Microphone Shootout - AT4053b vs Sennheiser ME64, ME65, ME66, MKH-416 and LyxPro SDPC-2

We'll get back to camera stuff shortly, but as with my last video, we are testing mics that might be used for Interior dialog (filmmaking, podcasting, etc), here's the list:
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Twitter: / photonarmy
Audio-Technica 4053b
Amazon US: amzn.to/2sU8094
Amazon CA: amzn.to/2vgq5yR
Amazon UK: amzn.to/2sTkA8t
Sennheiser K6
Amazon US: amzn.to/2umCdSG
Amazon CA: amzn.to/2t6TEq7
Amazon UK: amzn.to/2tib1PQ
Sennheiser ME 64
Amazon US: amzn.to/2umC2H5
Sennheiser ME 65
Amazon US: amzn.to/2t6CLvA
Sennheiser ME 66
Amazon US: amzn.to/2umAr3W
Amazon CA: amzn.to/2ud3o1B
LyxPro SDPC-2 (Out of stock at the moment)
Amazon US: amzn.to/2ucOnwY
Sennheiser MKH-416
Amazon US: amzn.to/2sU6OT0
Amazon CA: amzn.to/2uiymVB
Amazon UK: amzn.to/2tiftxX
Zoom F4 Field Recorder
Amazon US: amzn.to/2sUbx7k
Amazon CA: amzn.to/2sTwMX3
Amazon UK: amzn.to/2t7i5Ub
#mic #mkh416 #at4053b #mictest #boom #shotgunmic

[@sinanyalvac8998]

I am so happy that I have 2 of ME64 and a TASCAM recorder. It is really ok for me to record anything indoors or outdoors. Plus I have a Shure SM7B dynamic for the vocal record.

[@Tom_Roberts]

The 416 stands out way above the rest. Just a wonderfully crisp and full sound. Worth every penny .

[@LarsZu]

One of the best Comparisons i´ve ever seen. Thanks!

[@benjaminruiz8900]

Great video and info on these mics

[@PedroBellora]

Great and helpful video, thanks a lot for sharing!!

[@Skasparoff]

Thank you, Jeff. Will be waiting a new videos from you : )

[@edinexec5187]

Brilliant bloke, Excellent teacher. Impressive explanations. Wonderful. Extremely informative. Wish he would do many more videos and subjects. Unbeatable style devoid of waffle. 110% perfect. Thank you sincerely - the best review I have ever heard. Marvelous.

[@Hammerpedia]

AWESOME explanation. Thank you! I don't need a new mic, I need sound treatment. I would love to get your take on DIY sound treatment.

[@CryoftheProphet]

Thank you for this, ME66 sounds so good!

[@atmotv-fw4wm]

One of the most profound audio blogs with fun listening and lots of expertise. Thank you for the excellent reviews!

[@wenchirue]

Best review ever! thank you.

[@TheDreAllen]

Simply because of this review I just bought a new mic. Thank you so much. I don’t have the coin for the MKH416 so I just went with the ME66. I was trying to get good sound on my black magic 6K with a VidPro shotgun mic and a Zoom H4N but the noise was so unbearable. This was extremely helpful.👍🏼

[@billsmith5166]

Great job!

[@duncanmckenzie7017]

Finally a review that looks at the ME65! Thank you! Very interesting. I have used ME66 indoors, in a carpeted, average-sized room. If the mic is pointed at a person with a wall some distance behind them, it produces awful distortions as the reflected sound goes into the interference tube. Yes, you might get these effects with other types of mics, but shotgun mics, which are designed to use interference to give them directionality, are especially prone to them.

[@Decenium]

The ME66 sounds amazing compared to all else, realistic, honest and not as boomy

[@slog8689]

Thanks to you, I finally get an answer about the K6 family ! Thanks from France !

[@amirkhan-fu2uj]

me too

[@KiaTaatje]

I am pretty happy with a K6 / ME64 does the job well enough

[@johannbauermeister3916]

Thanks. Very well done comparison!

