Topic: Sennheiser MKH8040ST !!! anyone demo these yet?

[ArchivalAudio]

Hey
I just got a new BSW catalog

and noticed these sweet
Sennheiser MKH8040ST
not to totally endorse BSW [though I have had good limited experience with them] but the link is here
http://www.bswusa.com/proditem.asp?item=MKH8040ST
I am sure others already  know about these
but here is
the link to  the Sennheiser  press relaesse dated  11.26.07

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/newspage.asp?transid=3246&transid0=001


these look so cool:

Technical Data
   Pick-up pattern                  cardioid
   Frequency response      30 - 50000 Hz
   Sensitivity in free field, no load (1kHz)      20 mV/Pa (-34 dBV/Pa)
   Maximum sound pressure level (passiv)      142 dB SPL
   Equivalent noise level       13 dB
   Equivalent noise level weighted as per CCIR 468-3      22 dB
   Audio output      XLR-3M balanced, transformerless, floating
   Nominal impedance      25 Ohm
   Min. terminating impedance      1000 Ohm
   Phantom powering      48 V +/- 4 V
   Current consumption      3,3 mA
   Dimensions      diameter 19 mm, lenght 41 mm (74 mm including XLR module)
   Weight      25 g (55 g including XLR module)


 

also small with the body connected only 3.5" long  nextel paint!   and active cables available
looks cool for stealthing and onstage, or section use...

also here
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/500966#

they are available in a matched Stereo pair

the omnis MKH 8020 are 10hz to 50Khz ! nice!

I want to try  some out
now if only had the cash for them... ! 


any reports... any one try these?


they seem to have a great potential!

peace thru [sharing] music

[JasonSobel]

lots of discussion here:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,93002.0/all.html

although I don't think anyone here has actually tried them yet...

[rokpunk]

i tested them for about 10 seconds at AES and loved the way they sounded.
after the new year i may pick up a pair to play with.

[ArchivalAudio]

thanx
I also notice that sound pure has these

I'd like to find out what they think...

peace

[ArchivalAudio]

i tested them for about 10 seconds at AES and loved the way they sounded.
after the new year i may pick up a pair to play with.

rokpunk
wow
If you get some
please let us all know  how you like them

I'd love to play  with them!

if I can ever figure out how to justify them...
I'd get a pair just from looking at the specs!

[MKHstudios]

MKH8050's not MKH8040's, but here you go....

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=511532

If you are listening to get a sense of these new sennheiser mics - I might suggest track #6.  The levels were perfect by that point in the performance and that particular piece uses a wide range of sounds.



Glenn Kotche
Lupo's
Providence, RI

11/29/2007

Sennheiser MKH8050~>Aerco~>Sony M1

*recording notes*
-opening act for Andrew Bird
-recorded from third row of balcony / dead center
-missing 1st 45 seconds
-one channel is a little louder due to Glenn's drum set not being centered on the stage
-file size: 201.71 MB
-performance length: 45min
-recorded by MKHstudios

cd1
-------------------
1. Mobile pt1
2. Mobile pt2
3. Mobile pt3
4. 'music for pieces of wood'
5. 'Brazilian song'
6. Monkey Chant
7. Projections of (what) Might

[ArchivalAudio]

MKHstudios
sweet
where'd you get your's?

I am not a big fan of hypers (or supercardiods) but the frequency response between the cards abnd the  hypers seem the same


di you have them set in any kind of stereo aray?  or just PATS (Pointed At The Stacks)?
glad to see them in use

thanx for the post

also curious to  hear the omnis

[ArchivalAudio]

okay so also in the BSW mini supplment catalog is an ad from sennheiser
featuring Claudia Englehart
actually holding a pair of these
and...

Claudia Engelhart  is the FOH engineer fro Bill Frisell and others
here is some info

Claudia Engelhart has been a professional live-sound engineer for the past 24 years. Besides working with Bill Frisell for the last 18 years, Claudia has toured extensively with such renowned artists as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Dave Holland, Grover Washington Jr., David Sylvian, John Scofield, Medeski Martin & Wood, John Zorn, The Kronos Quartet, Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Fred Frith, Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colon, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim and many others.


just as an FYI
BSW 's site has these vids you can watch
at least check out her Bio vid, it's kinda cool
especially if you like Jazz

here:

http://www.bswusa.com/ClaudiaEngelhart.asp

[John Willett]

the omnis MKH 8020 are 10hz to 50Khz ! nice!

The omnis are actually 10Hz to 60kHz.

