You know, I'm curious about this too.

I've used Oktava mics for a while (some modified, some factory fresh) and have enjoyed them for what they are - inexpensive, subjectively good mics.

I use their tube mics and love 'em. I don't think there's much better for capturing a cello or clarinet.

The ribbons though are dirt cheap and are well built - I just haven't blown the $$ to try one yet.

Anyone??

I have three Oktava ribbons.
For the price, they are a great deal. They sound wonderful but quite different from a Royer.

The main concern about Oktava's is the build-quality. At one time they had about a 30% failure rate, at least that's been my experiance. If you get them from a big-box store, hold on to your receipt because chances are, you'll be switching them out for new ones.

But, once you get one that sounds good, it will make you a happy guy/girl.

They in no way compare to a Royer or AEA ,but hey for the $$$, whatya want?

Chris

Chris:

Thanks for the help. I understand what you mean as for the quality. I think, once you find one that works, they are built quite well, but I have had a lot of "out of box" failure with them. (Though I think this is linked more to the GC factor than anything else.)

What, in your opinion, do you get differently than a Royer or AEA? Cuz, the AEAs aren't that much more than the Oktavas. Also, as for their tube mic, I would easily compare it to some of the better tube mics on the market. Agreed, different, but still quite comparable.

J...

The AEA's and especially the Royer's react better to high spl's.

The Oktava seems to distort much quicker and not in a very nice way. Also the noise level of the Oktava is higher the the AEA or Royer.

Also, you have to watch out for the really cheap mounting stem on the Oktava, I've literally ripped a couple off the mic just by trying to slightly adjust the pitch of the mic position.

I don't own the Oktava tube mic, so no opinion on that one.

Chris

John,

You might want to check out this auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3777399666&indexURL=1#ebayphotohosting

It's on your side of the pond and, if it works well, you would have a great mic on your hands.

J...

Jeremy
Thanks for the link!
That's very tempting, but I wonder if there's a reason why they're selling so cheaply. I have my credit card locked away upstairs as I tend to make impulsive decisions! I should really think about this...

I'm considering a ribbon mic, and during my search I came across this website:

Sonar x64

While the samples don't have anything like the jaw-dropping quality of the Royers, but I really like some of the recordings. There's something very endearing about them.

Thanks again!
John

After some more listening, I think the ribbon used on Bye Bye Blackbird has some really great things to recommend it.

I love the choir recording as well, although initially I didn't like it. I also really like the ML-11M ribbon. I don't know why, but I think there's something lovely in the sound, although I don't think many clients would be very happy to receive a recording like this!

These are well worth a listen.

Chris, if you get a chance to listen to these recordings, I'd love to know your opinion on how the ML16 compares to the modern Oktavas.

Thanks
John

I have an ML52 - the only job I've used it on so far was an audiobook where it worked very well. I found a nice, affordable shockmount -

I popped the nut out of the base and filed just a bit to open up the bore and it fits the Octave nicely.

I got the peavey mount at a local music store for $25. I think I got lucky, but even the normal street price seems to be less than $50.

Karl
It's great that you can get a "cheap" shock that works with it. It also looks seriously impressive!

My problem with Oktava is that they don't have an Irish agent (to the best of my knowledge), so I can't try before I buy. I could get one sent from a UK dealer that does its own quality control, but the price is quite high. Still, I really like the way your 012s worked on the strings on your Vivaldi recording, and I know Oktava is more than just another budget brand.

Good luck with your upcoming session!

John

I got mine for pretty cheap - and with my experience with Oktava, I would be reluctant to spend "real" money on them without an easy way to return or exchange them.

I bought 2 of the ML52s - I got them for $200 ea US. Their sound was different enough (one was a fair bit darker than the other) that I chose to sell the dark mic on eBAY and just keep the one. I was lucky enough that I made good money on the sale, so the one I kept cost me very little.

One of my MK012s is different from the other two as well. Not bad, but it needs more gain and sounds a little different.

