Oktava Oddity

[TripleM]

A music store had a deal on Oktava mics - buy a MK319 for $199 and get a MK012 for free. So I bought them, intending to sell one on eBay to recoup some of the cost.

I planned to use the mic primarily for vocals on rock/pop songs. So I figured I would sell the MK012 and keep the MK319, since the former is primarily for instruments and the latter is primarily for voice.

Well I tested them both out over the weekend and I thought that the MK012 sounded much better with my voice than did the MK319. If I had to comprare my voice with someone you may have heard - I'd say I sound like the lead singer of Bare Naked Ladies. I kind of have that "tense throat" sound in my voice - a little "midrangy" sounding.

The 012 produced an overall warmer sound with my voice and I prefered it to the 319 - which was rather unexpected. So before I sell one of them, I thought I'd ask around to see whether this is a rational conclusion to come to. Is it? Or should I screw my head on straight and do some more side by side testing because the 319 is really the right mic for me?

Thoughts? Thanks.

[chessrock]

I've tried the mc012 on vocals before, myself, and it isn't at all bad. Not usually the first one I'd reach for, but every voice is different, so you never know.

[Track Rat]

This is the problem with Octava mics; consistant quality controll. That's the main reason I bought mine at The Sound Room and paid the extra bucks to make sure I got a good one. If you can, see if you can go back and screen a bunch of them to find a good one.

[chessparov]

Once you've determined your MK319 is O.K. or not,
I'd probably sell it instead of the MC012 if it still didn't sound as
good. I sound better on cheaper microphones instead of
more expensive ones sometimes too.

Chris

[SLuiCe]

Originally posted by Track Rat
If you can, see if you can go back and screen a bunch of them to find a good one.

Sounds like he already got the good one.

I would keep testing. What's the rush? Or add a reserve to the Ebay Auction on the 319. Then if it sells and you've decided you prefer the 319 over the 012, sell the 012 too and go get another 319.




Or something like that.

[philboyd studge]

I don't think anyone has accused an 012 of being dark, whereas it's a common observation on 319's and 219's. That's not necessarily a bad thing but an 012 is a lot more versitile.

The best vocal recordings I've had from an 012 have been by putting a megaphone like enclosure of foam around it with a pop filter at the end, and at least a foot away from my mouth. The 012 ain't a mic you can get close to vocally, so the foam is to help cut outside noise for all the extra gain that is necessary.

[TripleM]

Thanks everybody. Based on the comments, I'm definitely going to do some more testing. As Sluice said, "What's the rush?" I have time to test it out on other songs (the one I tested was a slower, pretty song). I should try them on more upbeat tunes as well.

philboyd - your comment about not being able to get too close to the 012... Is that because of sibilance problems? I noticed that was pretty easy to do with the 012.

Thanks for all the advice.

[chessparov]

8" away from the MC012, and using a pop screen works best for me. I use a "boom" mike stand so that the microphone is positioned at nose level pointing towards my mouth. YMMV.

Chris

[philboyd studge]

TripleM,

It's not so much siblance as it is plosives, so with a pop screen it'll be fine.

[SLuiCe]

I'll attest to that as well. It does overload a lot if you sing too close, especially when you're singing down to the low mids....you say "ba" it says BOOM. But when you take that out of the equation, it definitely seems to me to have its vocal uses so far.

[Scooter B]

While I have not tried the 012's for vocals yet I remember someone else here recomending it and they got around the plosives by using a boom stand and micing from above with the mic pointing down towards the mouth but out of the direct line of fire and with the 6 or 8 inch distance.

If it works for you keep them!