Okay, now I'm REALLY confused! :)

Jay Massengill · July 10th, 2004, 12:14 PM

You do have your choice of caps when getting a single cap Oktava from the SoundRoom. If you go with a lower-priced untested vendor, they only offer the cardioid if you're getting a single capsule. Since you're hoping to use this mic mostly for on-camera mounting, then I'd recommend the hypercardioid to start out. I'm about to order one myself from the SoundRoom. They are also currently offering the cardioid cap by itself for only $50.
Best of all you can return the mic within 3 weeks if you aren't satisfied.
When I get mine I hope to test it against the AT4053a, Rode NT-3 and the AT873r. Among those 3 mics the only one that would fit your criteria is the AT873r. I like this mic alot, but I've never tested it directly against the Oktava. I feel it would be a worthwhile alternative but I'm not going to say for certain how the character of the sound from the two mics compares since I haven't listened to them side by side. I am pretty certain the Oktava would be quieter (self-noise) but would suffer from greater handling noise. From what people have described to me the Oktava would sound a little richer but the AT873r would probably have a little greater clarity and a brighter sound.
I think either would be a worthwhile investment for a first step in the situation you've described.

Linda Schodowsky · July 10th, 2004, 12:27 PM

Uh Oh... what to do, what to do. Cardoid vs Hypercardoid. I am at their website right now and popped back here to make sure it was the Cardoid that Bryan and/or Matt recommended - it was. Now I just read your post Jay.

Hmmm... let me think about this. Hypercardoid... I do see that Sound Room gives me the option of selecting the capsule...

Update... sounds like I'll go with the hypercardoid... I checked the past posts. I'd be better off starting with that just in case I feel the cardoid might not be enough and I need another mic. I just have to double check on the price. My budget sucks right now. I am already going $100 over what my husband thinks I am spending! :)

Update... just ordered it. Bryan, Matt - I went with the hyper just in case I thought the cardoid wouldn't be enough. The price was the same - and later I can add on. Cannon, Jay, etc. Thanks alot!

Matt Gettemeier · July 10th, 2004, 04:06 PM

Thank God Linda... you did the right thing. I don't think I ever recommended the cardioid OVER the hyper... In FACT, I specifically said that if the Sound Room would let you order the Oktava with the Hyper ONLY then DO THAT... and you DID... thank you... two handfuls of my hair thank you... If I'd read that you thought I said to get the cardioid INSTEAD of the hyper... I'd have clutched my head and pulled...

Since the Sound Room offers the 1 cap Oktava with the Hyper there is OFFICIALLY no reason to go anywhere else.

As I said in another post... I use the hyper cap 90% of the time... and the 10% I use the cardioid... the hyper would have been ALMOST as good anyway.

Linda Schodowsky · July 10th, 2004, 04:15 PM

Yeah Matt... that's what I meant. Hyper over Card. Now I just have to sit around and wait a couple weeks, according to their site.

I wonder if Jay will order soon...

Jay Massengill · July 10th, 2004, 06:38 PM

Yeah I ordered today too. Since neither one of us is ordering matching pairs hopefully the wait won't be anywhere near that long. I'll post when I receive mine and when I've done my testing.

Bryan Beasleigh · July 11th, 2004, 12:04 AM

I had no idea they sold the Hypercardoid with the preamp. They must do that one themselves because okta package the preamp, 10db pad andpreamp together.

That's great news

Linda Schodowsky · July 14th, 2004, 09:56 AM

Yipee!!!!

My Octava just arrived! Now I have to figure out how to connect it... guess I'll search the board. Thanks again everybody for the suggestion, I'm glad I listened to you all.

Jay... let us know when yours comes

Patrick King · July 14th, 2004, 12:23 PM

One thing I haven't been able to determine from the promotional pics of the Oktava MC012, is how it connects.

Does an XLR cable connect directly to the base of the mic?

Linda Schodowsky · July 14th, 2004, 12:42 PM

Yeah... it does. I just went out and bought a 15 ft. mic cable at Radio Shack. It'll come in handy down the line. I'm hoping to get something way shorter.

Is it acceptable just to plug in the mic directly to the Beach-tek?

Correction... I came back and edited this. I meant to say 15 ft cable NOT 1 ft! :)

Bryan Beasleigh · July 14th, 2004, 07:12 PM

1.open the battery bay and insert one fresh 9 volt battery.

