I call shotgun...

[whyseye]

...mic, that is!!

I won a BeyerDynamic 86N C S shotgun mic on the bay recently, and hope to use it for voiceover work, as an alternative to the Sennheiser 416 (which is beyond my budget).
Has anyone had any experience with this particular mic, especially in a VO application? I've seen precious little online, especially in English, but it seems to be a decent mic, designed for similar purposes, by an equally respectable German manufacturer...or is this wishful thinking...?
Of course, I know that the best test is just to try and and see, but I won't have it in hand for a few days, and I'm curious....anybody got anecdotes, clips or links?

 

[whyseye]

Nobody?

Well.....how about this, then?
Is anyone working with any shotgun mics? Which ones? How ya liking 'em? Anybody using them for VO?

I work pretty regularly with the Sennheiser 416 on the job, but can't afford my own, and am hoping that this Beyer will closely enough approximate the sound to be a go-to mic for commercial VO applications. (We also use the Neumann U87, but I have enough LDCs for the moment - and that's another price point altogether.)

What else are you all using for VO work? (Besides the SM7s and RE-20s etc...that's a completely different broadcast sound, that I'm trying to avoid with these mics.)

 

[Big Kenny]

Gotta tell ya man, nobody "wins" anything on ebay..... shotguns are a nice tool for the kit, I don't use 'em much....... couple times on a choir but lately I don't like the lack of definition

 

[whyseye]

Thanks BK....winning is always a state of mind....

I do appreciate your contribution of experience and opinion...and those very qualities are part of why shotguns are so popular for VO, I suppose....it's true that they are not very musical....

 

[ittam]

Beyer is a respected manufacturer but this mic might not
be their best effort, just try. It being an electrec mic cannot compete to "real" condercer mics in detail or sheen, what´s the word...
Few mics have the 416 sound we´ve used to ( hated sometimes )
I went to Schoeps for location interiors and indeed VO over 416 or Neumanns and got mixed responce from my customers as they were expecting this
hyped Sennheiser sound, but with slight eq got more natural sound with them,
to my ears at least. All the customers came back... for the full natural sound.
Difficulty might be in matching production sound with yours.

Matti

 

[mshilarious]

Beyer is a respected manufacturer but this mic might not
be their best effort, just try. It being an electrec mic cannot compete to "real" condercer mics in detail or sheen, what´s the word...

Quality is not a function of electret vs. externally biased condenser, it's a matter of execution. I don't hear too many people say the KSM32 can't compete with the KSM27, for example . . .

 

[ittam]

Sure you are right! But it was a problem in late 70´s or 80´s
with electrets esp in the field ( I was doing location sound for
film & TV at the time ) Now I could dare to
recommend Rode short shotgun ( electret ) as a cheap substitude for a
416, still not the same accuracy.
Or rather an used 415 or 416!

Matti

 

[Marik]

Quality is not a function of electret vs. externally biased condenser, it's a matter of execution. I don't hear too many people say the KSM32 can't compete with the KSM27, for example . . .

Indeed, and probably not too many would call DPA4003/4004/4006/4007/4011 electrets as somewhat inferior, either.

 

[ittam]

Hit me harder! Hit me, hit me...
OK, the lavariers at the time lost their capsules charge or problems
with temperatures where they would work etc.
But Beyer made true condercer shotguns at the time,
we where all Sennheiser though till I went for Neumann &
Schoeps, nowadays I would count Sanken and DPA in also.

Matti

 

[whyseye]

Sure you are right! But it was a problem in late 70´s or 80´s
with electrets esp in the field ( I was doing location sound for
film & TV at the time ) Now I could dare to
recommend Rode short shotgun ( electret ) as a cheap substitude for a
416, still not the same accuracy.
Or rather an used 415 or 416!

Matti

...415? A predecessor, or slightly different model?

 

[ittam]

Yep, and with Tonader 12v instead of phantom powering ( 416 was also available with T12 as an alternative to ph48v. ), but thats not a problem as you can make / buy a converter for that.
The construction of the interference tube and capsule are the same
as far I can see, or hear.

Matti