Cheap Oktavas... But quality control issues?

[drummerdude666]

Hey,

I'm looking to buy some Oktava MC -012. I live in the Uk and haven't found any stockits so far or any for sale on ebay until i stumbled across this site

http://stores.ebay.de/Oktava-online_Small-diafragm-condensers_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

There are single MC012s going for much cheaper than their 'matched pairs'. Now will i notice a difference if i buy two cheaper single mics rather than some matched ones. I'm only 16 but i do charge for time in my home studio £10 an hour... but as i am still in school its only up and running when im free.

So is it worth me getting the matched pair so should i take the risk and then with the leftover money buy other equipment (KRK rokit 5s are next on the list)

What are your thoughts guys?

 

[diogo]

at this level of quality i dont really think matched pairs will make that much of a difference...just get two decent mics (that are the same model) and you'll be ok...

i have an oktava and its fine..but i want to step up..i just know i can get something better than that for much more money...plus i wanna be able to mic a room (read omni capsules)...at this point, a step up from an oktava is probably a C4 (wich i kind of tend to doubt it might be if the oktava doesnt have any quality issues, wich i think mine has) but a rather small one if any...im considering a josephson but i can only afford one..so im gonna mic in "stereo" with an ADK Hamburg LDC...i think it will be fine..in a few years i can afford another josephson and there: stereo pair..but not matched pair...i dunno..matched pairs are getting kind of mythical in my opinion..i get caught up in this as well..

just trying to make a point...i think at this quality, stereo is very relative and matched pairs are kind of like Atlantis...great, but not really there. nor (most of the times) u can ear the difference. none of us has 8000 dollar monitors..

damn im darn optimistic tonight..sorry..

 

[diogo]

oh..and the 012 has a new version out..u might wanna watch out for that..check thomman, its the new "revised" 012...


again,
im looking for a step up from the oktavas and considering Studio Projects C4...they're not that much more expensive...check your options...

 

[Robert D]

i have an oktava and its fine..but i want to step up..i just know i can get something better than that for much more money...plus i wanna be able to mic a room (read omni capsules)...
...i think at this quality, stereo is very relative and matched pairs are kind of like Atlantis...great, but not really there. nor (most of the times) u can ear the difference. none of us has 8000 dollar monitors..

Hi - First of all, one of the great things about those 012's is that you can change capsules. I got an omni capsule from the sound room, and it is Sweeeet. I strongly recommend anyone with an 012 to get one, and for this I feel it's worth ordering a tested one from the sound room.
As far as Atlantis, that's a good one, but a bit of a stretch. I agree that most of the time, for the home recordist, a non matched pair of mics will work fine. My own experience with this is encouraging, if only anecdotal. I bought my second 012 a year after my first one. Like the first one, I went to GC and had a few brought out from stock. I picked the one I thought had that little bit of an edge over the others, though none were bad. I got it home and set up an xy pair with the new and old 012, and was pleased. Then I got a little more scientific and did some plots and graphs, and null tests. Damn if the two mics weren't what I'd expect from a matched stereo pair!

Regards, RD

 

[DJL]

Hey,

I'm looking to buy some Oktava MC -012. I live in the Uk and haven't found any stockits so far or any for sale on ebay until i stumbled across this site

http://stores.ebay.de/Oktava-online_Small-diafragm-condensers_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

There are single MC012s going for much cheaper than their 'matched pairs'. Now will i notice a difference if i buy two cheaper single mics rather than some matched ones. I'm only 16 but i do charge for time in my home studio £10 an hour... but as i am still in school its only up and running when im free.

So is it worth me getting the matched pair so should i take the risk and then with the leftover money buy other equipment (KRK rokit 5s are next on the list)

What are your thoughts guys?

Hi bro... I perfer a matched pair, but get whatever you can afford... you'll still like them.

 

[noisedude]

Digital Village have them ... www.dv247.com

 

[giraffe]

quality controol issues in oktava are biched about WAY more than they are an actual problem (it's like the lottery, it would be a suprise to win, but don't count on it)

in my opinion, no, thare is not a better mic at that price point, peroid

 

[drummerdude666]

noisedude... where on the site? the search doesnt reveal anything and i went though the site but could find no mention of them.. could you link me direcly to them?

 

[noisedude]

Hmmm .. ok, it does look like the page where they used to be is empty! That must've been recent cos I checked MK012 prices on there only a week or two ago!!

 

[paddyponchero]

Just reading a french thread about the new MKII oktavas,

http://fr.forums.audiofanzine.com/apprendre/mailing_forums/index,idtopic,109895.html

The new ones seem to come without the -10dB pad and are made in China. The casings are also made from a different metal (allegedly steel).

The general consensus seems to be that they sound the same though. One of the users contacted thomann and got this response ...

"I did not know that the Oktava Mics are crafted in China, but indeed the assambly in Russia is not running any longer. Nobody told us, we got the shippment, we waited as long as you, and what wonder the mics are not the same."

 

[drummerdude666]

I'm having real trouble finding places i can buy the MC012s - DV dont have them - ebay draws a blank. I found that german ebay site (look at 1st post) but i cant read german and i dont want to order sommat that might not be what i want.

PEOPLE OF BRITAIN!! WHERE DID YOU BUY YOUR OKTAVA MC012s FROM???

... I really want some.

 

[noisedude]

Well DV were about the only place that had them. They're not coming back in the same form so I guess if they're gone, they're gone. Time to start looking at your alternatives, I'm afraid.

Don't even think about starting a thread trying to track down pairs of MXL 603s ... they aren't available for sensible money here. You're looking at SP, Red5, ADK and SE.

 

[drummerdude666]

thanks noisedude.

I have many canadian and American friends/relations that might be able to help me out. This is what i was thinking...

First of all i heard GC has a deal $100 for a pair of them? if this is correct i could get either
a) my friend to pick them up
b) get them sent to my friends address (if they deliver), then she sends them on to me.

Does GC have this deal? or where else could i get them from - preferably a place that can deliver to an american/canadien address.

What other options do i have without looking for alternative mics...

 

[turnitdown]

FYI... eBay has dealers selling brand new matched pairs of 603s's w/ shockmounts and case for $279...

I paid $199 a year ago for the same package...

 

[bongolation]

i heard GC has a deal $100 for a pair of them? [...] Does GC have this deal?

Not to my knowledge. Not for a long time. I was in the other day and didn't see a single Oktava of any description.

 

[drummerdude666]

ok - thanks bongolation. I heard that some chain in the states has $100 for a pair... I assumed it was GC. I dont really know of any other major chains in the states. Has anyone heard of this deal? who was doing it? or even if you remember it from a while ago? anything?

thanks

 

[bongolation]

ok - thanks bongolation. I heard that some chain in the states has $100 for a pair...

They used to have this deal fairly frequently and I've even bought two MK-012s for $79.99 from them, but when they stopped selling Oktavas on a large scale about a year ago, they never really got back to those deals again, though periodically they do sell some Oktavas. Why the much-reduced supply, I do not know. I've heard a lot of conflicting stories.

Some months ago, I saw a deal on some model of Oktava in their monthly flyer, but as it turned out they didn't have any microphones to sell. Odd.

 

[drummerdude666]

Thanks again. I appreicate your help.

Ok how about this then - everyone who owns an Oktava MC 012.. where did you buy yours from? Also where did you buy yours from?

 

[paddyponchero]

Thanks again. I appreicate your help.

Ok how about this then - everyone who owns an Oktava MC 012.. where did you buy yours from? Also where did you buy yours from?

I bought my three on ebay

 

[giraffe]

one at gc, 2 on ebay

try soundroom.com