This is the first expensive microphone that I've thought was really worth the money. Great sound; great off-axis rejection; low noise, amazing features; silent and smooth pad engagement; stereo output; clever app. Incredible. Imagine giving this a cardioid pattern for a performer but then remotely changing it to figure 8 when a second performer joins. Or recording from both sides for a presenter and only feeding the front to the speakers but in post-production on the recording using the audio from the back when there are questions or applause. Mind-blowing.
@@StevenSoto dude, that last application (audience response) never crossed my mind. It's a perfect use of the figure 8 especially with the split on the second XLR
And being able to do it in real-time ON the microphone without having any digital artifacts introduced during the transition is beautiful. Also: basically ZERO self-noise.
I have no interest in buying half or hell, 99% of these products, but I just love your style of presentation, the editing, the detail - you make it all fun and informational - and you were the first channel I saw the new chapters feature on - which gave me the idea to do it for my channel. Keep up the great work, and when I need (or more honestly, want to) upgrade my audio gear in the future, I'll make sure to look to your reviews and recommendations!
Austrian Audio might be my new favorite manufacturer of mics. These seem like the new standard for condensers, their aesthetics are unique, and the sound is more pleasing to my ear than so many classics.
Indeed. And if you're riding your levels, or are in an uncontrolled environment, it should allow to print (well, stream nowadays) without having to cut too much or riding the gain too much. Just engage and let it smoothly get you there.
The OC18 from Austrian Audio is my new mic for recording audiobooks. I've done 3 books with it now, and couldn't be happier, upgrading from the CAD e100s. No need to get the OC818 if you're just needing the cardioid pattern like I do. Such a great mic, that punches way above its weight. I bought this over the TLM 103 and couldn't be happier with the decision. It's a great choice for a high-end voiceover mic.
It sounds so smooth and silky compared to the 103, congratz! I was thinking about the tlm 103 but this sounds so better in my ears , probably will take it when I can.
Yeah, I was about to buy a TLM-103 for $650 (used), but I just caught this video and now I'm rethinking that decision. I might just get the OC18. Although I think the TLM-103 sounds a bit better. I also narrate Audiobooks, but also do a lot of other VO work besides.
Adam Speaking the TLM 103 is really bright. If you have a big rich voice it might be just the thing. I’ve used it on a few people and it was waaay to sibilant. Why not try both to see what sounds better on your voice?
I'm blown away by this microphone! Your voice sounds so clear and natural! Not a hint of mud or shrillness. The mids sound amazing! I'm a voice over actor and I love, love my Sennheiser MKH 416, but I need a mic that's a bit warmer and less directional for long form narration that is also very portable. I'm sold!
Wow this is the first video I've seen from you and your reviews cover everything! I love your comparisons, and thank goodness for all your time-stamps. you're very clear and straight to the point instead of waffling on about unrelated things. I appreciate it so much!
I've been just recording acoustic t guitar tracks for a songwriter. Works for me. I've writing some new vocal tunes so I'll let you know my feelings about the mic after I record them. It's hard to be objective hearing my own vocals. Great mics don't lie. Hearing the comparisons of that group of mics (in the review) sold me on the OC818 because I could be objective because I wasn't listening to myself. @@senzayyzone
after getting thrown under the bus from samsung the proud engineers that made decades of good tech at AKG, now finally have a new home with Austrian Audio and can be proud of their new products again. i have to try their over ear headphone.
I must confess that none of the tested microphones sounded bad - that's good news for those who invest in any of these. The PolarDesigner feature is really cool - probably most useful for music and instrument recordings?
None of them sounded bad, that's absolutely certain, and yeah I think that feature is most valuable for music and instrument recording and live applications. For voice over only I think the OC18 would be the route to go since you'd most likely only need a cardioid pattern, and you're saving yourself $300.
@Curtis Judd and @Podcastage thanks for your thoughts. Do you think the multipolar pattern be useful for broadcasters who like to move their head around a lot?
@@shotsi673 I don't know how you got that. It's limited in the sense that it's cardioid only, but it has the same capsule, sounds the same in cardioid as the 818 so can be used wherever you require cardioid.
