By David Hurd
Sennheiser and I go way back. In the 1970s, I had a sound company in Los Angeles, and I used their mics to mic-up bands for concerts. In the years since, I have used many of their products, and have always had a good experience. In fact, the G1 and G2 series RF mics are my favorites for video production, and as I moved into voiceovers and music production I started using the Sennheiser MK8 studio mic. I also use their HD300 Pro headphones for tracking and mixing audio projects in my home studio.
Being an old audio guy, I have generally used a Sennheiser 416 mic inside a shock mount blimp with a dead cat fur cover that shields the microphone against 30mph winds. I’ve used it for years, and it’s always performed flawlessly. The only problems are mounting this big mic to a small DSLR… and the cost. By the time you add a carbon fiber boom pole to my rig, the cost is around $3,000. I mention this so you can understand my initial reaction to the idea of the lightweight MKE 200 mic.
Digging In
The MKE 200 is small and light and made to go into the cold shoe of your DSLR camera. The first time I picked up the mic, it was so light that I wondered if it could also be powerful.
If you use a gimble, you know that every ounce matters, so less weight is a really good thing. It also does well in the cost comparison as it can be purchased for under $100. The best part is that 1/8-inch TRS and TRRS cables are included. Not only can you use the TRS cable on your DSLR, you can also use the TRRS cable on your mobile devices. A small dead cat (or kitten?) is also included, so you don’t have to buy anything else.
Testing
For my first test, meant to simulate an interview setting, I used a Panasonic GH5 camera. I started in a semi-quiet room about three feet from the subject for a closeup. I then moved back about six feet for a wider shot. The MKE 200 delivered the crisp detailed sound that Sennheiser is known for on both shots. It sounded natural rather than picking up a boomy room sound, which saved a step in the editing process.
Next, I wanted to hear how it would perform outdoors in the wind. I repeated the three- and six-foot tests in a lovely Florida wind of 15 mph. When edited, the footage was crisp and clean. There was no wind noise.
That’s when my talent, and I looked at each other and wondered, “How can this be?” Well, the MKE 200 features a super-cardioid capsule just like the bigger Sennheiser shotgun mics do. With the camera aimed at the subject, the MKE 200 focuses in on the subject providing focus and clarity while cancelling out unwanted background sounds.
The MKE 200 also has a built-in shock mount. This cuts down on handling noise when moving the camera to get the shots you need. Another great feature of the MKE 200 is that you don’t need to search for the battery box on this microphone; it doesn’t use a battery.
A few days later, I was in Coco Beach to watch the space launch. I plugged the TRRS cable into my iPhone 6 and made sure the fur wind cover was in place. Since I didn’t have time to get an iPhone frame with a cold shoe, I just held the mic along with my iPhone. We were on the beach of a resort at 7:30 p.m. with a crowd of other watchers.
There was a good breeze, probably 15 mph, or better when I hit record on my iPhone. I had hoped for the best, but it turned out to be amazing.
Playing back the footage later you could hear the crowd as we counted down 10, 9, 8… Then, at zero, the rocket went off, the crowd cheered, and the MKE 200 recorded it flawlessly. Everything was there, the crowd, the rocket, and even the sound of the surf crashing on the beach 20 feet away. What was happily missing was the wind noise.
The MKE 200 is an amazing little mic. It simply gets the job done well for an extremely reasonable price.
David Hurd david@dhpvideo.com is a retired producer, director and videographer living in Tampa. He has been reviewing audio/video products for over 25 years.
