I was doing some enquiries into the ME66 as it's been suggested as a good mic for entry level and the only place I've found so far in my city that stocks it was selling it for $1600.

This is about US$700 and was the mic, and a phantom power adapter that he said I needed I don't think it included a capsule for the mic but could have.

Is this a reasonable price? (Even with the capsule cover)

Cheers
Aaron

I purchased the me66 in the states for around $380.00 (not including shipping) at bhphoto.com

I used it first time this weekend on a dv short and it performed flawlessly.


Here is the details for the mic at BHPhoto.

ME 66K6 Super-Cardioid Shotgun Condenser Microphone Capsule with K6 (Battery/Phantom) Power Supply

Mfr Catalog # ME66K6 B&H Catalog # SEME66K6

Thanks andy, it looks like that place I called is charging a tad too much :) If I have no luck finding a supplier here I think I'll order from overseas.

Cheers
Aaron

Aaron,

NervousGolfer's price is accurate in US dollar terms.

You should note, however, that the ME66 is one of Sennheiser's "modular" mics which feature a separate power module. The K-6 module, for example, provides battery power to the ME66. You will need to also purchase one of these unless you already have one.

Aaron have you tried Digital Video Technoliges in Auckland, I have found their prices very good.

Hey Barry. Another New Zealander I see. Yeah those are the guys that quoted me $1600. I will have to recheck what they said was in that quote cause it must have been something expensive in there although All I can remember was the mic, phantom power supply and mic cover capsule.

Barry, are you in Auckand? If so, do you have any of the Canon XM1, Xl1s or Sony vx2000 or PD150 that you wouldn't mind showing me a few of the ins and outs of? I've found it hard to source these cameras in store for a play and the place I did find some weren't very helpful - they didn't know much about them at all. If not I'll understand :)


Cheers
Aaron

BTW:I'll buy you some beer or something for your trouble :)

About a year ago, I was shopping around for an ME66/K6 combo but never bought it. Now I'm in the market again. Visiting B&H, I see that B&H# SEME66K6 goes for $565. IIRC, these were going around $400. Has there been a price increase?

Can someone recommend a US source with better pricing now? TIA.

"Has there been a price increase?"
Probably. The dollar's value has slid significantly against other major currencies, such as the Euro, over the past months. So German good, such as this, will likely be more expensive in US dollar terms.

"Has there been a price increase?"
Probably. The dollar's value has slid significantly against other major currencies, such as the Euro, over the past months. So German goods, such as this, will likely be more expensive in US dollar terms. Dealers with older inventory (i.e. slower sales) may still offer lower prices.

You might look for a used mic in our Classifieds or elsewhere.

<<<-- Originally posted by Edward Seid : About a year ago, I was shopping around for an ME66/K6 combo but never bought it. Now I'm in the market again. Visiting B&H, I see that B&H# SEME66K6 goes for $565. IIRC, these were going around $400. Has there been a price increase?

Can someone recommend a US source with better pricing now? TIA. -->>>

The SEME66K6 includes the K6P (pahantom only) which is more expensive than the dual purpose K6. If you look carefully at the B&H page you will see the "email me for a better price" The better price is $468

A standard K6 will work with either battery or phantom. All buying a straight, garden variety K6 will do is save you money. The price marked is $565 and when you clicked the email me for a better price or click the "add to cart" button the price changes.

The ME66 with K6 is $399.95

The K6P is a lower production item so it's more money.

Thanks for the advice, guys. I overlooked the "email me for a better price" link on the B&H site. The >$500 price tag was enough to scare me.
Bryan, for both the SEME66K6 and SEME66K6P (phantom only), the listed price at B&H is $565. I guess you have to select the email option to get better pricing, which I didn't do.
Taking Ken Tanaka's advice, I visited the sponsors' websites and found the ME66/K6 for $374.95 + shipping at EVS. Just placed my order online :)
Many mahalos from Hawaii!

It's also a good idea to check shipping. B&H charge peanuts for shipping which will sometimes make a big difference in total price.

Have you tried Malcolm over at Panavision? When I bought mine it was less than a grand for the ME66 and K6 together. If you get stuck let me know and will see what I can get it for.

I buying my first XLR mic setup so I have a real basic question and then something more advanced.

I am buying the Me66/K6 to connect to my Gl-2. I also need a cable. Basic question: what gender connectors do I need on the cable? I am planning to run it through the Shure A96F on the camera end so I need a male connector on the camera end of the cable. But what gender needs to be on the mic end of the cable that connects to the K6? I assume the TecNec SC cables Markertek sells are good ones.

