Sennheiser ME66 at DVinfo.net

Jamison Olivieri · February 7th, 2004, 04:59 PM

Hey you guys i just bought a Sennheiser ME66 for my AG-dvx100. I have a question. Do you have to have a power supply for the mic itself. or do yo just plug i in the xlr input on the camera and you are ready to go? Is there anyway special requirments in getting the microphone?

Tavis Shaver · February 7th, 2004, 05:23 PM

you need the K6 or the K6P power module to go with it. The K6 takes an AA battery to power the mic but can also be run off phantom power, the K6P is phantom power only.

Jamison Olivieri · February 7th, 2004, 06:41 PM

I'm sorry im kinda out of it today what is a phantom power again? Does that have somthing to do with the camera?

Jamison Olivieri · February 7th, 2004, 06:48 PM

How come you can't just hook the mic into the comera and run it. I just bought the Microphone and found out i need to spend another 250$ to get a kp or kp6 thats a drag is there anything a little bit more inexpensive i can use to get this thing to work?

Tavis Shaver · February 7th, 2004, 06:54 PM

the K6 is a modualr mic system, the me66 is a capsule for it, sennheiser also has an me62, me64, me67 etc...

here is a link http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=17&Submit.y=8 are you sure you just have the me66 without the K6 power module?

There is no other way to power the Sennheiser "ME" line, the K6 or K6P are necessary.

Edit: phantom power is a power source that's outside the mic itself, your dvx can provide phantom power so don't worry about it.

Johnny Cheung · February 7th, 2004, 08:18 PM

What about the AT897 shotgun mic? heard that it is better than the me66, anyone using it?

Mike Harpe · February 7th, 2004, 08:26 PM

I just bought an ME66 for my DVX100A. Get that mic. The audio quality is superb.

One thing: when you run the ME66 off of phantom power (+48VDC sent down the mic cable as a DC offset) it puts out a VERY hot signal. I run the mic with the pot down quite low and get very acceptable audio. I am considering getting an attenuator to give better gain control.

Peter Moore · February 7th, 2004, 10:28 PM

"How come you can't just hook the mic into the comera and run it. I just bought the Microphone and found out i need to spend another 250$ to get a kp or kp6 thats a drag is there anything a little bit more inexpensive i can use to get this thing to work?"

This is why you should research such things before you buy them. :) The ME66, like most (if not all) shotguns, is a condensor microphone, meaning, essentially, it requires power to generate the magnetic fields that sense the sound. Dynamic microphones (like most handheld stage mic's), do not need power.

Condensors are almost always better for recording and broadcasting. Shotguns are typically used on movie sets for their high directionality. Most lavalier mics are condensor mic's too.

Jamison Olivieri · February 7th, 2004, 11:19 PM

How About the Technica AT-897 i read a bit about that. It sounds like a good microphone to me.

Bryan Roberts · February 8th, 2004, 12:27 AM

Check out the Oktava mics. From Russia and they get superb reviews and cost a good bit less not to mention the mics are interchangeable to enable them different pickup patterns. I'm going to order mine in a week or so.

Jamison Olivieri · February 8th, 2004, 10:39 AM

So is there anyone els that knows of these microphones and if there anygood? Does the Audio-Technica at897 need any type of power supply like the K6 module or any other special add on or is it just the microphone?

Tony Levelle · February 8th, 2004, 11:14 AM

Are you sure you don't have the module?

When i got my ME 66, I got confused by same thing.

I have battery power module. The battery power module has a switch on it saying 'BATT. ON'.

When I unscrew it from the mike, I see an AA battery compartment.

My mike without the 'battery power' module is aobut 8" long. With the battery module screwed into the mike the whole thing is about a foot long with an XLR connector at back.

Basically, if you see an XLR connector at back of mike, you have a power module. Unscrew it, and if it has a battery compartment, you have the battery power module.

Everyone i talk to says me66 very good. i have had good results with it.

cheers,
tony

Jamison Olivieri · February 8th, 2004, 11:22 AM

Yeah I'm almost positive i ordered just the me66 not the k6 module because on bhphotovideo it sold for 299 and with the k6 module its like $565 and i don think i wanna spend that much so i found the AT-897 and i dont think that needs any type of module to it. If you spent $565 on your me66 then it did come with the module if u didnt then you might possibly be right. Becuase why would they just sell a piece of the microphone seperatley that really makes no sense to me and it made go through all this trouble.

Peter J Alessandria · February 8th, 2004, 03:31 PM

Jamison - I'm interested in that mic as well (AT-897). Let us know how it works for you.

Peter Moore · February 8th, 2004, 08:19 PM

The AT-897 looks very good on paper, especially for the low price. I haven't heard it though. It does look like a good entry-level shotgun, and it's probably better than the ME66. I always thought the ME66 was a little disappointing, nothing compared do its big brother, the MKH416.

February 7th, 2004, 04:59 PM	#1
Jamison Olivieri Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: CA Posts: 50	Sennheiser ME66 Hey you guys i just bought a Sennheiser ME66 for my AG-dvx100. I have a question. Do you have to have a power supply for the mic itself. or do yo just plug i in the xlr input on the camera and you are ready to go? Is there anyway special requirments in getting the microphone?

