Topic: MK41 versus AK50 caps

[silentmark]

ak50's with the mme sound really nice, without the mme not so much, good but on the thin side ...

[sparkey]

Nicer than a V2 or V3?

ak50's with the mme sound really nice, without the mme not so much, good but on the thin side ...

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

FWIW, I was running V2->SBM1 back then

[easy jim]

Still, I am partial to the AKG CK63s hyper sound over all others.

I agree completely.

[anhisr]

When I use my AK50s I just fix the low end in post.  The information is there, just a little low in level.  With 24 bit it is no big problem to fix the tape in post without hurting the recording.

[silentmark]

Nicer than a V2 or V3?

ak50's with the mme sound really nice, without the mme not so much, good but on the thin side ...

Well I'm biased as I do not like the v2/v3 to begin with, top notch products just not my bag. With that said, yes the ak50 sounds much better with a mme than a v2v3. The mme fills out the "thinness" of the ak50 cap imho ...

[Craig T]

the ak50 sounds much better with a mme than a v2v3. The mme fills out the "thinness" of the ak50 cap imho ...

agreed 100%.

If I was purchasing hypers or supercards, I'd go with the Schoeps mk41v's.  While I haven't heard a comp of ak50 vs. mk41 vs. mk41v, the few times I've used/heard the mk41v's, I've really been pleased.

[wklitz]

Whenever Neumann decides to ship out my new gear, I'll have the AK50's to compare to my MK41's

[keepongoin]

the 150s > m148 is great.  also, i made some nice recordings with 150s > V3 > JB3 and 150s > V3 > R4... hell, even the 150s > R4 i thought sounded pretty darn good. 

i do like the 140s better for most applications though. 

if anyone wants to borrow AK-50s for a trial, let me know... i can loan them out if you promise to treat them well when you use them and get them back to me in not too many weeks.

[shaggy]

AK50s kill in boomy venues and cavernous spaces.  I have run them with KM100 > W+modUA5 and LC3 > Lemosax > modSBM and the results were great.  Between the MK41 and AK50, they both can deliver amazing results in various situations.  The imaging and clarity with the AK50s is what grabs you.

[Nick's Picks]

ak50's with the mme sound really nice, without the mme not so much, good but on the thin side ...

My thoughts exactly.  150>MME is totally sick.

[DSatz]

I have to tread lightly here because of my relationship with the Schoeps company--I don't want to be a shill. Thing is, I own a pair of Neumann KM 150 microphones and think very highly of them. Their polar pattern is extremely consistent across the frequency range, and the slight elevation in their high frequency response can give a nice bit of "sparkle" if the original sound is lacking in that dimension.

I agree that they're best for use in "boomy" sounding rooms, though, and since I have alternatives with much flatter low-frequency response, I wouldn't normally choose them for most full-range music recording. It seems to me that the AK 50 capsule was probably developed with film and video sound in mind, and for use as a spot (close-up) microphone, rather than for more distant general recording, given the slope of its low-frequency response.

Should I post the catalog curves here and compare them to speech microphones and standard studio microphones to show what I mean? The KM 150 is down ca. 9-10 dB at 50 Hz; a classic speech cardioid such as the KM 85 is -12 dB at 50 Hz, while a classic standard cardioid such as the KM 84 is ca. -2 dB at 50 Hz (all at the usual 1-meter equivalent measuring distance). So the KM 150 is about 3/4 of the way toward being a speech microphone, objectively speaking.

However, it can take EQ very well because its polar (directional) pattern is extremely consistent, even down to the lowest frequencies. People truly shouldn't be afraid of trying that. If you dial in the right curve, the result can sound every bit as good as if the capsule had had full low-frequency response to begin with. (Please don't argue with me about this unless you've actually tried it yourself.)

I also want to express my deep agreement with the fellow who loves the wide cardioids--I haven't tried Neumann's capsules yet (I'll bet they're really good), but I just mean that when the acoustical conditions are ripe for using that pattern for stereo recording, the results can be so delicious I could cry. They're the most fun ever. It's just that you really do need to get in closer, and the room acoustics and the layout of the sound sources all have to be working in your favor, or at least not completely against you, for the magic to work.

--best regards

[cfox]

I prefer the mk41v's to the mk41's...

[H₂O]

I prefer the mk41v's to the mk41's...

Of course you do!

I personally prefer the 41's to the 41v's

[danlynch]

Thanks for yet another informative post, DSatz.

If anyone is familiar with the venue in NYC called "Terminal 5" and its incredibly high ceilings and wide expanse which result in some of the boomiest sound you've ever heard -- you might want to check out my recent pulls of The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers in that room with the 150s.  Proof positive that these mics kill in boomy rooms.

http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=438
http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=435