Decision Reached
 

Wow, thank you all for the feedback and the lively debate. Right now I consider myself lucky since I can invest money on good gear altought im not rich.

Decision Reached
 

Opps sorry, the text posted before I had time to finish. My point is, I decided I should buy the best possible microphone in my price range. I just ordered the 4073a microphone kit from B and H!
It looks like its the best mic for the buck I could get. Thanks again for all of you who had a say in this "debate" who helped me make up my mind!

Well thanks for all these comparisons and entertaining reads... Now I have to sell my cheap (unmentioned) mic, and xlr to mini plug (which I guess I should have never bought in the first place), and beg borrow and steal to buy a 4073a and a beachtek with phantom power...

Heh dont feel bad. My first "mic" was a $60 dollar Best buy mic connected to a long a*s xlr converter. The mic really never worked, it was just for show lol.

Hey I did something I probably shouldn't have... I decided to add up just how many dollars worth of mics I've bought over the last 3-4 years... and realize that I sold most of 'em... but the total is OVER $8K... Holy Sh*t.

My first mic was an Audio Technica ATR55 which I used for about 4 months before getting an me66... the ATR55 was $60... I bought another ATR55 for $60 thinking that I could get more coverage with an additional mic. It took the 4 months to realize that there's a reason that's the very bottom price range for mics and it's not a matter of improving technique.

Don't ever forget to get mics as close as practical for the best sound... but mics aren't like hammers. Just because you hit the nail on the head with your technique doesn't mean it's going to sound good with a crappy mic.

Hello Matt,

This is basically a big thank you for the advice and information you have given over the shotgun mic thread. I own a sony dsr250 and wanted to buy a good shotgun for weddings etc but didnt know where to start. After reading on the net and listening to your sound files i purchased an at4073a kit (foam, cable and shockmount) and a lightwave fluffy. I bought from B&H for $1050new zealand dollars delivered. To buy just the mic in new zealand cost $2000nz dollars alone! The shockmount in the kit is a Beyer Dynamic EA-86. Is this ok or would you recommend something else to upgrade to in the future?
Again, thanks heaps for all your input and time - any fool can hear that the at4073a outperforms the me66 hands down.
If i hadnt read this thread that would have been the mic i would have got!!

Thanks again guys and keep it up :)

Nathan, could you help other people considering the 4073a by posting your own samples? I would be very much interested in hearing it with and without the Lightwave.

Are you comparing a non-phantom powered mike (ME-66) with a phantom powered mike that costs twice as much money???

I just heard from someone who rented both of my ME-66's for an electronic press kit shoot at Sony Studios and he said the recorded sound was surprisingly good. He was very happy.

Microphone isolation specifications and peformance requirements can be different for different types of location recording. Sometimes slightly less mike isolation can be a good thing if you are trying to go for a real sound in a real environment versus shooting someone in a completely controlled environment.

As long as the signal to background sound ratios is well in favor of the person being miked, saying that more mike isolation is always better is not necessarily a correct statement for location shooting.

Hi Alessandro,

Sorry - I should have mentioned.
If i was to buy the me66 i would have bought the k6 module aswell as my dsr250 can power it.
The me66 / k6 / rycote softie combo is about the same price as the audio technica / lightwave combo.

In my opinion the at is a better deal

The 66 is a good mic for amateur-semiprofesional use. If you know the tricks for recording audio inside and outside, then you can achieve the same profesional results as the more expensive mics. It is a matter of knowing how to record sound and edit sound. Pc's and macs offer enough opportunities in 2004 to achieve quality sound. Why ask for more?

<<<-- Originally posted by Nathan Taylor : Hi Alessandro,

the same price as the audio technica / lightwave combo.

In my opinion the at is a better deal -->>>

Yes, I agree. The AT has a smoother, warmer sound, albeit not *quite* as hot as the 66. Plus, I find I can use the 897 in more places overall. I've been able to use it indoors on occasion, not to mention the close mic sound of it for V/0 work.