[@Photonarmy]

Thank you much

[@LIFEINSPEED]

Thank you I was ordering Lyxpro and after ur review I end up spending for rode m5

[@jononeill2008]

Super helpful thanks

[@bali10pics53]

Very goooood video ! :) Thank you.

[@SpaceAgeConsulting]

Very good comprehensive review of the microphones. Helps me to make a decision.

[@Photonarmy]

Thanks... Got a new shootout coming in a few days. Couple interesting new options at low and medium cost

[@SpaceAgeConsulting]

@@Photonarmy Looking forward to it

[@JosueLemus]

That was great! thank you..

[@skakdosmer]

Extremely good video! Thank you very much indeed! Just one tiny detail: You say the Sennheiser ME capsules all have a 40-20kHz frequency response. Well, that's correct, except that the omnidirectional ME62 (not featured here) is specified as having a 20-20kHz range.

[@JasonRJones]

Great vid Jeff I have been obsessively watching shotgun mic reviews as I aim to replace my Sony ECM 77b I currently use for my ch. There are many good ones but yours is definitely one of the most thorough I have seen. I'm leaning toward the AT 4053b or the 416. I have a falsetto mid range voice so I welcome added low end. The ME series sound a bit tinny to my ear. Thanks for the head to head!

[@Photonarmy]

Jason Robert Jones thanks! Glad it helped

[@christiansass]

As a ME66 owner, i appreciate the comparison

[@jamesdrakefilms]

Really great review. I have the 4053b, not a true audiophile so finding the "best" microphone can drive me crazy.... like you said subjective!

[@Carl-Camera]

AT4053B sounds great; maybe a tiny bit more room noise and noise floor but only if I strain my ears to hear it.

[@GoodManPictures]

Good information. I recently got NTG3 but I feel it has some addition base indoors. AT4053b and MKH416 looks better in your video. Do you think I shall go for hyper cardiod for indoor dialogue recording or NTG3 would be good enough with some base removal in post production if required. (2) Also can you let me know which mics are used when dubbing for movies.

[@djmatt1]

I have to say as much as I like the Sennheiser MKH416, with your voice I find the ME66/K6 sounds by far the best out of the bunch. I think the 416 and the ME66 can pair very well when used to the type of voice from the talent, a deeper voice would sound great on the ME66 whereas a higher pitch voice sounds great with the additional low end of the 416.

[@ronaldwolf2599]

Jeff; One of the best tutorial videos of the Sennheiser mics. Have just subscribed to your channel. Have a question; I presently record opera productions, that are generally not mic'd on stage, so I must capture live. Here is my scenario, I'm using 2 ME64 shotgun mics, one on each side of stage, and approx 20' away, pointing at about 15 degrees up.(Above orchestra) These mics are being fed thru 2 Sennheiser G2 wireless system mics, and received with the receivers, connected to camera, I am able to control audio level at camera, as well adjust in post.( I'm able to produce final video in stereo.) Quality appears to be pretty good, with very little echo. If you had a any input for improvement, re; my set up this way, would really appreciate your suggestions. Thanks again for posing this most informative video. Ron

[@Chasjazzez]

Still the MKH416 sounds the best to me...

[@beromoses4394]

you solved my problem

[@user-wl8iw9ou3w]

Excellent video! Good job man! this is one of the best comparison videos for this particular line of microphones. I have one Question! I'm currently using the k6/me64 and I've been thinking whether to get the mkh416 or to get a decent audio interface. I'm pretty new to audio setups. I'm currently running my me64 into an audio mixer(Saramonic SmartRig+) going into a zoom H1. Which would bring more improvement to my audio? - mkh416? or a decent audio interface? Thanks again for the awesome comparison/review/video!

[@Photonarmy]

SternAcademy Thanks. :) Hmm, well, a couple things. First, getting a shotgun isn't a replacement for the me64, it's just anotger tool that works better in some situations. Nothing wrong with the me66 if you want to save a buck. Second, the recorder is half the equation, so since you already have a decently versatile mic, I'd probably upgrade the recording device first.

