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The MKE-600
A new short shotgun mic by Sennheiser
By Glen Trew
New microphones for film and video production come around about as slowly as wrap on a 12-page day. But it’s happened again with a new mic that just might become your old friend.
The Sennheiser name gives the MKE-600 plenty of street-cred, and from my listening evaluation and field test, I believe this German-made microphone delivers on the brand’s legacy, particularly for the intended professional market often referred to as “ENG” (Electronic News Gathering) or “Journalism”. While the MKE-600 is priced for the growing market of small hand-held video production, the audio performance of this electret condenser far exceeds what the low price suggests, and will likely find a place in the mic kits of many accomplished sound mixers.
The first comparison of this mic will be, no doubt, to the good ol’ ME-66 shotgun, which has been a staple of ENG sound for over 20 years until recently discontinued. The first difference is that the MKE-600 has a one-piece body, unlike the ME-66 that allows interchangeable capsules of different patterns. The MKE-600 is shorter (10-inches long) and narrower (20mm diameter) and lighter weight. An important similarity is that the MKE-600 has a AA battery compartment, for use when 48V phantom power is not available. With regards to audio quality, all of its specs are an improvement over the ME-66. It is so good, in fact, that many seasoned professionals will be comparing it to the ultra high-end MKH-60 to decide which way the scales tip when weighing performance, size, and price. The difference in performance is small. The difference in price is huge.
Another difference is that the MKE-600 does not have an attenuator switch. But for achieving the best balance for a boom mic in the real world, I see this as a good design decision. For example, when using Sennheiser’s more expensive flagship, the MKH-60 (which does have an attenuator switch), the temptation to go with the pad switched out (for lower noise) has bitten me more than once with clipping distortion when an actor screams. I’ve always felt that it would be better to do without the switchable pad and fix the sensitivity and SPL somewhere in between the pad-in and pad-out specs, which is exactly what was done with the MKE-600. This results in fixed noise and SPL specs that are still impressive (15dB and 132dB), without the risk of discovering too late that the switch was in the wrong position.
Another comparison will be to Sennheiser’s legendary MKH-416, the short shotgun with the long history. The 416 often receives criticism for the harshness of its mid-high frequency emphasis, which is a design feature intended to add clarity to someone speaking from a distance. While the MKE-600 also has a high frequency emphasis that makes it just a little crisper than the MKH-60, it is more gentle and gradual than the 416.
When comparing the pattern charts of the MKH-60 and the new MKE-600, they look identical. But my listening test revealed that the front pickup of the MKE-600 is a bit wider, and the transition between on-axis and off-axis is just a bit more gradual. It’s not a big difference, but it’s there. Personally, I like the MKE-600 pattern because it makes it easier to cue between two people talking, and reduces some problems associated with overlapping dialog. Both mics have about the same amount of side and rear rejection, so are equals in reducing off-axis sounds.
The Sennheiser engineers did a great job of designing a balanced mic that will exceed the needs of most in our profession, and I’m sure the name “MKE-600” makes sense to someone. But the fast pace of television production does not allow the time for calling anything by a six-syllable name. Plus, a nickname for a new friend is a term of endearment and acceptance. So, when you need a simple, lightweight, hi-fidelity, affordable, short-shotgun mic, you might soon hear yourself saying, “Get the Mickey-Six!”.
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The ME66 is incredibly favored by bird sound recorders. How will this one hold up to that?
Peter
Hi Peter,
For the things the make the ME-66 desired by those recording the sound of birds and other wildlife, the MKE-600 does the same, but with less noise, higher SPL, shorter length, smaller diameter, lighter weight, at about the same price. So I think it will (and should) be the new favorite.
-Glen Trew
MKE-600 is much cheaper on the sites I checked, thus my interest.
Thank you for your reply.
Peter
How important is it that I get a good cable from the mike to my recorder?
A standard mic cable consisting of a shielded pair (two conductors plus the shield) with standard male and female 3-pin XLR connectors is fine. Starquad wire (four conductors strategically twisted plus shield) can be beneficial when around lighting dimmer noise, but otherwise the standard shielded pair mic cable is as good as any, for lengths up to at least 100 feet.
Glen Trew
Thanks Glen, I will go ahead with the purchase now...
Peter
I have the MKE-600, the Rode M3, and the Rode VideoMic PRO. They serve different purposes, and they are all well worth their prices. The MKE-600 has better sound than the VideoMic PRO, but the VM PRO has a -10, 0, +20 switch that is very handy in unpredictable situtions - you can immediately drop or increase the sensitivity range of the on-camera mic. This helps when there is sudden yelling / protesting. I have found that you can set the camera level at 1/8 - 1/4 (DSLR)and just flick the switch to adapt to extreme volume changes. This is irrelevant on standard video cams with level knobs.
The M3 is great for interviews. Anyway I wouldn't part with any of these three mics, and they are all very well priced
Just a quick note to correct that the ME66 is not discontinued.
Thanks, Frederick. In fact, to my surprise I saw that we have a brand new one in stock at our Atlanta store. Thanks for the correction.
Hi
Today almost went to buy the Sennheiser Mke 600 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=sennheiser+mke+600&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ps
Then it struck me that 'why am I really getting this"? My conclusion is that the mike should be able to pick up sounds that are further away better then my Olympus LS12?
The Olympus is pretty good for birds that are nearby. My question is: Will it considerably improve my recordings of birds from further away?
Happy with any input from you....thanks!
Peter
Peter Ericcson, you'd need to hook up a lavalier mic to the birds you want to record. The Sennheiser EW100 ENG would be perfect for capturing audio from birds from longer distances.
Hi Glen I wish to buy it to take dialogues in indy films, do you think it can be a right choice? I will use it with a boom pole + pahntom power (Zoom H6). or I must wait and buy the rode NTG3? yes money is a problem for me but I want a good quality and I could wait. it's all about choosing the right one.
I will be really grateful for your reply!
Thanks a lot,
Dan