2. With Pwr switch OFF. Attach the beach to the camera and plug the right angled mini into the mic jack.

3. Very carefully screw the capsule onto the mic preamp. Plug the female XLR into the Oktava and the male cable xlr into the Left female XLR on the Beach.

4. Turn on your VX2000/2100 and set the audio to 16 bit manual and adjust the gain to 25%. Jack your headphones into the camera

5. On the rear of the DXA-8 set the Mono /Stereo switch to Mono or "M" and set the ground switch to G2 (for now anyway)

6. On the front of the Beach, switch the Left channel 48V switch to the up position (phantom on) and the LMT (Limiter) switch to the up or on position .

7. Turn the left channel gain all the way counterclock to "0".

8. Turn the power on, phantom will take a second or two to power the mic.

9. By now the dratted 5 min timer will have shut the camera down so turn it back on and bring up the audio monitor (camera meter)

10. Whilst saying witty phrases, adjust the Beach DXA-8's gain until the camera meter hits -12 and peaks at 0.

11. Excitedly run out and insist the husband, cat, dog , neighbours and any passing pedestrian have a listen.

12. Ask your husband to say something into the mic. When the level is adjusted so that he averages -12 and peaks around 0, hit him wherever it will cause some pain and watch the limiters kick in. The red light over the gain knob will flash whenever the limiter is activated.

;--) enjoy

Patrick King · July 14th, 2004, 07:34 PM

Bryan, that was a great set of step through instructions. It was so good I almost want to go buy that particular equipment set just so that I'll actually know what to do when I have it. You and other good folks like you are why some of us frequent this board. Thanks from a bystander!

Linda Schodowsky · July 14th, 2004, 08:21 PM

Thanks Bryan!

By the time I hopped back to this forum I already played around a bit with my camera... nice sounding mic! The instructions were good enough that I cut and pasted them into my textedit and saved them.

I went ahead and ordered the $9 cable from B & H. My local Radio Shack didn't have anything but a 15 foot cable... which I bought. I can use it later on if I want to boom something.

The camera now weighs a ton so now I need one of those thingamabobs that is like a harness for support. But that will have to wait. Next on the list are my shock mount and wind sock! Until now, I am figuring out how I can improvise. And no... I cant plug the mic in directly to the Beachtek.

Still haven't heard from Jay... I wonder if he got his yet.

Jay Massengill · July 14th, 2004, 08:31 PM

Yes I got my Oktava today too. Very good sound quality and I've done some preliminary testing between it and a Rode NT-3, AT4053a and an AT873r.
Somehow I never realized how small the Oktava is. I'll have to be investing in a new shockmount soon. It will fit an AT8415, but that only leaves room for the very minimum wind protection.
It's definitely true that you need more than the minimum wind protection for this mic!
The AT873r had a similar character to the Oktava in the testing I did today but the Oktava has a bit more reach at the bottom end so it does sound richer overall. It's also substantially quieter than the AT873r (yea SoundRoom!). In a practical sense though I've never had a problem with the self-noise of the AT873r, so unless you really need a small, VERY LOW-NOISE, MODULAR, inexpensive mic, I'd probably continue to recommend the AT873r for the general user. It's much less prone to handling and wind noise and easier to protect on both those fronts too.
The NT-3 is also very low noise, but sounded thin in the bottom end when used at a distance and compared to the other 3 mics. Of course in some situations that's a good thing. The NT-3 is a great value that can run on battery or phantom and can also do ok for voice-over when used close up. Too bad it's so large and heavy for use on a boom or camera-mounting.
Lastly the AT4053a has the most balanced sound, is quiet, small, light, has very low handling noise and can use traditional wind protection methods. It's one drawback is the $430 price tag (although it is modular too).
It's a very good mic, but I'm not sure it warrants that much additional money on sound quality alone. It is better, but not 2x or 3x better for certain. You will save money though if you already have a suitable shockmount and wind protection. I'll be spending some extra for that for the Oktava.
I also bought the cardioid cap on sale for $50. I'll be testing it soon against the AT3031, AT4041, and a Rode NT5 as soon as that pair arrives.

Linda Schodowsky · July 14th, 2004, 08:40 PM

Jay...

Do you have a Beachtek 8?

Jay Massengill · July 14th, 2004, 08:59 PM

Nope I don't have one. The testing I did today used a regular desktop mixer and Sennheiser HD-280 headphones.
I do have a DXA-6, which has phantom power so I can try the Oktava with it. It doesn't have the extra features of your Beachtek like gain, limiters, etc.
Do you have some additional questions about using your mic with the DXA-8?