Awesome thorough review. I actually think it’s increasingly necessary to shootout verse the u87. Neumann’s name sells but without a doubt the product is top notch. But if you’re on a budget like me and THINK a Neumann is the end all be all mic, these new mics are worth comparing! And I’m gonna go ahead and say it, let’s get you a hired talent to sing on these mics and add a female voice to the review! Game over ! Much success to you sir
@@theclaverman I agree with most of your statement, fantastic voice over mic, hence why we see it many voice over studios in Hollywood, (takes EQ well which helps) def are better options like you said. I think that’s an important point, OPTIONS, many many options out there, for many voices, use cases, instruments etc. I don’t think it is overrated however, it deserves 5 stars imo …balance detail versatility build quality etc..but it may be over HYPED. It certainly doesn’t need to be a studio staple and we shouldn’t assume we’ve arrived or that our record will sound like a Grammy just because we reach for a u87.
So for the last couple of days I've been watching your microphone reviews and I ended up getting the Marantz Professional MPM-2000U ! The reason I'm posting the comment to this irrelevant to my purchase video, is to make sure you see my absolute THUMBS UP for your videos and thank you for all users out there who can actually rely on a RU-vidr when browsing and comparing mics. You are doing and AMAZING work in your videos bro. Keep up the good spirits and quality reviews! Definitely Subscribing to support this channel.
I would love to see a review of the newer oc16. I am really interested to see how that compares to the oc818 as it is much more affordable. Thanks for your work! Always so helpful when making decisions.
Have to appreciate someone willing to make a fool of themself falling out of a chair, like the rest of us, for world wide viewing. Thank you, I bow to the king. :)
On my ATH-M50 headphones, this mic sounds absolutely rich and full-bodied. It's giving your voice a wide body that equals the Neumanns. Thank you for the review.
Listening on my DT 770s and I agree. I can tell this mic and Austrian Audio as a company are going to cause some big waves in the industry, and hopefully make some of the bigger companies like Neumann take some notes and up their game.
That dual output would be incredibly useful in a blumlein array. Best sounding mic I’ve heard in a very long time. I really wasn’t trying to spend $1k on a mic this week. Oof.
Ok Mr. Podcastage Bandrew, I've been binging your videos for the last week (And other mic youtubers too). Your reviews are the best. Last Wednesday I ordered a pair of KM 184s, partially based on the review you had just posted. (Rick Beato used them in an acoustic guitar mic'ing demo, and Paul Davids also uses a KM 184, good enough for those two dudes, good enough for me!) . The mics arrive tomorrow and I'm STOKED. And I literally just ordered the Austrian Audio OC18 through YOUR affiliate Amazon link as a way to thank you for all your awesome videos. This OC818 really flatters and thickens up your voice. I expect the OC18 will be good for my voice too. I was already using solid mics (AT4040 and a Shure SM81), but this is the next level up and I feel like I'm going to be set for many years to come. Thanks again for your thorough and entertaining reviews.
Some really impressive behaviors here. Polar pattern is really outstanding, and the shock mount is world class. Any mic with Omni pattern is instantly worth twice as much to me so that’s a big plus. It also seems to have been designed physically for very easy use in MS pairs. It’s a little overly present for my taste, making your voice crispier than I would like, but that’s not a dealbreaker for singing use. The separate capsule outs is a fantastic and very uncommon feature. I have a Calrec microphone with direct capsule outs and have used that to great effect when recording without physical access to the mic. This thing is a hit and a great value as well.
@@VOByRobbins thanks for your reply- hadn’t looked at these before- but it looks like a great all round mic. I have an AT3035 I think 🤔, and that’s quite nice, but as my room is untreated I’d like an upgrade. I think this is the one for me. How is this on weaker voices?
