Sennheiser ME2 or MKE2 Lapel mic
 

The ME2 that came with my EW100 kit sounds alright - a big 'bright' perhaps.

Curious how much better the MKE2 is? What sort of a difference is it?

They have dropped to half their price lately (end of line) so wondering if I should grab one?

Thanks all.

Here's a video about the MKE2:


And here's one comparing the ME-2 with the Sanken COS11D:

The MKE 2 is vastly better than the ME 2.

Ignore the first video posted to above as the guy does not really know what he is doing I'm afraid.

I don't know why he didn't get a manual, but it's downloadable HERE.

The MKE 2 comes in a plastic bag because the theatres complained about buying attachment clips and having to throw them away - so the MKE 2 comes on its own (with manual) and the case and clips that are not needed by theatres come separately (except for the MKE 2-ew which is he only version to come compete with accessories).

The cable is steel and extremely tough and pretty unbreakable (unlike copper cable).

If you look at the clip you will see there is a little clip on the back (on the croc clip itself). You connect the mic. to the front and then also clip the cable to the back after a couple of inches - this decouples the mic. from the rest of the cable and stops noises due to cable rubbing getting to the mic. The picture in the video was totally wrong in the way it was put on.

The sound quality of the MKE 2 is very much better and it also includes an umbrella diaphragm to protect it from sweat and moisture. The MKE 2 is built to a spec., the ME 2 is built to a price - good value for the money but nowhere as good as the MKE 2.

I hope this helps.

After putting the mic. in the clip you need to loop the cable and trap it in the croc-clip behind the shirt (or, in the case of the MKE 2, there is a clip on the croc-clip for the same purpose). This is essential to prevent cable rubbing being transmitted to the capsule and making noise.

Tying a loose knot in the cable can also help to reduce handling noise.

So, no, it's not as easy as you think and most people actually get it wrong until it's explained to them.

Also the Sennheiser provided no instructions. One doesn't naturally expect to have to tie a knot or loop in their mic cable. So go easy on the "brain dead" comments.

Yes they do, it's downloadable from the website and with every MKE 2 I have seen. As far as I know only service replacements would come without a manual.

But doing the loop is standard practice to anyone who uses tie mics and you see it all the time on the TV - it is also standard practice for any microphone to help decouple the mic from the cable - so yes, one *does* expect to put a loop in the cable and anyone trained in the use of microphones would know about this. It's elementary physics that tells you why you do it.

The knot is a different matter though - this came to me third hand via a BBC engineer who discovered that a loose knot in the cable helped reduce handling noise. Most people would not be expected to know this and I just passed on the information to help.

Thanks for the replies.

I have looked at the manual and it does not say anything about looping the cable etc.
Is there a link or image that shows this method applied?

I'd just like to learn best practice for using this item.

A google on "broadcast loop" will turn up a number of links. There's also a tutorial on the B&H PHoto site.

Here's another, illustraed towards the bottom of the page. http://broadcastengineering.com/audi...st/index1.html

The MKE2-EW is £151 currently - is it worth it? My only interest is the sound quality and not the build/durability - can you please clarify in what aspects this is 'much better'. Is it a more open sound, more focussed etc... Thank you

Poor old John! I can come forward as having used most popular clip-on mics in theatrical productions, and the MKE-2 in flesh colour is always the one I return to. The fact that people do try all the little tricks of cable loops and the double loop on the clip itself is because they need to prevent cable noise. John mentioned this twice. It's not a Sennheiser phenomenon, it's the case with all small element mics that have to be hidden under clothing. The knot I don't think I've seen used in theatre, but TV people always repeat the little things that work for them. Most beginners use the lav mics with the opening towards the mouth, while professionals usually prefer the hole pointing away from the mouth. Just little touches. The one thing I really like on the MKE-2s is the cable is a decent length - sometimes too long!

I have a few of the cheaper ones that came with the radio systems, and they're ok - but the MKE series is crisper and easier to eq. They also sound quite good used on instruments - I rather like the sound of them on violins.

OK Paul, so now you've got me interested. I'm not over happy with the basic omni mic on the two Senny G2's kits I have (but like better the ME4 cardoid I bought as an addition, apart from it's size).

Sounds like I need to step up to one of these soon.

Why point the mic away from the mouth Paul? Is that to defeat plosives? I know an omni pattern is very wide, but I thought it was still better to point the ic at the mouth for the best pick-up.

Please share your tips, as I always want to do better. I record all day math seminars with lavs on the subject, and I want the pest placement with the least hassle.

Thanks

Chadfish

I'm very new to lav mics and have been trialling a borrowed lav mic for the last 2 weeks before deciding on a purchase. I've had one camera XLR input wired to my NTG-1 on a boom and the other XLR to a wireless lav mic.

Initially, I had the lav mic facing the mouth and the results were sort of okay, I guess.