July 11th, 2004, 12:04 AM	#21
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	I had no idea they sold the Hypercardoid with the preamp. They must do that one themselves because okta package the preamp, 10db pad andpreamp together. That's great news __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ".......holy smokin rubber lips...what a ride!"

July 14th, 2004, 12:23 PM	#23
Patrick King Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Enterprise, AL Posts: 857	Oktava MC012 Connections One thing I haven't been able to determine from the promotional pics of the Oktava MC012, is how it connects. Does an XLR cable connect directly to the base of the mic?

July 14th, 2004, 07:12 PM	#25
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	1.open the battery bay and insert one fresh 9 volt battery. 2. With Pwr switch OFF. Attach the beach to the camera and plug the right angled mini into the mic jack. 3. Very carefully screw the capsule onto the mic preamp. Plug the female XLR into the Oktava and the male cable xlr into the Left female XLR on the Beach. 4. Turn on your VX2000/2100 and set the audio to 16 bit manual and adjust the gain to 25%. Jack your headphones into the camera 5. On the rear of the DXA-8 set the Mono /Stereo switch to Mono or "M" and set the ground switch to G2 (for now anyway) 6. On the front of the Beach, switch the Left channel 48V switch to the up position (phantom on) and the LMT (Limiter) switch to the up or on position . 7. Turn the left channel gain all the way counterclock to "0". 8. Turn the power on, phantom will take a second or two to power the mic. 9. By now the dratted 5 min timer will have shut the camera down so turn it back on and bring up the audio monitor (camera meter) 10. Whilst saying witty phrases, adjust the Beach DXA-8's gain until the camera meter hits -12 and peaks at 0. 11. Excitedly run out and insist the husband, cat, dog , neighbours and any passing pedestrian have a listen. 12. Ask your husband to say something into the mic. When the level is adjusted so that he averages -12 and peaks around 0, hit him wherever it will cause some pain and watch the limiters kick in. The red light over the gain knob will flash whenever the limiter is activated. ;--) enjoy __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ".......holy smokin rubber lips...what a ride!"

July 14th, 2004, 07:34 PM	#26
Patrick King Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Enterprise, AL Posts: 857	Great Instructions Bryan, that was a great set of step through instructions. It was so good I almost want to go buy that particular equipment set just so that I'll actually know what to do when I have it. You and other good folks like you are why some of us frequent this board. Thanks from a bystander!

July 10th, 2004, 12:14 PM	#16
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	You do have your choice of caps when getting a single cap Oktava from the SoundRoom. If you go with a lower-priced untested vendor, they only offer the cardioid if you're getting a single capsule. Since you're hoping to use this mic mostly for on-camera mounting, then I'd recommend the hypercardioid to start out. I'm about to order one myself from the SoundRoom. They are also currently offering the cardioid cap by itself for only $50. Best of all you can return the mic within 3 weeks if you aren't satisfied. When I get mine I hope to test it against the AT4053a, Rode NT-3 and the AT873r. Among those 3 mics the only one that would fit your criteria is the AT873r. I like this mic alot, but I've never tested it directly against the Oktava. I feel it would be a worthwhile alternative but I'm not going to say for certain how the character of the sound from the two mics compares since I haven't listened to them side by side. I am pretty certain the Oktava would be quieter (self-noise) but would suffer from greater handling noise. From what people have described to me the Oktava would sound a little richer but the AT873r would probably have a little greater clarity and a brighter sound. I think either would be a worthwhile investment for a first step in the situation you've described.

July 10th, 2004, 12:27 PM	#17
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Uh Oh... what to do, what to do. Cardoid vs Hypercardoid. I am at their website right now and popped back here to make sure it was the Cardoid that Bryan and/or Matt recommended - it was. Now I just read your post Jay. Hmmm... let me think about this. Hypercardoid... I do see that Sound Room gives me the option of selecting the capsule... Update... sounds like I'll go with the hypercardoid... I checked the past posts. I'd be better off starting with that just in case I feel the cardoid might not be enough and I need another mic. I just have to double check on the price. My budget sucks right now. I am already going $100 over what my husband thinks I am spending! :) Update... just ordered it. Bryan, Matt - I went with the hyper just in case I thought the cardoid wouldn't be enough. The price was the same - and later I can add on. Cannon, Jay, etc. Thanks alot!

