sloping
shoulders. This translates into a more forgiving pattern for two-shots, but
youąll also hear a bit more ambience. My 416 has a little spot about ninety
degrees off axis where thereąs a slight return of high frequencies. The NTG-3
does not. Both mics sound about the same from the rear. The NTG-3 sounded
fine on my K-Tek carbon fiber boom with a Rycote Softie suspension mount. The
NTG-3 had less low frequency boom handling noise, mostly because the 416
noise had more LF content due to its response.
After not picking up any interference with my Verizon cell phone sitting next
to the NTG-3, I made a point of taking the NTG-3 to the mall with my location
recorder and headphones to visit T-Mobile, the Apple store and AT&T. There
was no interference, even with phones operating right next to the NTG-3. I
was using Whirlwind Accusonic +2 cable and connectors. The shield was not
tied to the XLR shells.
SUMMARY
The Rode NTG-3 appears to be a very solid piece of gear. The efforts to
eliminate RF are noted and appreciated. I like the unique and very handy
padded metal storage tube. The foam windbreaker and simple mic clip all add
value to the package. I think youąll be seeing NTG-3s show up in more kits
soon. At the moment, I canąt see why not. Nice job Rode.
Technique, Inc. © copyright 2008
Ty Ford is on permanent loan from Radio World and Pro Audio Review. He may be
reached at www.tyford.com.
FAST FACTS
Application: Film, ENG/EFP audio.
Key features: Designed to withstand todayąs harsh RF environments.
Price: $699 USD Street.
Contact:
Rode
www.rodemic.com
--Audio Equipment Reviews Audio Production Services
Acting and Voiceover Demos http://www.tyford.com
Guitar player?:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWaPRHMGhGA
Napoleão
Great review. I will buy a brand new NTG3 here in Spain for 430 Euros/U
$585. Soon I will post my impressions about working in Brazil´s
whether.
Cheers,
Napoleao
chicag...@gmail.com
(being the 416 T and 416 P48) were both significantly noisier than the
original 415. Never did get a real answer from Sennheiser about why
this was, but obviously they changed the electronics.
Although newer mike surpass the performance of the 415, it did well
for it's day, and I still use one on the occasions where I don't want
to risk one of my better mikes.
Scott D. Smith C.A.S.