Topic: Differences between Schoeps MK4 and MK4V??

[braweave]

So i have always seen people talking between the 2 of these mics. and I have never really looked into the difference.

So..... What does having everything "vertical" atually get you? (I.e. is it worth the extra 20-30% cost)

Thanks

[Jhurlbs81]

The 4v's have a slight boost around 10k.  Not sure what advantages there are to running side-address capsules, never really thought about the orientation too much.   They're both nice sounding capsules.  You might also consider the MK5s.

[braweave]

The 4v's have a slight boost around 10k.  Not sure what advantages there are to running side-address capsules, never really thought about the orientation too much.   They're both nice sounding capsules.  You might also consider the MK5s.

thanks for the info! I have a pair of MK41's that will be my main mics. Eventually im going to get another pair of something for when I run up close, I hadnt really thought about the MK5's but that might be an option. How much can I expect to pay for a pair of them?

[Jhurlbs81]

http://www.posthorn.com/S_capsulesonly.html

The MK5 is a switchable cardiod/omni.  It also has a high-end bump, but its not as drastic and starts closer to 5kHz.  The MK5s are more expensive, but they offer two patterns.  If you'd be interested in running omnis too, they're worth checking out.

[deadheaded]

thanks for the info! I have a pair of MK41's that will be my main mics. Eventually im going to get another pair of something for when I run up close

run your 41's up close, you won't be disappointed.

[bombdiggity]

So i have always seen people talking between the 2 of these mics. and I have never really looked into the difference.

So..... What does having everything "vertical" atually get you? (I.e. is it worth the extra 20-30% cost)

That's not really the difference (though it is a difference). 

The 4V has a bump in the mid-highs that is supposed to correspond to the range of the human voice.   Look at the Schoeps website for the specifics and charts.  I personally like the bump since the lows tend to crowd out the rest of the sound at almost any show (so I find many mics way too bass heavy to my ear).

Schoeps also has a demo section on their website where you can hear the different mics compared in different situations with the same signal/source.  It's pretty cool (and actually helpful).

The guy I got mine from had a wide range of caps.  He said he returned to the 4V's as his first choice and strongly recommended them to me since I was only going to get one set. 

I just used them for the first time recently and was amazed.  Obviously I haven't compared them side by side but I don't think you'd hear anything better in those circumstances.  The board feed straight from the mains at the same show onto the same r-44 as the 4V's wasn't even close.  It sounded better than it did at the show. There's plenty of bass and everything across the spectrum was clear and crisp. 

I love them and am now changing plans to stealth them (vertical) instead of my usual mics at some upcoming shows.   

[stevetoney]

In general, I personally find that the MK4V and MK4 to have quite different personalities and sounds.  While I understand frequency graphs, I generally don't rely on them at all because they just don't tell you what your ears do.  The 4V is a bit brighter, but also a bit tighter, slightly less warm but with a bit greater detail on the low end.  In general, my opinion is that if you tend to like low end, the MK4 would be the choice where if you tend to like high end, then the 4V delivers a little better there.  IMHO, for some reason, there's some pre-amps that causes the MK4 to sound like crap (muddy).  However, given the right gear combo, I prefer the sound of the MK4 to the MK4V.  The 4V probably has an overall better neutral balanced sound across the spectrum...I think DSatz said that one of the main reasons Schoeps introduced the 4V was in response to demand from customers that complained that the MK4 was bassy, but of course, being a rock 'n' roll junkie, I love feeling the floor shake and I love the feel of the bass massaging my internal organs. 

In terms of end address vs. side address, I'm not sure I care one way or the other.  It seems like I can isolate a sound source a little better using the end address capsule.  The reason I say this is that I sometimes tape in a fairly boomy place here in Pittsburgh and with the MK4, seems like there's less reflective sound when pointing the MK4 straight at the speakers than doing the same with the side address capsules.  The side address caps do give you greater flexibility than end address in mic positioning...IOW, the end of the mic can be positioned pointing up, sideways or down as long as the cage is pointing forward.  The side address capsule can also be handy for stealthy recording...I once recorded a public performance in Japan and didn't know how to ask if it was OK to record, so I had all of my gear in my backpack and simply stuck the ends of the mics sideways out either side of the pack...with cage facing forward. 

[bombdiggity]

The side address caps do give you greater flexibility than end address in mic positioning...IOW, the end of the mic can be positioned pointing up, sideways or down as long as the cage is pointing forward.  The side address capsule can also be handy for stealthy recording...I once recorded a public performance in Japan and didn't know how to ask if it was OK to record, so I had all of my gear in my backpack and simply stuck the ends of the mics sideways out either side of the pack...with cage facing forward.

That's helpful.  I hadn't thought to play with that but it makes sense (and may make life easier in a week or two...).