Sennheiser MKH 8030

[Aled Hughes]

Finally!

https://www.newsshooter.com/2023/09/15/ ... C3HjZqi2tA

I think I may have to start saving for this one.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Well, we've waited nearly 20 years for it... and you still have time to save... release scheduled for spring/summer next year.

I'm pleased they've finally done it, but I won't be swapping my three MKH30s...

[Aled Hughes]

I guess I wouldn't either if I already owned MKH30s.

Come to think of it, seeing as we have a bunch of MKH40s at the studio already, maybe the old MKH30 would be a better option anyway.

[Roland Harris]

Well, I've had a pre-production MKH 8030 for a few weeks now, and have been doing some tests. I've done one of my usual write-ups, with plenty of sound files to listen too, in case anyone is interested.
Cheers,
Roland
https://drbadphil.com/sennheisers-new-f ... e-mkh-8030

[Aled Hughes]

Thanks for this Roland, very interesting.

I had forgotten about those Rycote mics! They are very tempting. Am I right that their figure-8 is a dual-capsule design?

Aled

[Hugh Robjohns]

Yes.

[Zukan]

Finally!

https://www.newsshooter.com/2023/09/15/ ... C3HjZqi2tA

I think I may have to start saving for this one.

[tea for two]

Well, I've had a pre-production MKH 8030 for a few weeks now, and have been doing some tests. I've done one of my usual write-ups, with plenty of sound files to listen too, in case anyone is interested.
Cheers,
Roland
https://drbadphil.com/sennheisers-new-f ... e-mkh-8030

Enjoyed that. Chortled at the pic behind car exhaust to record bass : from a distance would look as a grey squirrel lol.

::

Meanwhile for paupers as myself lol it's elcheapo t.bone rb100 sdc fig8 ribbon which is supposed to be a knockoorrff Royer R-121. T.bone rb100 is approx 1/20th price so that should say something lol.
I think Aled has t.bone rb100 so I'd be intrigued to find ooot how terrible it is compared to the Rycote BD10 and or Senny 8030.

[Aled Hughes]

Well, I've had a pre-production MKH 8030 for a few weeks now, and have been doing some tests. I've done one of my usual write-ups, with plenty of sound files to listen too, in case anyone is interested.
Cheers,
Roland
https://drbadphil.com/sennheisers-new-f ... e-mkh-8030

Enjoyed that. Chortled at the pic behind car exhaust to record bass : from a distance would look as a grey squirrel lol.

::

Meanwhile for paupers as myself lol it's elcheapo t.bone rb100 sdc fig8 ribbon which is supposed to be a knockoorrff Royer R-121. T.bone rb100 is approx 1/20th price so that should say something lol.
I think Aled has a t.bone rb100 so I'd be intrigued to find ooot how terrible it is compared to the Rycote BD10 and or Senny 8030.

I did around 15 years ago!! Where did you find that out?!

Don't remember much about it to be honest. And even if I did, I've never used an 8030 nor a BD10...

The few SDC figure-8 I have used is the Shure 181 (which was decent) and the 'side' capsule of a Pearl MS8 (which is very good).
I'm fairly happy with most of my LDCs in figure-8 mode (especially AKG 414 B-ULS and Austrian Audio OC818. Not so much the U87), but the ribbons I have (AEA R84 and Beyer M130) do trump them when it comes to side rejection, as expected. From recollection the RB100 also had good side rejection, as do most other ribbons I've used.

[tea for two]

I think Aled has a t.bone rb100 so I'd be intrigued to find ooot how terrible it is compared to the Rycote BD10 and or Senny 8030.

I did around 15 years ago!! Where did you find that out?!

Don't remember much about it to be honest.

Did an inspector gadget search in SoS foruume.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Thanks for this Roland, very interesting.

I had forgotten about those Rycote mics! They are very tempting. Am I right that their figure-8 is a dual-capsule design?

Aled

The B9Audio cm180 is a single diaphragm fig-8 that seems to get very good reviews, as do their other mics

https://b9audio.com/

[Aled Hughes]

I think Aled has a t.bone rb100 so I'd be intrigued to find ooot how terrible it is compared to the Rycote BD10 and or Senny 8030.

I did around 15 years ago!! Where did you find that out?!

Don't remember much about it to be honest.

Did an inspector gadget search in SoS foruume.

Aha! I've just edited my previous reply in case you missed it.

[Aled Hughes]

Thanks for this Roland, very interesting.

I had forgotten about those Rycote mics! They are very tempting. Am I right that their figure-8 is a dual-capsule design?

Aled

The B9Audio cm180 is a single diaphragm fig-8 that seems to get very good reviews, as do their other mics

https://b9audio.com/

Looks good! Thanks Hugh.