Octava microphones in general are not too bad. The problem is that they all have individual characteristics and do not sound the same. I listened to three ribbon microphones at my local GC store and was amazed that they all sounded completely different. One sounded fat and thick, one sounded full but lacked any real highs and one sounded like it was a telephone and was all midrange. I was told, by the salesman at GC, that a lot of these microphones are built in people's homes and that is why there is such a large difference in the way they sound. I don't know if that is true or if they just have lousy quality control at the factory but what ever it is no two of the microphones ever seem to sound the same. Maybe if Octava would do something about their quality control they would really have something especially at the price point they sell for.

My best suggestion would be to listen to them at home if at all possible on equipment you know but if that is not possible then audition them in the store BEFORE you buy.

Best of luck!

Thanks gentlemen.

I'll be in England for the day in March and I might be able to try some out in person. I suppose that's the best way to go. I don't know much about the mic business, but one might imagine that the cost of QC would generate huge sales, so that it would more than pay for itself. Take Rode. They have the sort of customer confidence that has to play a huge part in their well-earned takeover of the universe.

BTW Jeremy, the guy selling the Oktava valve mics has a whole truck load without boxes. I wonder does that suggest they are rejects? I have another day or so to decide.

Cheers
John

I bought two oktavas 319's from guiatr center some time ago and they didn't give me any boxes, not even a pouch! If you get a good deal on the oktavas, you can always buy a box at the sound room (which by the way, is also a good place to buy qc oktavas) :D

http://sound-room.com/customer/home.php?cat=13

Xavier
Unfortunately for me I have to pay duty and tax for anything I import from outside of Europe, so the Sound Room isn't all that economical a way for me to get Oktavas, but the current euro/ US dollar exchange rate goes some of the way towards making up for that. Of course it's worth paying that bit extra for a product that's as good as it can be. Sort of makes me wince a little though when I hear Americans talking about the great bargains you can get on mics!

Jeremy
I took the plunge and bought the MKL5000. A great bargain considering the side of the pond I live on. I waited until some of his Oktava stash showed up in his feedback. Thanks again for the tip!

John

John,

Let us know how this mic worked out... I might be interested in one or two of them from this guy if all seems good.

J...

Jeremy,
I hope it's really good, but it hasn't arrived yet. If I hadn't bought it, I would have had enough to get an AKG C34 on ebay today, but the AKG looked like it needed a little work -it would probably be cheaper to just go out and buy a C 426. It sould be fun playing with the patterens on the Oktava -the nearest thing I have to a multi-pattern is a Behringer!

BTW the Behringer B2 Pro isn't that much cheaper than the AT4040, and it certainly isn't significantly dearer than 4033 -which is the one mic that seems to be cheaper on this side of the Atlantic. Ain't it a funny old world?

I look forward to hearing all of the lurid detail about your new 4040s. I haven't used them that much, but I love that neutral transparency thing they do.

I'm expecting my Oktava tomorrow.
John

Where was the C-34? I couldn't find the listing... The C-34 is probably one of my favorite of all of AKG's mics. I love the C426B, but the 34 is awesome in a whole different way.

--Ben

Ben
It was on UK ebay (#3778017823), but bidding closed yesterday. It was sort of painful because it went for just £560, just a little bit over the amount available on my credit card :evil:

John

I had an AKG 422 that was lost/stolen, and I miss it. While it wasn't my favorite mic, it was good for putting up a stereo pair in tight places, on winds, etc. I've still got the blue selector/switch box/interface (with the selectable patterns and multiconnector to XLR outs) as well as the actual cable and the original carry case.

But the mic and clip-holder are gone. :cry: We discovered the missing items 2 or 3 gigs after the last time it was actually used, and even with a lot of detective work on our part, it was never clear if someone left it behind at a gig, or if it was pilfered out of the box at an event.

The frustrating thing is that I (not a helper) was probably the last one to handle it, but it's possible it got put in a bench or a pew and never put away properly, OR it's also possible that on a subsequent recording (at a local high school) someone helped themselves to it. It was one of those situations where we brought out a lot of extra stuff, used some of it, but not all, and there were a few items in cases that could have been rifled through, if it was a clever theif. If that was the case, we simply packed the unused stuf, returned it to the shop, and didn't find the mic was missing until much later.

