The Last Oktava Mk319!!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter thajeremy
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thajeremy

thajeremy

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I just called my local Guitar Center to check on their stock of MK319's after i heard about the sale of only $69.99. They have one left and have reserved it for me to pick up tomorrow afternoon. Since it is the last one they have, I really want to check it out. What should I look for when i check out the mic? Im assuming they will let me test it, how should i go about that?

then again..it is about an hour and 15 min drive...is it even worth the trip?
 
lol i cant tell ya about the mic but i have to drive an hour and half to either raliegh or charlotte to get to a GC....sometimes i wonder if its worth the trip even if I'm not driving or paying for gas. its not that i dont like GC....its just that an hour and a half is a long time to think of other ways to spend my money
 
im actually driving to charlotte's GC. lol...DONT GO GET MY MIC!!! :)

well..it takes you an hour and a half...ill beat you by about 15 or 20 mins..
 
There is no reason why they shouldn't let you test it. Plug it into a mic preamp or mixer that has a headphone jack, bring up the gain to around 35 - 40 dB, and listen while you speak or sing into it from about 5-6 inches away. It should have plenty of low-end without being real boomy, and a nice smooth top. If it seems to function ok and sounds good then buy it.
 
For £35 - just buy it! Flog it on ebay if you change your mind!! :)
 
hell yea...i looked on ebay...on there..they go for no less than $99. maybe they will get more in by the time i get there and i can buy 4 or 5..lol...

I was actually hoping they would have at least 2 ...i just cant help but go for it. GC's web site says it lists for $599. I know that isnt retail but i found it on another site for $239 i think. i think for $70, i cant go wrong.
 
It's an interesting mic, and you probably already know that the QC issues associated with it are pretty legendary. (for example, mine makes acoustic guitars sound like really crappy banjos. :D ) On the flip side, I'm looking forward to trying it on overheads since I imagine it will flatten out cymbals quite a bit.

I say go for it. A decent condenser at a decent price.
 
I like my Oktava mics but I certainly wouldn't buy the last one. It's much better to pick through the litter.

Will they take a deposit at that price and give you one when a new batch comes in?
 
philboyd studge said:
Will they take a deposit at that price and give you one when a new batch comes in?
Click to expand...

I dont know...i might just have to ask that...but as mentioned earlier, if all else fails, i can get rid of the mic on Ebay and even make a few bucks on it. It sucks that I will have nothing to compair it to. I have never tested a mic before and i am clueless of what to look for.
 
four outta five are so-so...

The only way I'd buy an Oktava mic is by testing 5 or 6 in the store with a vocalist in tow...the quality control is just plain poor, and even at $69. it's a gamble...I recommend saving the gas money and a few more pennies and buy a Sound Projects B1...you won't regret it!
 
........ so anyways..... yeah see if you can prepay on something at the sale price if its sold out and they still get it to you at that price...that'd be cool....i think you can do that online...not sure though
 
kidvybes said:
The only way I'd buy an Oktava mic is by testing 5 or 6 in the store with a vocalist in tow...the quality control is just plain poor, and even at $69. it's a gamble...I recommend saving the gas money and a few more pennies and buy a Sound Projects B1...you won't regret it!
Click to expand...


already have a B1. Actually, my condensors are as follows:
SP B1
MXL 990
matched pair of joe meek JM27's
AKG c2000

even if the octava was in tip top shape...would it be any worth while addition to what i have?
 
distortedrumble said:
i think you can do that online...not sure though
Click to expand...


I asked about their online GC's online purchases...they said their online sales is throught Musicians Friend. MF doesnt seem to carry the MK319.
 
skip the Oktava...save a few more pennies

...now that I see what you own, the Oktava adds little to your arsenal...better to look for a deal an a used MXL 2003/V93M...I bought one on Ebay a couple of months ago for $50...more versatile than the Oktava (I had one and I never used it due to it's limited sonic range)...the MXL sounds equally good on both vocal & instrumental applications...it's a notch up on the B1...somewhere between the B1 and C1...or if you want a great vocal mic, the V67G is a deal at under $100...but not good for much other than vocal use...save up some more $s and go for the Joe Meek JM47...it's a more versatile upgrade from the V67G...but, it's your call...I say skip the risk factor...you've got enough decent mics to stay busy until a few more dollars roll in...
 
thajeremy said:
already have a B1. Actually, my condensors are as follows:
SP B1
MXL 990
matched pair of joe meek JM27's
AKG c2000

even if the octava was in tip top shape...would it be any worth while addition to what i have?
Click to expand...


I think it would be a good addition to what you have. My 319 doesn't sound like anything else I own. Once in a while it is just the right tool for the job. If that happens even a couple of times a year, It's worth $70 IMO.

Blessings, Terry
 
I have an Oktava 319. In fact, I got the only one in my local GC a few months back. They told me it was "used". Returned, more likely.

But.... I like it. It works for my voice. Some say it is "dark" sounding. I think it is just un-hyped sounding. And that's what I was looking for. I have used AT, Shure, and MXL mics, and of the bargain basement group of mics that I have, I like the Oktava best on my vocals. And, just like Terry's experience, the 319 doesn't sound anything like my other mics.
 
thajeremy said:
even if the octava was in tip top shape...would it be any worth while addition to what i have?
Click to expand...

If it's working properly, it'll be the darkest mic in your collection.

Be sure to plug a mic cable into it... 20% of the 319's I looked at (about two years ago, I spent an afternoon at our local GC going through 12 of them to find two good ones) had a poorly machined XLR housing, and it was impossible to plug a cable into them.
 
thajeremy said:
I asked about their online GC's online purchases...they said their online sales is throught Musicians Friend. MF doesnt seem to carry the MK319.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's freaking irritating how MF doesn't sell a lot of GC stuff, even stuff they advertise in their little catalogs.
 
I think i have changed my mind about the 319...so Distortedrumble, if you want that one at GC...just go in and tell'm ur me...:)... Im gonna do a little research on something around $100 - $200. There are a lot of good comments on this mic but also just as many negitave ones. If I only have the one mic to choose from, there is too much chance that it will be a bad mic. I want to get something that has a better rep than the oktava. I have a few Audio Technica dynamics. Maybe ill go for one of their condensors.
 
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