@@HughMc74 its very sensitive, so make sure you treat your room more, a dynamic mic like the sure sm7b or ev mic would be much more forgiving for an untreated room. definitely get some moving blankets and treat your space with those or build a blanket fort. clap your ands in the room like bandrew does to guage the reverb in the space, that will make the most difference in the space you have is to treat it... moving blankets are awesome for that
(Sorry for this bad translation but I'm French and I really wanted to thank you in this comment) One word ... wow I wanted to know more about this microphone because there is not enough information on the subject compared to a 414 and I have just been amazed by the richness of this test. Thank you really for this work! I will now buy this mic thanks to your test. Thank you !
I'm sitting here thinking of you squeezed into a room surrounded by hundreds of beds trying to throw a mattress. Thanks for all the great content and information over the years Bandrew. I appree ya. P.S. I think the Austrian Audio 818 sounds the best of all your mics on your voice.
The fact that you can record the two capsules at ones it's a fantastic feature for mixing a lot of things, I love this one, thanks Bandrew, another great and happy review!!!
Great comparision, as always. The mic sounds great. Your U87 is much brighter, but does also sound better and more neutral than other sound samples I know from other U87. Perhaps it's a potential "problem" that your voice is really easy to record, especially concerning sibilants. Oh, and I really appreciate your perfectionism, that you do these comparisions in always a very similar manner.
Without a doubt Bandrew that's the best Mic that I have ever heard you review! "Instant Classic" for sure. Love the fall down off the chair after throwing that stand in box! LOL 👍👍🎤🎤🎤🎤👍👍
Sounds great on your voice, this may be my next mic to add to my locker!! I was waiting for this, it's not as bright as the TLM 103 -- This mic would be perfect for audiobook narration!! Thank youuuu!!!
Wow this is one sweet microphone. IMHO it sounds better than the 103 and it's own AKG cousins and just as good as the U87i without the brilliance (which is not a bad thing for spoken word). Great shoot out. I would love to hear that Austrian on my Bass/Baritone voice. It's added to my mic locker list now, might even give my Neumann TLM 49 a run for its money. The OC18 is so warm and real.
this was a great review, infact the best for this mic i have come across. It touched on every aspect of what we needed to know. Thanks, yours is the best channel for microphone review.
This was an excellent overview of the OC818. Thanks! I own a Townsend Sphere - since the OC818 has dual outputs I'm going to play with the Sphere modeling software on it - just for fun. I own or have recently owned original examples of all the "holy grail" mics. I ordered an OC818 today. It will get a lot of use.
Been looking forward to this review! I like how you didn’t put the price as a con (as you sometimes do with $1,000+ mics.) For what you’re getting, I could see this mic being much more expensive. Great video.
Yeah. I’m starting to stop listing price as a con. I understand that the mic is expensive, but unless I think it’s a rip off, I don’t think it’s a fair con to include.
Yeah, that mic is a game changer. The Neve Portico and OC818 pairing was stunning. I've learned a lot from your reviews. Thanks for being a gear geek like us!
I did like the Austrian Audio OC818 very much, but when you compared it to the Neumann U87 Ai I thought wow that sounds so nice. Everything else, ok I get it... Great video, thanks Bandrew...
First word spoken had me sold! You sound amazing it... sounds amazing. Before you mentioned the "other" microphone... I was sold too! In the look for a new microphone... This one sounds promising! ❤U and your reviews! So enjoyable! Your're AWESOME!
Truly outstanding on your voice, and those guitars were stellar. The "pad fade" is genius, actually. It is musically forgiving and a god-send in a live scenario! Instead of the sound suddenly shrinking with a loud 'POP' just to rub it in and challenge your other gear's overload-protection diodes.
I keep coming back to this mic. I think it’s really special, and two of them will probably be my next LDC purchase. I was going to buy a second Townsend/UAD Sphere but think I’ll get two of these instead and try using the Sphere plugins with them.
Bought an OC18 based on your review and could get one for 480€! Thanks for your comprehensive review and especially the comparisons. Love the mic on my slightly twangy voice, ditto accordion and whistle. It rounds stuff like that out beautifully without losing detail. I hardly spend any time on EQ now :O. Will have a video up using this mic for all kinds of stuff in a few days. Mixing with this is such a joy. :)
I agree, with everything. It sound absolutely amazing, the price is very reasonable for that and all the accessories, and the dual output and plugin allow for a lot of things. Again agreed, it should be an instant classic in many pro recording studios. It's not the first mic with the capability to adjust polar pattern in post, but for the life of me I can't remember where I've seen that too. And, not quite sure, but I think the plugin to edit that in post wasn't as good as this one seems to be.
