Jay, what do you think of this?: New AT873r!

[Dave Largent]

I called today and was going to order an AT873r
but I found out they have a new model coming out
this month.
I remember you saying you wish they would update
the 873 with 30 Series hardware. (I was going to
get the 873 a couple weeks ago but I spent the
money on an AT3032.)
So, what do you think about the update? They say
this is the first change since 1985.
I see it's got a change in sensitivity, dynamic range,
and frequency response, among others.
And they talk about using the newest low-mass
condenser technology.
What do you make of it all? Is it worth waiting for the new
model?

http://www.infocomm.org/Newsnetwork/...BE5DD12B067C0E


http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/re...941/at873r.pdf

http://www.audio-technica.com/admin/...f7/u873r_e.pdf

[Jay Massengill]

Looks very interesting! Most significantly to me the signal to noise ratio is 3db better on the new version, but the drop in sensitivity worries me a little.
If you have a good preamp this could be an awesome hypercardioid for interiors. It can also run on lower phantom voltages which could be helpful for some battery-powered devices. I wonder how much the frequency response and more importantly the off-axis response has changed, if any.
I think it's worth waiting for, but the true test will come with listening. I'll try to get one as soon as possible. Let me know if you get one too.
Plus be looking for the old models on sale.

ps- a note about the interchangeable elements for different pickup patterns:
This would be more like performing surgery rather than screwing on a new capsule. It's always been like that for AT mics except for the 4051a through 4053a, they are actual capsules.

[Dave Largent]

They say this will be released in June. Any idea
how these things usually go? I mean, could it be August or more before anyone is offering it for retail? I could use to get something not too far down the road.

[Jay Massengill]

AT is usually on schedule. You might have to search a little harder for a vendor that knows about it, but I'm sure you could find one by July. Many pro AT dealers (that carry the Unipoint line to begin with) simply order it directly from AT anyway and it's shipped from Ohio straight to you. So if AT has it ready it shouldn't be much delay.

[Dave Largent]

I wrote to AT. They said the U873r available now.
They said they will provide me with a list of
dealers in my area.

[Dave Largent]

Most of the dealers contacted didn't have any
info on the U873R, yet. The couple dealers that did
have any info, quoted me prices in the $200 range, as a special
order item.

[Dave Largent]

I know they say this mic has a built-in shock mount
for use as a handheld mic. If I were going to
camara-mount it, I wonder if I'd really need
one of those ruberband-type shockmounts? Or
would I get by okay just using one of those
$10 shoe-mount-to-mic-mount adapters, seeing
as the mic is said to have a built-in shock absorbing
system?

[Jay Massengill]

The original did have pretty good handling noise suppression, but I still use a shockmount unless it's going to be on a totally stationary stand.

[Dave Largent]

Found a pretty good price and ordered it today.
It'll take a week or two to get it but I'm looking
forward to it.

[Dave Largent]

Just came in today. A little heavier than I had expected
for it's size. Maybe this is because of the built-in damping? I see there's no foam inside the grill like you often find with handheld mics, though it does come with a slip-over windscreen. It really is small for a handheld. One thing I like about Audio Technica is that the zipper cases they supply
with their mics are padded, unlike some other makers, where it is just a thin nylon bag. Seems a tad thin for the PD mic mount ... maybe if I wrap some gaffers tape around it.
Haven't listened to it yet.

[Jay Massengill]

If it's constructed like the original version, it has a two-stage metal screen with finer wire on the inside. If you hold it up to the light you can also see the very small internal foam head. (Smaller than a marble) This gives you an idea of how small the original diaphragm was.
I don't know if the new model uses a larger diaphragm as part of getting lower self-noise. Hopefully they did it all with just new electronics and left the other characteristics alone.
It is pretty densely constructed for such a small mic.
I'm looking forward to your results. Hopefully the lower sensitivity will be more than compensated for by the much lower self-noise.

[Dave Largent]

Yeah, it is pretty densely constructed for such a
small mic. That's one of the first things you notice
about it.
I tried taking the screen off to look inside but
everything seemed real tight, like it didn't
want to move, so I left it alone. Don't want to
break something seeing as I don't really know
where it is suppose to come apart at.
Anyways, if you think you'd like one sometime
you could pm me for a reputable dealer with
a real good price as compared to the other few
prices I was given.
I'm going to try it on a job next week so I'll be sure
to post my impressions. Perhaps I'll get a chance to
have a listen before the job.

[Dave Largent]

Well, I hooked the U873r up and it works. It seems
quite directional, which is as it should be for a
hyper. (This is my first hyper, by the way.) I don't
think I'll be able to tell much more about it till I get
it into a real situation like I want to use it for. My plan
at this point is to use it along side another mic that
hasn't been working out for what I want and compare.
I'll put one on the left channel and another on the right
channel.
Just in case anyone else is looking for this mic, it is not
available through any of the DVInfoNet sponsors. I checked.
The mic is marketed at house of worship use so you have to
look more toward suppliers for that area. I did some
searches for this mic (well, A873r anyway) and found that
some consider it a gem for other uses, too, so I thought
I'd try it out.

[Dave Largent]

I tried that U873r outside. (I had planned on using
the AT4073a but the mount broke right before I
was going to use it.)
The 873 was okay outside but didn't have the reach
and presence that I think the 4073 would have had.
The 873 had pretty good speech clarity. It didn't seem
overly sensitive to wind, maybe about average in
wind sensitivity. I did have the thin foam cover on
that came with it. I have considered maybe trying
a Mike Muff on it -- the one that they make for the
Sony VX2000.

[Jay Massengill]

The U873r is on my list of things to get with end of the year money. Was it sensitive enough for your needs? That's the one thing that worries me with the change in this model, the lower sensitivity.