The directionals are 30Hz to 50kHz.

[ho]

They sound pretty good. Whats the price tag on these?

[KLowe]

The omnis are actually 10Hz to 60kHz.

The directionals are 30Hz to 50kHz.

neato...but whats the point?  So my dog can enjoy the music also?

[rokpunk]

They sound pretty good. Whats the price tag on these?

a bit less than $2500/pair retail

[KLowe]

does that come with actives for that price?

[rokpunk]

does that come with actives for that price?

no. the remote cables are additional. not a lot of need for them, though.

[ArchivalAudio]

the omnis MKH 8020 are 10hz to 50Khz ! nice!

The omnis are actually 10Hz to 60kHz.

The directionals are 30Hz to 50kHz.

oops
my bad
yep your right
omnis 10 to 60...
still 50k or 60k I doubt my ears could hear the difference... but my body might feel the 10hz... if my  speakers actually went that low...

either way the specs are awesome!

[Glen Trew]

The MKH40 and MKH50 microphones are both workhorses of the film industry for overhead boompole use.  For boompole use, lighter and smaller is always much better, so the MKH8000 series is getting a lot of interest from the film/video industry. Therefore I've listened to the MKH8000 series -- the MKH8040 (cardioid) and MKH8050 (supercardioid), specifically. For my ears I was happy that they sounded just like their respective counterparts, the larger MKH40 and MKH50 microphones.

Because pattern names can be a little misleading, I want to briefly give my opinion about pattern choices of these mics: When the MHH40 and MKH50 came out a few years ago, many saw them as an alternative for the sweet but more delicate Schoeps MK41 (supercardioid) that is often used on a boompole for film/video production. Most people making the switch to Sennheiser instintively went for the MKH50 because it is also labeled "supercardioid". However, many users are now realizing that the MKH50 supercardioid pattern is sharper and narrower than the Schoeps MK41 supercardioid.

Part of what made the Schoeps MK41 so desirable for film/video dialog recording was the "soft edge" when transitioning from on-axis to off-axis. The Sennheiser MKH50 goes from the on-axis sound to the off-axis sound more abruptly, resulting in a surprising off axis sound if it's being worked by someone accustomed to the Schoeps MK41.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that, if you are wanting a Sennheiser alternative that behaves more like the Schoeps MK41, then the Sennheiser MKH40 - and now also the MKH8040 - is the way to go, in my opinion.

I will be posting more details about this series on the Trew Audio website soon, accompanied by an introductory e-sale announcement. Anyone who does not receive these bi-weekly announcements from Trew Audio (but would like to) can request to be added to the list here: http://www.trewaudio.com/feedback.htm .

Regards,

Glen Trew

[rokpunk]

up at aes last november i listened to these for a brief minute, and like glen seems to suggest, the sound of the 8050 (hyper) really disappears when you get off axis, unlike the 8040 (card) which sounded more "natural" to me a bit off axis. i think that my exact words to my buddy standing next to me were " these hypers are really hyper".

[Tim]

+T Glen, that was really informative

[John Willett]

When the MHH40 and MKH50 came out a few years ago,

That's the first time I have heard anyone call 23 years a "few". 

The MKH 40 came out in 1985 and the 50 in 1986.

 

[pohaku]

Yes, I know that I am reviving a very old thread, but I'm interested in others' opinions about the comparability of the mk41 to the mkh40.  Not really much discussion about the assertion that the pattern of the mkh40 (and 8040) was more similar to the mk41, in comparison to the pattern of the mkh50.  Anybody running both?  I have mk4s, which are quite nice, and had been looking for mk41s, but snagged a pair of mkh40s on the bay. Haven't received them yet, but was wondering about this opinion that the pattern was similar.  I'm sure they have their own sound, but are the patterns really that similar?  I always understood the mkh40 to be a cardioid rather than a hyper, even if the pattern edges are soft.

No substitute for trying them out, but I'm impatient and enquiring minds want to know.

[John Willett]

The MKH 40 is definitely a cardioid, with an excellent ad well-controlled cardioid pattern.

The MKH 8040 is also cardioid.

I have both of these and the low end goes further down than most other directional mics.

[wigglepuppy]

I own the MKH8090's (Sub Cardioid's) and I love them... My Schoeps MK4's are starting to collect dust

[pohaku]

I own the MKH8090's (Sub Cardioid's) and I love them... My Schoeps MK4's are starting to collect dust

So.  Are those the MK21 equivalent for Sennheiser?  Use them stage lip or onstage?

