Yes, the V.O. industry-standard Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun mic can be quite sibilant when used close up for voice over, but there's a very simple way to tame it so your de-esser doesn't have to work so hard.
Watching a video of a dude explaining the high end lift of an MKH 416 is one of the most niche things I will do all year. As a devil's advocate, that high end lift is what makes this mic legendary. It's ability to make vocals cut through everything is GOLD.
We used these 416's on the air at KZLA radio in the mid 80's through the 90's - with the foam filter - and I LOVED them!!!! When I got there, I was a little taken aback at using a shotgun style mike for broadcast, but with the processing, compression, EQ and such that the engineers put on it, they sounded great! Plus, it eliminated extraneous room sounds.
That’s awesome. I’ve never heard of a radio station using 416’s but it kinda makes total sense, especially for that rejection outside of the tight pickup pattern. Thanks for sharing that!
My main daily driver has been the 416 since the early 2000s. It really doesn't inspire tonally but I always know what to expect. It definitely cuts through but yes, I always need to attenuate that damn sibilant range. Good advice! My latest condenser du jour has been the Sony C80 which although bright-ish, somehow doesn't accentuate that nasty region as much as the 416. I'm sure I'll buy (and ultimately sell) condensers until I'm dead, but that 416 is always on standby. Love/hate relationship for sure!
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff The C80 has an interesting "thump" in the lower midrange. When compared to the the TLM 103, for example, it's closer to an edge-terminated (which it is) 414 but seems to be hyped slightly in the mid/lower mid area that brings the speech zone forward. It's very subtle. But where the 103 has that big rise starting around 4 or 5, the C80 stays flatter until around 8 or 9. Basically, I've had much less to do in the de-essing department but I need to do a cut little more in the mud range, vs the TLM 103 which seems to be a bit more "pre-eq'd"..kind of like an 87 after its been fussed with. All in all, the C80 is a solid choice in "clean" arena with loads of articulation.Another thing to note, in my case I run it thru a Vintech hardware preamp, so I can't comment on what it sounds like on an ultra clean preamp.
It's amazing how sensitive the 416 is to placement and how an inch or two in one direction or another can make such a big, noticeable difference. I'm thinking of getting rid of the music and just going with train sounds.
It's the area between the eyebrows and the very top of the nose bridge. The area terns to develop wrinkles with age and emphasizes negative facial expressions such as sadness or anger, even when the person's face rests in a neutral position.
