Sennheiser MKE 400 camcorder mic - Sneak Peak!

[Guy Cochran]

Over a year ago I had the opportunity to examine a little shotgun mic from Sennheiser called the ME36. We're talking tiny - look at your pinky finger and imagine a shotgun mic that small! This little wonder was initially released as a podium mic and that is where it has existed its moderately successful life. Well...I thought it would make an awesome on-camera mic if they would make a few changes.



In my testing I found the ME36 to be warm and natural sounding yet surprising directional. I waved it around and "Whooomp!" Overly sensitive on the low end with any movement. The mic definitely needed a high pass filter or "low end cut" to remove the rumble that made my headphones bottom out.

The bigger question was, how would this mount to a camera via the accessory shoe mount? No one had a shockmount even close to this small. And - how could we get power to this mic on a consumer/prosumer camcorder - the ME36 requires phantom power. Also, how would we get from the propriety mini XLR over to an 1/8" miniplug?

Well, Sennheiser engineers listened and answered all these question. Here you are seeing a pre-release version of the new Sennhesier MKE 400 camcorder microphone.



This folks, is going to be a killer mic for smaller cameras like the Canon HV20. You see, even the highly popular, extremely successful RODE Videomic can seem overwhelming on a palm-sized camcorder. It can also remind people they're on camera. When you have a mic this small, you can really be unobtrusive and "blend in". From what I've heard so far, the unit will be powered for 300 hours by a single AAA battery. There will also be XLR support and the unit will weigh less than 3oz. Amazing sound in a small package! Good things are yet to come!

[JoshKelley]

Heck, that sounds good for my XL2, or even better, my 'B' camera-- the old 3-chip Panasonic PV-DV951.

Any news on prices yet?

[Guy Cochran]

I'll place my bet at under $200.

[JoshKelley]

Plug this into an Evolution wireless mics transmitter, and you can get some decent nat sound from a distance (eg while taping at the back of a room, the mic could be up on the stage).

[Eric Piercey]

I need to get myself one of those transmitters. I should have bought the DVEstore package with the transmitter included when I got my Senn. wireless and regret not doing so. The transmitter alone is listed at ~200 bucks if memory serves at B&H.

[Guy Cochran]

You could use the bodypack transmitter which accepts LINE or MIC level with the MKE 400 or RODE Videomic.

Yeah, the Sennheiser Evolution G2 ENG package is a good way to go with the add SKP 100 plug on transmitter. Especially if you ever want to do a wirelss handheld mic.

[Guy Cochran]

Pricing will be set at $199.

We will be getting these in very soon - possibly the only dealer in the world with initial stock. They've also added a $49 optional accessory pack which includes wind protection and an XLR to mini adapter. I can't wait to see it and demo the finished product!

I love it when companies listen and develop what users truly need. I'm glad to have been a part of making the push to bring this to market.

[bluprojekt]

I just came across this mic online and wanted to find out how it fares against the Rode VideoMic. One of my gripes is the size of the VideoMic in relation to my compact Solo Video Journalist gear I use.

I just made the transition to HDV and am working with a compact setup of two SONY HC7's (I also shoot underwater and the SONY's are the defacto standard for aluminum housings). I'm developing a customized Solo VJ kit that showcases how compact a kit can be and still produce professional quality results. I work out of a Tenba P263 photo backpack and am trying to pare down to the bare essentials for field acquisition.

Any ideas on how this mic compares to the Rode VideoMic in sound quality? What about the durability of the integrated shock mount? My other concern is the flimsiness of the Rode VideoMic's shock mount.

[Guy Cochran]

Hi Cliff,

We're really excited about this mic. We have these set to arrive right after Xmas. We'll immediately do a test on the mic and get it up on the site. Having worked with the ME36 that the MKE400 is based off of, I'm confident that it will produce rich, detailed, directional sound. The big question is, how will it do with camera zoom and motor noise. We shall soon see!

[Guy Cochran]

By the way these are ready to ship on 12/27 you can order now http://www.dvcreators.net/the-sennhe...0-shotgun-mic/
There are only 400 in the entire country until the next batch in April. Be one of the lucky ones to order yours first.

[bluprojekt]

Guy, I purchased my VideoMic from you about 18 months ago and have had good success with it, but I'm now wanting to streamline my kit even further and this mic looks smaller and I hear that Sennheiser has a positive reputation for its products.

Let me know when you do a review of this mic and how it stacks up against the Rode VideoMic.

[bluprojekt]

Looking at the integrated shock mount looks to be kind of fragile from what I can see in the photo. Maybe since it is lighter in weight compared to the Rode VideoMic, that the shock mount is proportional to the weight of the MKE400.

I was even considering doing some modifications to my Rode VideoMic to pare it down further since the shock mount is so large. Doing a custom hack so to speak by removing the large shock mount and mounting the hotshoe portion directly to the mic housing but realized that would defeat the purpose of isolating the mic from the camera.

What other mics out there come in this price range that have as good a sound quality, are light weight, can be shock mounted and utilize a short 1/8" mini jack?

Reviews on mics like the MKE300, the Azden and Audio Technica mics in this price range seem mixed - some say sound quality is lacking, others saying for the money, they are comparable to the Rode. I've also been considering the compact Audio-Technica PRO 24-CM due to the size and apparent sound quality of this mic and it's weight is only 3.9 ounces so it's comparable to the MKE400 in weight. The big question is in its audio fidelity.

I understand how important audio is when shooting, but I'm looking to find a balance of price and sound quality performance.

Or is the MKE400 the answer to this dilemma???

[Guy Cochran]

Here's a little sample of the Sennheiser MKE400.


Sennheiser MKE400 and Litepanels LP Micro on a Canon HV20 from Guy Cochran on Vimeo.

[timbtimb]

how does this mic sound sitting on top of the HV20 or HV30? Without using the bar to put the mic on the side.

[Guy Cochran]

I'd say for most stuff any mic would be unusable on an HV20. The motor is simply too loud for quiet dialogue. It may be ok for recording a loud musical performance, but for something like that, I'd rather see you tap into the board.