[F.O.Bean]

I own the MKH8090's (Sub Cardioid's) and I love them... My Schoeps MK4's are starting to collect dust

So.  Are those the MK21 equivalent for Sennheiser?  Use them stage lip or onstage?

Yep, they're both subcards! I LOVED the mk21s I sold you when I ran them stage lip and at festies FOB/DFC. I will own them again one day. Just didn't use them enough to justify eking them And the fact I had been searching for mk4s for two years

[myke2241]

I own the MKH8090's (Sub Cardioid's) and I love them... My Schoeps MK4's are starting to collect dust

I am pretty excited about the 8090's. i have heard good things. i am planing on purchasing a pair soon.

[wigglepuppy]

Yeah, the 8090's seem to have a sweeter, smoother top end and rounder, warmer low end compared to my mk4's. As far as active cables go, they're pretty damn small to begin with. My next step is to get the mzd8000 digital modules and neumann dmi2p digital pre. The 8090's seem to be a lot more sensitive than my cmc64's as well based on pre amp gain needed. All in all, I think they trump my schoeps.

[F.O.Bean]

Yeah, the 8090's seem to have a sweeter, smoother top end and rounder, warmer low end compared to my mk4's. As far as active cables go, they're pretty damn small to begin with. My next step is to get the mzd8000 digital modules and neumann dmi2p digital pre. The 8090's seem to be a lot more sensitive than my cmc64's as well based on pre amp gain needed. All in all, I think they trump my schoeps.

sell me your mk8 then Hows about $500

[cashandkerouac]

Yeah, the 8090's seem to have a sweeter, smoother top end and rounder, warmer low end compared to my mk4's. As far as active cables go, they're pretty damn small to begin with. My next step is to get the mzd8000 digital modules and neumann dmi2p digital pre. The 8090's seem to be a lot more sensitive than my cmc64's as well based on pre amp gain needed. All in all, I think they trump my schoeps.

i was not aware of the 8090s until reading your post.  as a huge fan of the MKH8000 series i'm not sure how this slipped past me.  not sure i have a need for the 8090s, but i really like the results i've heard from other wide cards close to the stage.     

[pohaku]

I was unaware of them as we'll.  I wonder if they will make an mkh90.  Probably not I suppose since they have moved to the 80xx series.  As I have Bean's mk21s, I figure I'm in pretty good shape for a wide card.

Got my MKH40s.  Pristine.  Can't wait to run them and compare them to the MK4s.

[cashandkerouac]

I was unaware of them as we'll.  I wonder if they will make an mkh90.  Probably not I suppose since they have moved to the 80xx series.  As I have Bean's mk21s, I figure I'm in pretty good shape for a wide card.

Got my MKH40s.  Pristine.  Can't wait to run them and compare them to the MK4s.

i'd be very interested to hear a comp of the MKH8040 versus the MK4 mics.  very interested indeed.

[NorseHorse]

Pair of MKH8040s on a baroque ensemble performing UCCELLINI's Aria Decima Quinta "Sopra La Scatola Dagli Agghi": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck_MQHwyZyE  For a proper chamber CD recording, these would need to be mixed with spot mics, but the video was priority was here.

It should be noted that there have been major problems with noise and reliability of the MKH8000 mics, especially the 8040s (perhaps because they were launched first and purchased by more people...).  To read more about the issues, see: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/741766-mkh8000-intermitent-noise.html

[myke2241]

Pair of MKH8040s on a baroque ensemble performing UCCELLINI's Aria Decima Quinta "Sopra La Scatola Dagli Agghi": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck_MQHwyZyE  For a proper chamber CD recording, these would need to be mixed with spot mics, but the video was priority was here.

It should be noted that there have been major problems with noise and reliability of the MKH8000 mics, especially the 8040s (perhaps because they were launched first and purchased by more people...).  To read more about the issues, see: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/741766-mkh8000-intermitent-noise.html

The issues related to the MKH 8000 series was mainly in the first batch of manufacturing. Although it is still happening, i believe it is to older MKH 8000's more then the newer. reliability should not be brought up either as any mic can develop a fault, let alone other gear failures. so it doesnt really matter the make. that is why you should have a backup plan if it is a critical recording. Also Senn will repair the issue for free if the noise issue comes up. 

[Gutbucket]

reliability should not be brought up either as any mic can develop a fault, let alone other gear failures. so it doesnt really matter the make.