I'm still looking to eventually pick up a single-point, stereo mic for the same kind of use: In a sectional situation with big ensembles, or smaller chamber groups. It'll probably be the Royer SF-1200 next, or perhaps the Studio Projects stereo mic. (although THAT thing is HUGE! :shock: )

JoeH wrote: I'm still looking to eventually pick up a single-point, stereo mic for the same kind of use: In a sectional situation with big ensembles, ... It'll probably be the Royer SF-12 ...

The SF12 is not much good for this. Fixed blumlein, back and side lobes cannot be exposed to direct sound due to phase interferance, so it can't be used "within" an orchestra.

Out the front of a small sized chamber ensemble, now thats a different matter entirely.

JoeH wrote: The frustrating thing is that I (not a helper) was probably the last one to handle it, but it's possible it got put in a bench or a pew and never put away properly, OR it's also possible that on a subsequent recording (at a local high school) someone helped themselves to it.

Joe
That is so awful! At least you can console yourself that whoever has it can't use it without the box :wink:

John

My Oktava MKL 5000 has finally arrived. First impressions are not particularly good; it's making lots of rustling noises, but I assume that's condensation. There's also a hum in the background which is annoying, but is at a lower level than the hiss from most of my other mics. The polar patterns are almost indistinguishable from one another, but I'd aimagine that's to be expected if the diaphragms aren't at their best. I'm going to air the capsule for a few hours, so hopefully there'll be better news then.

Jeremy, I can understand how this could work really well on 'cello. It looks cool too, and the power supply is a welcome addition to my almost naked rack :lol:

John

John,

With all of those issues, I'd say if it doesn't work right within a few hours, I'd ask for a refund or exchange. That just isn't right.

J...

Hi Jeremy
It's much better than it was. The rustling is nearly gone, and the polar patterns are now very distinct. It sounds quite good on some applications. However I've just hooked it up to my computer setup, and the level of interfernce it picks up from my laptop is ridiculous. For curiosity's sake I'll hook it up to my desktop setup and see if it's still the same, but if I can't use it with my laptop it's of no practical use to me. Come back Behringer all is forgiven!

I've always wanted to put a cigarette out on the diaphragm of a mic, and this might be the ideal opportunity :evil:

My brother is an electronics engineer who specialises in valve equipment, and I'll get him to have a look at it tomorrow. Hopefully it's a simple earthing problem, otherwise I have my cigarettes at the ready!

John

Jeremy
I got my MKL5000 replaced, and it has none of the old problems, although the background hiss is higher than I expected (although acceptable), although the sensitivity is improving. I'm assuming it's the valve, and I was intending to upgrade that in any case. It's not a mic I wanted for distant use, and it's surprisingly good on vocals. It doesn't sound too valve-like, in spite of the fact that the company designed it to overdo the valve distortion. It's quite a nice mic, and is a useful alternative to some of my others for applications I didn't really think about.

BTW I opened up my previous one, and couldn't how badly it was built! That screams UPGRADE to me, so I'm hoping to make a good mic even better. Luckily my brother knows everything there is to know about valve-based audio gear, so I have a consultant on hand!

John

Cool!

I'm glad it's working better for you.

I agree, the first thing I did is yank the tube and put a new one in. I like the GT Gold Series tubes. (I think they pick from a decent stock and then slap their names on it, but I might be wrong.) A decent tube will set you back 45-50 bucks.

J...

Thanks Jeremy!

I'm having a little difficulty finding out what tube to use as a replacement. The one in the MKL5000 is a 6C15P triode, but there's virtually no information available on this one, and conflicting info on substitutes. One site for example said it was the same as an EF14 -but this is a pentode!

I need to be certain about what I can replace it with, and then buy a Groove Tubes quality replacement. My brother has a valve that might be a good replacement, but we're afraid to try it until we can be certain that we have the correct information. I must admit that this is one part that I really enjoy!

John

I've mentioned this info in another discussion, but I think it's important to re-post it here.

Ignore the valve/tube mentioned on the Oktava website. The tube to use is the EF95 or one of its equivalents. Oktava e-mailed me with the correct information, and I installed an EF95 that works perfectly.

I know this probably counts as a double post, but I don't want anyone to blow their mic up due to misleading information given by me. Come to think of it, it won't even fit into the socket as it has a different number of pins!

John