July 10th, 2004, 04:06 PM	#18
Matt Gettemeier Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 936	Thank God Linda... you did the right thing. I don't think I ever recommended the cardioid OVER the hyper... In FACT, I specifically said that if the Sound Room would let you order the Oktava with the Hyper ONLY then DO THAT... and you DID... thank you... two handfuls of my hair thank you... If I'd read that you thought I said to get the cardioid INSTEAD of the hyper... I'd have clutched my head and pulled... Since the Sound Room offers the 1 cap Oktava with the Hyper there is OFFICIALLY no reason to go anywhere else. As I said in another post... I use the hyper cap 90% of the time... and the 10% I use the cardioid... the hyper would have been ALMOST as good anyway.

July 10th, 2004, 04:15 PM	#19
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Yeah Matt... that's what I meant. Hyper over Card. Now I just have to sit around and wait a couple weeks, according to their site. I wonder if Jay will order soon...

July 10th, 2004, 06:38 PM	#20
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	Yeah I ordered today too. Since neither one of us is ordering matching pairs hopefully the wait won't be anywhere near that long. I'll post when I receive mine and when I've done my testing.

July 14th, 2004, 09:56 AM	#22
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Yipee!!!! My Octava just arrived! Now I have to figure out how to connect it... guess I'll search the board. Thanks again everybody for the suggestion, I'm glad I listened to you all. Jay... let us know when yours comes

July 14th, 2004, 12:42 PM	#24
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Yeah... it does. I just went out and bought a 15 ft. mic cable at Radio Shack. It'll come in handy down the line. I'm hoping to get something way shorter. Is it acceptable just to plug in the mic directly to the Beach-tek? Correction... I came back and edited this. I meant to say 15 ft cable NOT 1 ft! :)

July 14th, 2004, 08:21 PM	#27
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Thanks Bryan! By the time I hopped back to this forum I already played around a bit with my camera... nice sounding mic! The instructions were good enough that I cut and pasted them into my textedit and saved them. I went ahead and ordered the $9 cable from B & H. My local Radio Shack didn't have anything but a 15 foot cable... which I bought. I can use it later on if I want to boom something. The camera now weighs a ton so now I need one of those thingamabobs that is like a harness for support. But that will have to wait. Next on the list are my shock mount and wind sock! Until now, I am figuring out how I can improvise. And no... I cant plug the mic in directly to the Beachtek. Still haven't heard from Jay... I wonder if he got his yet.

July 14th, 2004, 08:31 PM	#28
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	Yes I got my Oktava today too. Very good sound quality and I've done some preliminary testing between it and a Rode NT-3, AT4053a and an AT873r. Somehow I never realized how small the Oktava is. I'll have to be investing in a new shockmount soon. It will fit an AT8415, but that only leaves room for the very minimum wind protection. It's definitely true that you need more than the minimum wind protection for this mic! The AT873r had a similar character to the Oktava in the testing I did today but the Oktava has a bit more reach at the bottom end so it does sound richer overall. It's also substantially quieter than the AT873r (yea SoundRoom!). In a practical sense though I've never had a problem with the self-noise of the AT873r, so unless you really need a small, VERY LOW-NOISE, MODULAR, inexpensive mic, I'd probably continue to recommend the AT873r for the general user. It's much less prone to handling and wind noise and easier to protect on both those fronts too. The NT-3 is also very low noise, but sounded thin in the bottom end when used at a distance and compared to the other 3 mics. Of course in some situations that's a good thing. The NT-3 is a great value that can run on battery or phantom and can also do ok for voice-over when used close up. Too bad it's so large and heavy for use on a boom or camera-mounting. Lastly the AT4053a has the most balanced sound, is quiet, small, light, has very low handling noise and can use traditional wind protection methods. It's one drawback is the $430 price tag (although it is modular too). It's a very good mic, but I'm not sure it warrants that much additional money on sound quality alone. It is better, but not 2x or 3x better for certain. You will save money though if you already have a suitable shockmount and wind protection. I'll be spending some extra for that for the Oktava. I also bought the cardioid cap on sale for $50. I'll be testing it soon against the AT3031, AT4041, and a Rode NT5 as soon as that pair arrives.

July 14th, 2004, 08:40 PM	#29
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Jay... Do you have a Beachtek 8?

July 14th, 2004, 08:59 PM	#30
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	Nope I don't have one. The testing I did today used a regular desktop mixer and Sennheiser HD-280 headphones. I do have a DXA-6, which has phantom power so I can try the Oktava with it. It doesn't have the extra features of your Beachtek like gain, limiters, etc. Do you have some additional questions about using your mic with the DXA-8?