Decent omni mics

[Aled Hughes]

I might be in the hunt for a decent pair of diffuse-field omnis. I’m going to try and find a way of trying before buying if possible, but would like some opinions and remark regardless.

My rather short list of candidates at the moment are the Neumann KM183, Gefell M320 and Beyerdynamic MC910 - the Gefells being at the very too end if the budget.

I have a pair of Beyer MC930 and I like them very much, so the 910s are very appealing, though they now seem discontinued (having only been launched in 2009 from what I can find), and there’s not much discussion to be found about them online. I have a quite sizeable collection of Beyer mics as it is, and I like them and trust them. The 910 wasn’t a hit it seems? Studiocare seem to still have them in stock.

I have a pair of Line Audio OM1 which have been seeing a lot of use lately - fairly often in situations where a diffuse-field omni would be more appropriate - and a posh pair of ‘true’ omnis is something that appeals, as I often find myself wanting more than just the OM1 pair.

KM183 seems a safe bet, but if the Gefells have the edge then the cost could be justified.

MBHO/Haun seems interesting too, and I’m just off to the Pearl/Milab website for a browse now…

Or maybe I should hold out in the hope of a Rode TF omni in the not-too-distant future…

Aled

[Drew Stephenson]

Guessing a Sennheiser MKH would also be out of budget then?

[Bob Bickerton]

Well the MKH 20 has the HF switch lift for diffuse-field use, but the MKH 8020 is fairly flat. Having said that I use the MKH 8020 for diffuse field applications all the time and I really like how it performs. It takes EQ well if required.

Compared to the KM183 which I used to own, my preference as an all-round omni would go to the 8020.

Can't comment on the other mics.

Bob

[Aled Hughes]

Thanks Drew and Bob,
Yes, the MKH8020 are out of budget I’m afraid. We have MKH40s at the studio and I love them, but I can’t see myself stretching that far in this case.

Having just looked again, I hadn’t considered the VAT on the Gefells, which brings them to £2k same as the 8020s, so I’m afraid the Gefells are out as well!

Which leaves the Neumanns and Beyer as possible options if I do decide to go for it. Or sell some more unused stuff and aim for the Gefells/MKH.

[Bob Bickerton]

Well the Neumanns are very highly respected and can be used in the free field by using 90 degrees off axis. Self noise on the MC910 is 18dB a-weighted compared to 13dB on the KM 183, so all in all I'd be looking at the Neumanns.

I only sold mine because having the 8020s, they were surplus to requirements - I'd never had to use 4 omnis at a time!

Bob

[omnamic]

https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/view ... 5&start=12

[Mike Stranks]

Anyone tried these with the OM1s:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/5KY2M ... -audio-om1

[Hugh Robjohns]

I made my own spheres for my MKH20s using wooden balls and a big drill bit, held in place with some large grub screws!

I'm sure the 3D printed spheres will do the job... although I'm not entirely comfortable with them being hollow. I've got a couple of Shapeways 3D printed ORTF mounts which are good (although expensive once you've factored in VAT, customs and shipping).

The sphere will give a noticeable HF lift for on-axis sources, and a progressive narrowing of the pickup area through the upper mids and into the HF, so they reject more off-axis high-end sound elements. The bigger the sphere, the lower frequency the effect starts. 40mm is the 'standard', but some engineers prefer smaller ones.

If you angle the spaced omni/sphere combo outwards (ref the centre of the ensemble — a la Decca Tree) the effect is to give a wider stereo image at the high end (by increasing the inter-channel level difference), which can be helpful. It can also give a little more detail and presence, depending on the sources, much like using a diffuse field omni too close!

[Aled Hughes]

Anyone tried these with the OM1s:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/5KY2M ... -audio-om1

Yes, I have those for my OM1s, but I haven't used them much so far. Funnily enough, the link that Omnamic posted earlier links to a post by me about them... not sure how that helps me with my question here but there we go!

KM183 seem to be the main contenders now unless someone has experience of the Beyer 910 they'd like to share. However I'm starting to think I should just live with what I have for a while, and explore LDCs in omni mode (particularly my Austrian Audio OC818 pair), alongside the OM1s until I can decided whether or not I can live with the compromises of a multi-pattern LDC omni compared to a single-diaphragm 'true' omni.

[omnamic]

I wanted to draw attention to Sam‘s recommendation further down the page.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Ah... MBHO Mics. Yes. They're very good. Alex mentioned them in his first post.

[Wonks]

I wanted to draw attention to Sam‘s recommendation further down the page.

This one I presume.

MBHO / Haun in Germany make good modular small-diaphragm mics that are more affordable than Schoeps etc, and have a diffuse-field omni capsule in the range.

http://www.mbho.de/t2.htm

[James Perrett]

I'm sure the 3D printed spheres will do the job... although I'm not entirely comfortable with them being hollow. I've got a couple of Shapeways 3D printed ORTF mounts which are good (although expensive once you've factored in VAT, customs and shipping).

Are they really hollow or just sparsely filled? Most 3D printed parts are sparsely filled with a triangular matrix of struts for rigidity.

I'm not totally comfortable with the description of the plastic that they use. The most popular type of plastic used with 3D printers is PLA. It is popular because it is easy to work with but it also degrades with light and in damp conditions. ABS and PET are supposed to be more durable but require more care when printing and higher temperatures.

If you want more than 5 or 6 of those 3D printed parts then it would be cheaper to buy your own 3D printer.

[Aled Hughes]

I'm sure the 3D printed spheres will do the job... although I'm not entirely comfortable with them being hollow. I've got a couple of Shapeways 3D printed ORTF mounts which are good (although expensive once you've factored in VAT, customs and shipping).

Are they really hollow or just sparsely filled? Most 3D printed parts are sparsely filled with a triangular matrix of struts for rigidity.

I'm not totally comfortable with the description of the plastic that they use. The most popular type of plastic used with 3D printers is PLA. It is popular because it is easy to work with but it also degrades with light and in damp conditions. ABS and PET are supposed to be more durable but require more care when printing and higher temperatures.

If you want more than 5 or 6 of those 3D printed parts then it would be cheaper to buy your own 3D printer.

They do feel a bit as though they're going to crack like eggshells...

[Hugh Robjohns]

Are they really hollow or just sparsely filled? Most 3D printed parts are sparsely filled with a triangular matrix of struts for rigidity.

It's difficult to tell from the CGI images on the site, but the design appears to be largely hollow but with angled fins internally, presumably to grip the mic body.

Perhaps Mike can describe the real thing if he has some to hand?

[Aled Hughes]

Are they really hollow or just sparsely filled? Most 3D printed parts are sparsely filled with a triangular matrix of struts for rigidity.

It's difficult to tell from the CGI images on the site, but the design appears to be largely hollow but with angled fins internally, presumably to grip the mic body.

Perhaps Mike can describe the real thing if he has some to hand?

As mentioned above, they do have a slight 'eggshell' feel that doesn't inspire confidence, and the fins seem to be there more for gripping the mic than support. That said, there isn't a mark on mine so they seem fine providing you take reasonable care of them.

[Mike Stranks]

Are they really hollow or just sparsely filled? Most 3D printed parts are sparsely filled with a triangular matrix of struts for rigidity.

It's difficult to tell from the CGI images on the site, but the design appears to be largely hollow but with angled fins internally, presumably to grip the mic body.

Perhaps Mike can describe the real thing if he has some to hand?

No, I don't have them... I only discovered them after I'd sold my OM1s...

My mic box is now but a shadow of its former self... more empty space than mics these days... what remains is very shallow-end stuff - respectable in its sphere, but definitely from the mass-market offerings!