Huh?  This is most definitely an appropriate forum in which to discuss reliability issues for any piece of recording equipment.  If there are problems, we want to know about and address them honestly and openly here.

[cashandkerouac]

I was unaware of them as we'll.  I wonder if they will make an mkh90.  Probably not I suppose since they have moved to the 80xx series.  As I have Bean's mk21s, I figure I'm in pretty good shape for a wide card.

Got my MKH40s.  Pristine.  Can't wait to run them and compare them to the MK4s.

i'd be very interested to hear a comp of the MKH8040 versus the MK4 mics.  very interested indeed.

this certainly isn't an "apples to apples" comparison - different sets (early and late), different crowd dynamics, slightly different taping locations, very likely that mic orientation was different... - so I fully acknowkedge that this is only an anectodal comparison at best.  i think both versions sound great, just different flavors.  some like strawberry, others like chocolate.

Early Set (MK4): http://www.planetrocklosslessbootlegs.com/showthread.php?128352-Ginger-Baker-s-Jazz-Confusion-2013-10-19-early-aud-oakland-mk4-flac16&p=247983#post247983   

Late Set (MKH8040): http://www.planetrocklosslessbootlegs.com/showthread.php?128363-Ginger-Baker-s-Jazz-Confusion-2013-10-19-late-aud-oakland-mkh8040-flac16&p=248053#post248053

[pohaku]

Thanks!  I'll open these up when I get home.  I've been waiting to get my DR680 back to run my Mk4s and MKH40s together so I can run them through the same pre and recorder.  It's loaned out to my daughter's sax teacher for recording road dates for his jazz chamber ensemble.   I expect the MKH40s will sound a bit different from the MK8040s, from what I have read.  I've not had the chance to hear those together either.

[acidjack]

Pair of MKH8040s on a baroque ensemble performing UCCELLINI's Aria Decima Quinta "Sopra La Scatola Dagli Agghi": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck_MQHwyZyE  For a proper chamber CD recording, these would need to be mixed with spot mics, but the video was priority was here.

It should be noted that there have been major problems with noise and reliability of the MKH8000 mics, especially the 8040s (perhaps because they were launched first and purchased by more people...).  To read more about the issues, see: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/741766-mkh8000-intermitent-noise.html

The issues related to the MKH 8000 series was mainly in the first batch of manufacturing. Although it is still happening, i believe it is to older MKH 8000's more then the newer. reliability should not be brought up either as any mic can develop a fault, let alone other gear failures. so it doesnt really matter the make. that is why you should have a backup plan if it is a critical recording. Also Senn will repair the issue for free if the noise issue comes up.

If you think "we'll fix it for free" is an adequate response for a four-figure priced mic failing, I'm guessing you have been lucky enough to never need gear repaired. After shipping it back (especially to Germany or somewhere that isn't, say, DPA's facilities in Colorado) at (usually) cost to you, plus not having mics for several months, plus then having a mic with a ding on its record... it's hardly a "no big deal, they'll fix it for free" situation.

Manufacturers should not put out new products that have a high enough failure rate that people are commenting on them publicly. Especially ones like Sennheiser who should know better. When they do, they should be held accountable.

[mysticeyes]

reliability should not be brought up either as any mic can develop a fault, let alone other gear failures. so it doesnt really matter the make.

Huh?  This is most definitely an appropriate forum in which to discuss reliability issues for any piece of recording equipment.  If there are problems, we want to know about and address them honestly and openly here.

I agree wholeheartedly. I try to find out about the reliability of anything I buy, especially when the price of that item is well over $1,000. A $50 DVD player that fails is not a big deal, but a refrigerator, or automobile, now that's crucial, and I think the make does matter very much when I'm voting, with my dollars, for the manufacturers that do a good job and care about their customers.

[cashandkerouac]

i bought my MKH8040 mics in 2011 and they have been rock solid.  they've performed flawlessly indoors and out, good weather and bad. 

[rigpimp]

Here is an apples to apples comp that I did a year ago.  140 vs 8040

Pic of mic setup here:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=150229.msg1974580#msg1974580

8040:
https://archive.org/details/hp2012-06-16.8040.kreider

140:
https://archive.org/details/hp2012-06-16.140.kreider

Edit to say this is the first that I have heard of the 8040 problems.  I guess I should go back and inspect my 24 bit master files.  The comp above was made in June of 2012 right before the GS thread was started.  I will also contact the guy that I borrowed them from and ask if he has experienced any problems with his mics.

[cashandkerouac]

^ thanks!