@@Syllerudwhit phone same thing, in studio i can really hear thos differences. But i think in this channel all mics sound good😅😅in my room whit my setup they different af
Vienna has an incredible heritage of music and sounds, and this mic lives up to that lofty level. Great review and happy anniversary! (How about a best-of collection of your box tosses?)
I had a sennheiser MKH 416 that I use for voiceovers. I was more than happy with it but needed a microphone that would provide me with a contrasting sound, (one bright, one smooth). I already had a NT1 but needed an upgrade. Enter the OC818. (admittedly, I only needed the OC18 but then saw an offer that I couldn't refuse). This microphone has quickly become my go-to mic for 70% of my work. It's amazing! Smooth, clear, sibilant free and easy to work with. As an added bonus, Bandrew's right, the foam pop filter simply makes the mic even smoother. I wouldn't swap it for a Neumann, AKG or any other similarly priced mic currently on the market
Osterreichischer Sound fur immer! Or at least that would be true if the U87 wasn't German. I keep telling reviewers they should have one reference mic in their videos to compare the reviewed mics to. Yours could be the U87, except it would make every mic you review sound not as good in the comparison... About this mic: I need to hear it on more voices, but I think the OC18 might be a contender to beat the TLM103 for spoken word. I think the weird-looking cut in the middle of the top end boost might be the bit of magic that makes it sounds so good. Happy 5th and I hope you'll be keeping your dignity intact on YT for many more years to come!
Halfway through this review I was already doing the mental math on what I'd get for a few of my mics if I sold them in order to grab me one of these. Great review mate, this mic ticks a hell of a lot of boxes!
I am living in Newfoundland Canada. Because of our small population and location it can sometimes be a bit of a chore to audition high end equipment. I really loved this Austrian Audio OC818 review and will be buying a set based on your review. I can't think of anything you missed in your assessment and the sound quality of your presentation was more than helpful. I have what I would consider to be an adequate professional level songwriting/demo system (Apogee/Manley/RND/Brauner). Have you tried Tegeler audio? I am curious about their Variety Tube Compressor.
I love your reviews - so thorough! I would LOVE to see you do a video on how the Austrian Audio OC818 performs when used with the plug-in for the Townsend Labs Sphere Plug-In. I was on the verge of buying the Austrian Audio - and then someone showed me the Townsend Sphere. Maybe they’re almost the same thing?!
Bought one a while ago based on this review. It sounds fantastic, but developed a fault within months. Still waiting on the repair to finish. A second OC18 I bought then came with a shoddy spider mount. Quality control seems to be an issue...
This is one of the downsides of new company and series of microphones - they will take a while to settle down and sort out any shortcomings with their products, whereas with the AKG C414 for example, they are pretty bulletproof.
@@alanhaynes418 haven't had a single issue since the repair, and the CC8 instrument mics I bought recently from them are stellar. So still very happy with the purchase ☺️.
That sounds like a lovely mic right across the frequency range. It sounds as good as the TLM103 but different. It sounds the same until you hit the higher frequencies then the Neumann sounds brighter. But really amazing. One of the nicest I have ever heard... Tim! P.S I heard that they are sending you a packet of stickers ;-)
Great video, my only thing is I really wish you had at least compared the SE and AKG mics in your music test to the OC818. It's difficult to tell from just your voice alone cause it only tells us which one suits your voice better. Comparing it to guitar amps, acoustic guitar, etc would gives us a better picture how they compare. Aside from that, great video.
Yeah. I save the full on music comparisons for dedicated versus series otherwise every review would end up being a full 30-45 minute endeavor. I didn’t used to include other mics at all in the reviews, but started doing this to add a bit of context to the sound of the mic I’m reviewing.
