Topic: OKM II Rock Studio Binaural Mics - Opinions Wanted!

[rockphantom]

Howdy,

I'm contemplating purchasing a set of OKM II Studio Rock In Ear Mics to compliment my Church Audio CA-14 Omni and Card mics.

http://www.soundman.de/en/products/okm-ii-studio-rock/

My closest trading contact raves about these binarual mics.

The most appealing aspect of the OKM II Rock IEMs to me are...

#1 Very easy to use in stealth situations - These mics look like earphones.

#2 They run off Plug In Power with the PCM-M10.

I've found an old thread related to the OKM II mics on the forum and am looking for fresh feedback.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=156060.0

I'll be recording classic hard rock bands such as Van Halen, Tesla, Iron Maiden...
Do I really need the OKM II Rock In Ear Mics if I have a full set of Church Audio gear?
I believe it wouldn't hurt to have several mic options for challenging recording situations. 

Thank  You!

[phil_er_up]

Just uploaded a show for a band and the mics were OKMIIR:

Thought the below OKMIIR recording sounded good though did not do a critical listening. Have CA14 and in the right spot they can sound very good. Have not owned the OKM mics so can not comment there. Own Sonic studio and think they can sound very good too in the right circumstances. Just transfered two others Nick moss show and the mics were : Sonic Studio mics DSM-6P -> Sony D6 and CA14 Omni recording too. Sort of funny how the web of life interconnects.

Example of 2 of the mics you have or were interested in and another binarual example too.

OKM IIR->A3->Edirol R09
https://archive.org/details/NMB2015-05-14

CA14 (omni) Naiant Little Box -> EdirolHR09
https://archive.org/details/NMB2009-12-30

Sonic Studio mics DSM-6P -> Sony D6
https://archive.org/details/NMB2008-08-22

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Really like the sonic studio mics and think they are underrated. They have very good low end bass response. Mids/highs are well represented in the recordings. If I remember corectly they go 5-20000+ HZ and thought some said up to 30,000+HZ. Have a nice stereo sound stage. They are binarual mics and some think they only sound good with headphones or that is the best way to listen to them. How would you listen to your music?

Have CA14 omni and cards and like the omnis more then the cards. Cards sound a little thin to me. Omnis have good bass response and high end. CA line sound seems to me to have more of a 2-D soundstage then other brands of mics. Though can sound very good for the price.

Running the rigs as you suggested just mic into recorder has advantages/disadvantages. Found with my Sonic studios on even mid loud shows would of been nice to have a pre-amp so I do not have to crank the recorder up so far. Some venues were I live know about binarual mics and look for them. So not sure if that is the smallest solution to be relatively invisible with the mics...miniature mics...or a pre-amp. Again it is all really a trade off.

[mauxworld]

The Soundman OKMIIr is a very good  microphone, was one of my favorites in the 90's,today there are many alternatives.
If you need a  binaural mics easy to use in stealth situations OKMIIr it's ok.....but I think it is not the best solution to record bands like Van Halen, Tesla, Iron Maiden !
This microphone in my opinion too expensive for their value,it's on the inside there are capsules 6mm initialed XL-R,and it is (was) mounted on small commercial mics with cost 2-3 times lower,However if you do not spend more than 130/150 euro are still a good deal.

[rockphantom]

Thank you phil_er_up and maux for your feedback!

[bombdiggity]

I've heard some decent recordings from these over the years but they're not necessarily spectacular.  Unless you like the omni sound and think you'll be close I'm not sure that's the best pattern for arena rock crowds/shows/mixes.  You may need to check the SPL (max dB handling) ratings for mics for those sorts of shows. 

I'd agree I've heard better results on a consistent basis from the Sonic Studios line, though don;t know as related to loud material. 

No idea on the relative price points of them but would say the SS are "worth" more were I buying. 

[phil_er_up]

I've heard some decent recordings from these over the years but they're not necessarily spectacular.  Unless you like the omni sound and think you'll be close I'm not sure that's the best pattern for arena rock crowds/shows/mixes.  You may need to check the SPL (max dB handling) ratings for mics for those sorts of shows. 

I'd agree I've heard better results on a consistent basis from the Sonic Studios line, though don;t know as related to loud material. 

No idea on the relative price points of them but would say the SS are "worth" more were I buying.

bombdiggity is right. Forgot to mention the SS max SPL is in the 124-128 DB range.  These can clip on loud rock shows in fist few rows or onstage. Seen SS go for $100-200 used and thought that was a steal though they do not come up very often and many are 20 years old and vary with their condition due to age. Bought mine in the 1985. Not sure on the max SPL for the Okm mics.

[fandelive]

As it has already been said, the OKM are a bit expensive. I think they are built using Sennheiser capsules. Microphone Madness used to sell their own mics using the same caps (MM-HLSO) and the price was cheaper. Too bad, they're not available anymore :/

On the other hand, I've heard great recordings made with the OKM.

You might want to consider other omni mics in the same price range, like SP-BMC-10 (add low sens option for your needs !!!) or Countryman B3 only to name a few...

Listen to as much recordings as you can. If you plan to record band that allow taping, listen to bands that allow taping tapes (archive.org or kickdown central section of this board are great ressources for open taping recordings). If you plan to stealth, listen to stealth tapes (rush over dimeadozen or guitar101 forum).
Try to get as much information about taping spot when listening to a recording. A very good mic can sound like shit if it was mounted in the taper's ass.
Be careful about the fact the recordings you are listening to were left untouched (no EQ, remasters and so on).