[@user-wl8iw9ou3w]

I see. That is exactly what I will do. Thank you for the solid advice. But before that, I've been doing a lot of thinking and research since my first comment to your video and decided to admit the fact that my studio is lacking in acoustic treatment(I can't help feeling sad to see money going into acoustic treatment, there's just something about it that is not as satisfying as when I'm spending on gear -- which, btw, I think would be something that a lot of people would be thrilled to learn from you if you were to put up a couple of videos in this area). Anywayz, It's always a great pleasure to hear it from a professional and I want to thank you again for your sincere reply. Cheers!

[@Photonarmy]

SternAcademy I built 32x48 sound absorbers with 2 pieces of rockwool on a piece of peg board wrapped gently with some black fabric and stapled to the pegboard. The rockwool comes as 16x48 "loafs", 12 to a pack... The pegboard comes as 96x48 sheet, I cut it into three 32x48 boards. Both from home depot. The fabric is black cotton from Walmart. The I laid down the fabric, put two loafs of rockwool on top, and put a sheet of pegboard on top of that. Then wrapped the fabric around (gently, the rockwool is super delicate) and stapled it to the pegboard. They are delicate because there is no frame, so try to handle them by the peg board only, but they're easy to make and less than $10 each for a lot of coverage.

[@CameronStClair]

Thank you for your thoughts on the me65. I bought 3 of these from an estate sale and wasn't sure what to do with them! I mainly do voice work in my studio, but have started recording my daughter playing guitar and singing, I've been experimenting with the me65 on vocals versus an sm7b and a rode nt3, and have found it to be very bright, but am unsure of its suitability for anything other than interviews. What are your thoughts on other uses for the me65? I love the sound of the sm7b but don't have the equipment to handle the massive pre-amp power it requires.

[@vivy2770]

What is the difference between ME66 and MKE 600 in terms of pickup, sensitivity and noise ? I intend to use it for run and gun, sometimes outdoors, some percussion and live theatre dialog. Is the ME66 more delicate than a MKE 600 ? I like the interchangeable capsule. Please help choose.

[@totoroutes5389]

Me64 is great

[@MeAlexSenna]

Grear Comparison, Any Ideas on the ME67, like the ME65 As you menyion. There are not videos bout that Loeb Mic.

[@Photonarmy]

The me67 pretty much sounds just like the me66 to my ears... But it rejects off axis sounds quite a bit better, imho.

[@bsmokler]

What did you do for noise reduction on the LyxPro mic? Just curious what you did to process it.

[@Photonarmy]

If you google Audition Noise Reduction, there's a quick tutorial. I did that, and kept it relatively subtle. You don't need dead silence... just enough keep it natural.

[@bsmokler]

Thanks. I was wondering what you were using for your audio mixing/editing. I agree the Noise Reduction tool in Audition is useful when used with a light hand.

[@javidhaghiabi2500]

ME 66 is quite and natural

[@rafalwspin1]

Hi, how did you make this noise reduction with LyxPro, please?

[@Photonarmy]

Rafal Nawalany Just used the default noise reduction in Adobe Audition with pretty low settings

[@chungdhalam]

ME64 jump to MKH416 sounds very seamless, I don't like the ME66 sound, it sound like it missing bass compared to ME64.

[@aterix]

No contest, the Sennheiser MKH-416 is the most clear and full

[@skakdosmer]

Your review of the Sennheiser ME65 may be the first, and it may also be the last. I'm not 100% sure, but the ME65 seems to be discontinued by now (summer 2018). I buy most of my audio gear from thomann.de, and they don't sell it any more. So I checked Sennheiser's website. The ME65 is still listed, but if you click the link for further information about it, you're sent back to the front page. I quickly found it on an English site and ordered it, so I wouldn't miss the chance of getting one. So I now have all five MEs.

[@shervinsardari]

Can I ask what do you use the ME65 for and how is your experience with it?

[@wildlifesnapper1]

The Audio Technica sounds as good as the MKH-416 to me.

[@wcsdiaries]

Omg you sound like Obama

[@Photonarmy]

I normally get Nick Offerman, but I'll take it.