I have just enough funds to go for this package on the mic:

Sennheiser ME66 - Kit Including ME 66 Capsule, K6 Power Module and Rycote 18cm Softie / Pistol Grip

Which B&H is offering for around $650US when you call for their price. This means the Rycote part of the package is about $250. Does this seem reasonable as a package price for decent quality stuff?

I will use this setup on a boom for an upcoming shoot. There are some outside scenes so I would like to have the softie. Some of the indoor scenes will be in a very "live" room which I realize the ME66 may not be the best choice for. At least I have 16 foot ceilings to work with. I plan to ad mic. modules as future budgets allow.

I want to make the purchase in the next 24 hours so I appreciate prompt replies.

"Which B&H is offering for around $650US when you call for their price. This means the Rycote part of the package is about $250. Does this seem reasonable as a package price for decent quality stuff? "

Yes, it is a correct price. The Rycote Softie and the shock mount/pistol grip are top-of-the-line accessories. You'll find very little, if any, variation in Rycote's prices. I think you'll be very happy with this setup.

Stupid after-the-fact questions.

I have a Sony PD150 and just received my ME66 capsule and K6 power module. I thought this was all I needed, but apparently I'm wrong. First, it doesn't come with a foam screen. Second, I need a short XLR cable to connect the mic to the camera. Third, do I need anything additional to mount the thing, for example a shockmount? Keep in mind all I have is what came standard with my PD150.

For windscreen, I think I need either the MZW 66 or MZW 66 PRO. For XLR cable, I'll take Bob Severs advice and order a 12" right-angle type XLR cable.

I need help on the camera mounting. Do I need anything additional to mount this on a PD150? Any other comments/advice is welcome.

There are a few good ones, the AT 8415 is only $50 and multi purpose. You'll need an adapter to mount it to the hot shoe.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?BI=155&O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=68143&is=REG

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?BI=155&O=details_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=68160&is=REG

Edward, you may also want to take a quick peek at Bill Ball's post. He's on the right trail for a total working package to support that mic.

The stock foam windscreen for the me66 will be limited mostly to indoor use and very still conditions outdoors... anything more then a light breeze will rumble that mic even with the stock foam.

The Rycote Softie is a pretty good solution for it at a fairly reasonable cost (believe it or not THIS is "reasonable")... click HERE (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=207238&is=REG) to view. You'll need something along these lines if you want to be safe in typical outdoor shooting situations... and more then likely you'll just leave it on ALL the time. I did.

I have both a Rycote mount which you can see HERE (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=269879&is=REG) as part of a complete kit and I also have a K-Tek mount which you can see HERE (http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item633.htm) that I use on smaller mics... but it may work on the me66 for camera mounting.

A guaranteed alternative would be to use the larger K-Tek or the PSC mount that you will see ON THIS PAGE (http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/subcat119.htm) and you'll also notice that the PSC is pretty cheap for what you get! Which is good news 'cause I'll bet your head is spinning since you didn't know you'd need all this other stuff!

Sorry to be one of the bringers of bad news... but you were bound to find out on your own pretty quickly. BTW you also need the little adapter Beas posted a link for... THIS THING HERE. (http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item594.htm)

And HEY! Anytime you want to see the ACTUAL price of an item from B&H just click "ADD TO CART" and you'll see the discounted price immediately... after that you can just "EMPTY CART"...

Why do you want to wait for an email that says the same thing?

>Edward, you may also want to take a quick peek at Bill Ball's post. He's on the right trail for a total working package to support that mic.

Just got the k6/me66 with the Rycote softie windscreen and mount and Shure adpater for my Gl2. I plugged into the camera and opened my front door to check out the wind issue, audio levels on manual at about 50%. Was expecting to pick up some ambient noise but was shocked to hear (loudly) the buzzing of a bee hidden in the flowering tree branch a good 8 feet from the door. Wow. I have only spent 15 minutes or so with it so far, but gentle breezes and boom handling noises are no problem. I spent most of my time listening to the (normally) inaudible sounds of cold air coming out of my ice dispenser, the ballast hum in the flourescent lighting, the fabric friction of my pants legs, etc. I guess I'll be setting the mic levels much lower to record dialog :). I look forward to using this thing for real, altough it broke the bank so it will be mounted on a painter's pole for now.