I think new MKHs are out of reach for the moment (already have MKH40s though), and I'd like a pair of SDC fig-8 and a pair of omnis (my Line Audio OM1 has been getting a LOT of work! Though it's hard to know how much it's worth spending on an upgrade as they're so good - I always come back to the KM183 (I'm aware of the free/diffuse field differences between the OM1 and 183).
The Rycote range and these B9Audios look worthy of investigation, though the latter don't seem to offer an omni.

Gefell M320 was promising, but the price seems to be much higher than originally suggested (ie. I seem to recall it was being marketed as a KM183 competitor).

[tea for two]

Just now read it : "side' capsule of a Pearl MS8 (which is very good)....
From recollection the RB100 also had good side rejection, as do most other ribbons I've used."

::

There's other sdc fig8 alongside t.bone rb100, from Nohype and Pronomic at budget end for paupers as myself. I'm not expecting the earth lol.

[Roland Harris]

Enjoyed that. Chortled at the pic behind car exhaust to record bass : from a distance would look as a grey squirrel lol.

Thanks!!

Cheers,

Roland

[Roland Harris]

The B9Audio cm180 is a single diaphragm fig-8 that seems to get very good reviews, as do their other mics

Yes, the B9Audio mics have intrigued me for some years now (not just the fig 8, but also the CSM88 Blumlein mic), but there is still not much out there about them (good reviews, insofar as there are many): certainly no detailed tests that I have found. That wouldn't worry me much if I could buy B9Audio mics in the UK, but there are no distributors (which also has implications for any servicing/repair needs down the line), so I have never fancied taking a punt on ordering a mic from a private address on the other side of the world. Perhaps not adventurous enough!

Cheers,

Roland

[Hugh Robjohns]

The Rycote range and these B9Audios look worthy of investigation, though the latter don't seem to offer an omni.

B9Audio offers several omnis with different levels of HF boost under the CM120 model number. (Scroll down that link i gave above).

Gefell M320 was promising, but the price seems to be much higher than originally suggested (ie. I seem to recall it was being marketed as a KM183 competitor).

Yes, good mics but very expensive. The B9Audio offerings seem to rival Schoeps in the range and style. Not sure about sound, but I've seen lots of favourable comments. I'm hoping to organise some review models... I'm surprised no one in the UK has taken them on.

[Aled Hughes]

I'm hoping to organise some review models... I'm surprised no one in the UK has taken them on.

Well that would be just spiffing! I might cross my fingers in the hope that the Rycotes could be in for the same treatment...

[Hugh Robjohns]

Yes, I'm surprised they didn't rush samples in our direction... but I think it might have got overlooked in the company reorganisation.

[Aled Hughes]

Yes, I'm surprised they didn't rush samples in our direction... but I think it might have got overlooked in the company reorganisation.

Of course, I guess what I’m really waiting for is Rode TF omnis…

[Roland Harris]

Yes, I'm surprised they didn't rush samples in our direction... but I think it might have got overlooked in the company reorganisation.

Did you review any of the earlier Rycote mics (the HC-15, HC-22, OM-08, CA-08 and SC-08), from before the closure of the Stroud factory, then? I've tried searching, but to no avail.

And, with the MKH 8000 series mics have you reviewed more than the MKH 8040 (I've found your review for the latter from 2008)?

Cheers,

Roland

[Hugh Robjohns]

No and No, in that order.

I can't tell you why we haven't seen any Rycote or Sennheiser MKH mics for review, because I don't know. I'd guess it's almost certainly because they haven't offered them to us... while the boutique manufacturers often fall over themselves to push their mics our way. And with only so many mic review pages available each month it's obviously much easier to go with what's placed in front of us than chase up recalcitrant manufacturers!

But only last week I prodded our mics/speakers section editor to try and track down some Rycotes, the B9Audios and the new MKH8030. Unfortunately for us, he's away on paternity leave right now... but I will raise it with him on his return, rest assured.

[Roland Harris]

That would be good, Hugh. Obviously, I'm very familiar with the BD-10 and, increasingly now, with the MKH 8030, but it would be nice to hear how the B9Audio fig 8 performs in comparison to these. Off to a studio later for a mid-side recording of a bluegrass band, with the MKH 8040 and MKH 8030, and will include Rycote BD-10 and CA-08 for a comparison (with all permutations thereof).
Cheers,
Roland

[Roland Harris]

Well here's the promised update following the bluegrass recording: part 2 of the MKH 8030 tests/review, using the mic within a mid-side pair (alongside the MKH 8040, and in parallel to/combination with the BD-10 and CA-08).
Cheers,
Roland
https://drbadphil.com/sennheiser-mkh-80 ... -recording

[Drew Stephenson]

For me the bottom end on the Sennheisers makes a real difference there. The bass almost disappears on my small monitors on the other mics.
But that is a perennial problem with double bass in my experience.