Topic: run the -10 db on the oktavas?

[super-phat-al]

should i run this on these mics?  Im going to be doing my first real show this saturday with leftover salmon and del.

[Swampy]

I doubt it for LoS and Del...

[Tim]

no

you'll probably never need them

[Nick Culbreth]

the oktavas aren't very hot mics and the pad isn't the best so i'd avoid it at all costs.

[Chuck]

Read this thread:

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=6603;start=30

Taylor at the Sound Room (source for "matched" MC012's)
says basically never run the -10db pad.

[creekfreak]

I would only use a pad if I absolutely had to.

[Simp-Dawg]

here's the info from the thread calico posted that relates to your question...

> finally, for personal reference, are the -10dB pads
> matched also?
Quote:
NO - and I would do everything in my power to NEVER use one.
 
> yikes...i've been using these quite often as the mics
> seem to be fairly sensitive.  what is "bad" about
> them?
Quote:
They are a simple buffer-use capacitor design. About as sophisticated
as
using a steel collander (spaghetti seive) to make a shower head.
Capacitors
are not matched and they not only lower the signal strength, but affect
(color) the sound in un-natural ways.
 

[hoobash]

I ran it all the time with my mp2. Its hard to adjust the levels on the mp2 without the pad

[Cooker]

i have yet to use them, but running mk012 > Mv-100 > M1 i am worried that i will have to. the m1 a/d will brickwall under 4 on the knob, and the mv-100 has at a minimum 20DB of gain. i was lucky to be able to record the ddbb show at ottobar without them, but i was running real hot with the deck set on 4 exactly.

[joeshambro]

I ran the Oktavas for 3 years, and almost always ran the pad on them.  I don't understand why people say not to, because I always had better results with them...

[olyrc]

Trying them without the pads for the first time tomorrow for Mraz.  We'll see how it compares...

[silentmark]

I ran the Oktavas for 3 years, and almost always ran the pad on them.  I don't understand why people say not to, because I always had better results with them...

I never use them and the few times I did I thought the tapes were lacking, shrug ...

[joeshambro]

Then again, my pair were fairly old compared to most...  and sounded a hell of a lot better, even pre-mod..

[Tim]

Here's where I'm coming from on my opinion to never use them....

my first set of mics were akg 391's. regardless of how you think they sound compared to the okatava's I think we can all agree that AKG's quality control is exponentially better than Oktava's. The -10db pad on the 391's was just awful sounding. It just squeezes all of the "life" out of the microphone... kills it dead.

My thinking was that if a company that uses quality components like AKG has a microphone that costs significantly more new than the Oktava's cannot produce a quality pad then why should I expect oktava too?