February 7th, 2004, 08:18 PM	#6
Johnny Cheung Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 38	AT897 What about the AT897 shotgun mic? heard that it is better than the me66, anyone using it?

February 8th, 2004, 11:14 AM	#12
Tony Levelle Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lower Lake, Ca. Posts: 33	Are you sure you don't have the module? When i got my ME 66, I got confused by same thing. I have battery power module. The battery power module has a switch on it saying 'BATT. ON'. When I unscrew it from the mike, I see an AA battery compartment. My mike without the 'battery power' module is aobut 8" long. With the battery module screwed into the mike the whole thing is about a foot long with an XLR connector at back. Basically, if you see an XLR connector at back of mike, you have a power module. Unscrew it, and if it has a battery compartment, you have the battery power module. Everyone i talk to says me66 very good. i have had good results with it. cheers, tony __________________ A true friend's eye is a good mirror. Irish proverb

February 7th, 2004, 05:23 PM	#2
Tavis Shaver Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada Posts: 209	you need the K6 or the K6P power module to go with it. The K6 takes an AA battery to power the mic but can also be run off phantom power, the K6P is phantom power only.

February 7th, 2004, 06:41 PM	#3
Jamison Olivieri Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: CA Posts: 50	I'm sorry im kinda out of it today what is a phantom power again? Does that have somthing to do with the camera?

February 7th, 2004, 06:48 PM	#4
Jamison Olivieri Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: CA Posts: 50	How come you can't just hook the mic into the comera and run it. I just bought the Microphone and found out i need to spend another 250$ to get a kp or kp6 thats a drag is there anything a little bit more inexpensive i can use to get this thing to work?

February 7th, 2004, 06:54 PM	#5
Tavis Shaver Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada Posts: 209	the K6 is a modualr mic system, the me66 is a capsule for it, sennheiser also has an me62, me64, me67 etc... here is a link http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=17&Submit.y=8 are you sure you just have the me66 without the K6 power module? There is no other way to power the Sennheiser "ME" line, the K6 or K6P are necessary. Edit: phantom power is a power source that's outside the mic itself, your dvx can provide phantom power so don't worry about it.

February 7th, 2004, 08:26 PM	#7
Mike Harpe New Boot Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sellersburg, IN Posts: 11	I just bought an ME66 for my DVX100A. Get that mic. The audio quality is superb. One thing: when you run the ME66 off of phantom power (+48VDC sent down the mic cable as a DC offset) it puts out a VERY hot signal. I run the mic with the pot down quite low and get very acceptable audio. I am considering getting an attenuator to give better gain control.

February 7th, 2004, 10:28 PM	#8
Peter Moore Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 1,034	"How come you can't just hook the mic into the comera and run it. I just bought the Microphone and found out i need to spend another 250$ to get a kp or kp6 thats a drag is there anything a little bit more inexpensive i can use to get this thing to work?" This is why you should research such things before you buy them. :) The ME66, like most (if not all) shotguns, is a condensor microphone, meaning, essentially, it requires power to generate the magnetic fields that sense the sound. Dynamic microphones (like most handheld stage mic's), do not need power. Condensors are almost always better for recording and broadcasting. Shotguns are typically used on movie sets for their high directionality. Most lavalier mics are condensor mic's too.

February 7th, 2004, 11:19 PM	#9
Jamison Olivieri Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: CA Posts: 50	How About the Technica AT-897 i read a bit about that. It sounds like a good microphone to me.

February 8th, 2004, 12:27 AM	#10
Bryan Roberts Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 436	Check out the Oktava mics. From Russia and they get superb reviews and cost a good bit less not to mention the mics are interchangeable to enable them different pickup patterns. I'm going to order mine in a week or so.

February 8th, 2004, 10:39 AM	#11
Jamison Olivieri Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: CA Posts: 50	So is there anyone els that knows of these microphones and if there anygood? Does the Audio-Technica at897 need any type of power supply like the K6 module or any other special add on or is it just the microphone?

February 8th, 2004, 11:22 AM	#13
Jamison Olivieri Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: CA Posts: 50	Yeah I'm almost positive i ordered just the me66 not the k6 module because on bhphotovideo it sold for 299 and with the k6 module its like $565 and i don think i wanna spend that much so i found the AT-897 and i dont think that needs any type of module to it. If you spent $565 on your me66 then it did come with the module if u didnt then you might possibly be right. Becuase why would they just sell a piece of the microphone seperatley that really makes no sense to me and it made go through all this trouble.

February 8th, 2004, 03:31 PM	#14
Peter J Alessandria Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 293	Jamison - I'm interested in that mic as well (AT-897). Let us know how it works for you.

February 8th, 2004, 08:19 PM	#15
Peter Moore Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 1,034	The AT-897 looks very good on paper, especially for the low price. I haven't heard it though. It does look like a good entry-level shotgun, and it's probably better than the ME66. I always thought the ME66 was a little disappointing, nothing compared do its big brother, the MKH416.