You know reviewing is a really subjective thing. And when it comes to listening or what sounds good, it’s 100% subjective. But, since posting my written review of the new Sennheiser MKE 600 Review part#1, Review part#2, I’ve been getting a lot of emails asking to hear what the mic actually sounds like. So, we decided to head out and conduct a little experiment. We mounted a MKE 600 and a ME 64 side-by-side on a camera and recorded me yakking away in a busy street environment. In this video we cut back and forth constantly between the two mics so you can hear the difference. Cool!
After giving a good listen in the edit suite, I’m sitting here wondering, “Which mic do I prefer?”
Well, the ME 64 has been my choice for camera mounted microphone for many years. Never have I had one crap out, even in some of the harshest environments. I’ve never had tracks sound poor and usually I’m pleasantly surprised with the results.
I’ve only used the 600 for a few days, but Sennheiser does put out pretty reliable gear so I expect the 600 to be durable and reliable. It’s a good mic, there’s no question about it. It’s warm sounding, it has good reach, a descent width to its pick-up pattern but not too directional, it wraps around the talker so head turning sounds natural and intelligible, and finally, it’s priced well. The MKE 600 was designed to be a camera mounted microphone and it does everything it should do, perfectly.
So, should I replace my ME 64’s? Well, after years of “never let me down camera mounted audio goodness”, I’ll stick with them. But if I were to be looking for a camera mic right now, I’d probably buy the MKE 600.
But, check out this video and decide for yourself!
Hey Dean,
Awesome head to head comparison of the 2 mics. It really shows how different they are in production (but can be edited in post) and how truly subjective these things are. Another great review that would provide value to someone deciding between the two.
Cheers,
Shawn
very nice review
Can MKE 600 be a good boom mic too? I mean compare to similar price range product
or it is mainly for camera mount use??
Hey Kai, good question. To be honest I don’t see why not. It has similar characteristics to the Sennheiser ME66 a definite “got to” mic for many ops. It’s not heavy, so that’s a plus when booming. It does have a lot of reach so you’ll need to be careful with jamming the mic (booming to close). To be totally honest, it’s not the mic, it’s the guy pointing the thing that’ll make or break your recording.
In a pinch I wouldn’t hesitate to use the 600 as a boom mic. Just make sure you have a proper shockmount and wind jammer.
Dean
Thanks!!
I have never really been a big fan of the K-6 Series of microphones from Sennheiser but rather their more robust MKH line of mics like the MKH-50, MKH-416, MKH-60 and the MKH-8060. That said, the K-6 Series is about half the price of most of the MKH line of mics. When bang for buck is discussed however, I believe the the Rode NTG-2 and NTG-3 microphones are the way to go.
Like you I like using a Neumann KM-185 a lot which had a more forgiving pattern than the MKH-50 when booming two or more people.
Hi Matthew, I only use the ME-64 as a camera mounted microphone. The MKH-50 has way to much bottom end and it picks up camera handling noise. I’ve never used a Rhode NTG2 or 3 on a camera so I have no opinion on whether they are a better then the Sennheiser ME-64 – it might be worth a listen.
But I’ll be honest, the 64 has never let me down, and it does an exceptional job as a camera mounted mic.
Good to know Dean. I wouldn’t use the MKH-50 as a camera mic either and will try out the ME-64 on my next gig based your recommendation. Thanks.
The Rode NTG-3 is arguably like using a Sennheiser MKH-416 but with a wider pattern. They sound quite identical. On a camera, it would likely have too much reach and would pick up too much of what is behind the subject. I agree with you that the ME-64′s cardiod pattern sounds just right for mounting on a camera. I think Sennheiser came up with the MKE-600 to compete with the Rode NTG-2′s market.
When the Sennheiser rep gave me a MKE600 to try out, it was touted as a camera mounted mic. It came with a cable for connecting into a DSLRs as well as a small cold shoe shock mount. I don’t think they are trying to compete with the NTG2 – but who knows?