Oktava Microphones....What happened?

[brandondrury]

I remember back when I started in recording a little over 5 years ago. Everyone was raving about the Oktava mics, especially the MK012s.

I never hear anyone mention them anymore.

I was just wondering what changed. It seams that the newbies are clueless to Oktava.

Brandon

[AfaraWayland]

I got a pair last year,

Got that pair of ebay for around 300 bucks, supposedly a matched pair, but the paperwork that came with them looked suspect, not to mention, I don't speak Russian...

I did make sure that I was getting the actual MK-012's, not the "unauthorized" GC or other knock-offs. The confusion surrounding the differences and the disputes in the Co.'s history are definitely worth clarification. However, I don't think there is a straight-forward answer. It seems kinda hit-or-miss.

I tried recording an acoustic guitar, a Larivee (sp?), through a Focusrite ISA 428 @ 88.1 KHz. The result was displeasing. I remember that it sounded brittle, with no body. I guess a hyped' upper mid-range, and higher end.

Nevertheless, mic technique, guitar strings, guitar ect. ect. could have been variables.

Since then they have been used for stricktly non-critical stuff. I abuse them for live applications usually.

For what its worth, my next SDC trial will likely be a C-42, or TS-1.

-Andrew

[brandondrury]

I always thought mine sounded boxy, actually. I never really noticed the high end or upper mids being too aggressive, but everything I use them on sounds like it needs to be EQd hard to take out the 400Hz junk.

I do love these mics on toms. It's a sound that is totally different than 57s or 421s. Ironically, this is the only application where they don't sound that boxy to me (even though close mic'd toms are the worlds worst at being boxy).

Brandon

[AfaraWayland]

interesting. You are probably right. The Larivee model in question is said to be a brighter kind of acoustic...

I haven't really used them enough, only outside the one acoustic guitar, some drum over-heads, and bottom snare.

I'll have to try them on toms sometime.

What you are hearing makes sense too... I have found toms to be most resonant in the 100-500 range...

Perhaps, if the mic has resonant peaks in this range, will suit instruments that have the same resonant areas.