Please help
I've just bought used AT898 mic and it's producing pretty loud hiss. It is normal to this model?
Someone used/using this mic? How it compares to AT899?

Hiss aside, the AT898 is a cardioid pickup pattern, not generally considered suitable for film/video dialog use. Cardioids are generally reserved for sound reinforcement applications where feedback suporession is important and where the wearer's head is generally facing in a constant direction, like a speaker at a podium. With dramatic dialog where there's a lot of head movement and gesturing, the voice is continually going on and off mic resulting in constantly changing level and timbre. The AT899, OTOH, is an omni, the preferred type for film/video work. Others will have to comment on the hiss issue but without a sample file it's hard to know how serious a problem you're having.

Hiss should not be a problem. What is it plugged into and how?

http://www.vaizdostudija.lt/dideli/AT898.mp3

there's a test clip

HDR-FX1 + juicedlink CX211 + AT898

Juicedlink audio level set to maximum, camera level set accordingly.

Is the person speaking wearing the microphone? Sounds somewhat 'distant' for a lav,.. especially a cardioid lav. Where exactly was this mic positioned on the person.

it's me speaking. I was holding lav ~5cm (~2 inch) down from my chin

http://www.vaizdostudija.lt/dideli/AT898.mp3

Juicedlink audio level set to maximum, camera level set accordingly.
Lower the Trim Level on the JuiceLlink to about 75-85% and re-adjust the camera level. Make sure AGC is off, if that's an option.

I assume you are 'hand holding' the mic for test purposes.

i've just tried lowering juicedlink to 75-85% and re-adjusting the camera level. Same hiss.

Yes I was "hand holding" mic for test, and I've clipped it to my shirt, same thing.

I've tried this mic in sound recording studio, with battery and with phantom power, same hiss.

I've sent a letter to audio technica. We'll see, maybe it is normal to this model

the amount of noise is normal to this model. I've contacted Audio Technica and they wrote to me:

"I listened to the attached clip; in my opinion it sounds fine. I honestly do not hear an excessive amount of hiss."

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Sorry, I never checked out the clip. duh! FWIW, my 50 yr. old ears do not hear any excessive hiss. l do hear acoustical borne ambient background noise. a.k.a., 'room tone' if your indoors.

My ears ain't what they used to be, so here's what my analysis indicates.
http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac172/sdfofny/Hold/AT898noise.jpg

The HF drop-off is normal for 256kbp/s stereo MP3.