However, a friend who does sound for various network TV shows told me to bring the lav mic up behind the tie, over the top of the knot and down under the top fold of the tie, with the mic head ever so slightly protruding from the bottom of the top fold - i.e. pointed away from the mouth. He also said to only use an omni-directional lav mic for this.

As far as I'm concerned, the difference is like night and day. The offices where I'm currently shooting a number of corporate videos have been quite an audio nightmare, but with this new lav technique (under the top fold of the tie and away from the mouth) and some judicious use of Soundtrack Pro, I'm much more confident of extracting some quality sound from this location.

I am currently leaning towards the purchase of a Sennheiser-EW-112-G3 wireless system with the ME2 lapel mic. But my audio friend told me he often uses a Sanken COS-11, which is why I really appreciated Chad's Vimeo (above) which directly compares the two. I really liked the sound of the Sanken.

But my budget currently dictates the Sennheiser system with the ME2 mic. (Unless somebody knows of a cheaper wireless receiver and transmitter system which will also work with a Sanken COS-11.)

I talked to Sennheiser today and mentioned that there seems to be an old version of the manual on the website.

I have certainly seen a version which describes the loop. But this has been standard practice in broadcasting for years.

David I think the G3 is your best bang for your buck. Anything cheaper is going to have lots of interference/drop outs. I say just get the Sennheiser G3 with the plug on (you never know when that will come in handy), then pick up the COS-11D later. The ME-2 isn't horrible.

Yes - it should be £285.


It's a much higher quality mic. It's omni so it's nothing to do with being more open or more focussed - it'[s just a better mic. all round and includes protection against sweat and damp and does not break so easily.

It's like comparing a Mercedes with a Ford.

The MKE 2 is so small that it is a true omni all round.

Pointing it down prevents plosives and nose noises getting straight into the capsule and causing overloads.

Thanks, Chad. I appreciate the advice.

Suddenly everything went all blurred there for a minute and I when I came to I'd just bought one as well.
:-)

I've been using the ME-2 omni a lot for recording mixed instrumental groups and needed the convenience but with a better sound.

I would not say the ME 4 is better than the ME 2 - in fact I regard it as worse and would not normally advise using it unless you are plagued by feedback and really need the directivity.

Sorry that wasn't very clear - it's an MKE2-EW that I just bought as the price was too good to miss. I have no use for the ME 4 and don't have one, but I've been impressed how well the ME 2 does in a variety of uses.

I've found the ME 4 useful in certain situations on corporate shoots where the background noise is unavoidable and I need the directionality it has to try and isolate the speaker a bit better. Yes I know! - you'll say just find a nice quiet office etc. but in some companies those don't exist or the speaker needs to be in the environment he/she is describing. Anyway, I find it a useful addition in my kit.

What is this Mic?
 

Also, maybe here would be a good place to ask about this mic. I got it about 6 months ago with a second hand G2 kit but have n't really had time to establish this mics particular properties (which I do with all my gear before using them on any paying jobs). Just taken a couple of snaps of it (attached) and I'd be pleased to hear what you experts think it might be?

It would be great if it was a MKE2 but I suspect I'm not that lucky!

It's definitely *not* an MKE 2 - much too large.

It's probably the ME 2-US.

Indeed, The ME-2 (US) I have is identical to the photo. (evil twin.)

OK, thanks to you both for identifying it so quickly. I'm assuming it's acoustic properties are going to be similar to the "normal" ME2 I have - i.e. adequate (rather than excellent) and an Omni.

The ME 2-US is a nicer mic. than the ME 2 (ball-shape) normally supplied with the -p systems.

It's a good value for money mic. but the MKE 2 and MKE 1 are vastly better.

Thanks John. As always from you and many others on this section, very useful information.

And my thanks too, Deniz for flagging this up and John as always for authoritative advice.
My MKE2-EW arrived today - can't wait to try it out!

The MKE2-EW is one cracking little mic. I am impressed how it can handle (very) enthusiastic use of tom toms and still pick up all the zing of suspended cymbals and maracas right beside them. OK, I know it's a lavalier, but it can behave like an expensive studio mic when required.

The top video must be a spoof/joke!

The MKE 2.4 gold has two thin strands of stiff wire cable running alongside the audio cable to create strength and stop the head from coming loose. Although I have seen one come apart at the capsule end. The sanken COS 11 does not and that is why it's cable feels a lot more malleable.

Personally I find the stiffness of the MKE 2 series mic's (apart from MKE 2.5 Platinum which has a silky thin cable which is a different thing), to be prone to fighting back during delicate mic' placement. The cable wont twist the way I want and then memory locks and gets kinked when other people wrap them around the beltpacks.

Both mic's are great. Different aspects can be an advantage as it gives one a choice if you have access to both.

I've long recommended the upgrade to MKE2 from ME2. MKE2.4 gold is considerably better. Problem is now the radio kit is the week link and not the mic' anymore, and that costs even more to upgrade!

Could I add a few words of advice gathered secondhand from our audio guru (ex-Granada TV) who advised that when fitting a plug (in our case a Lemo six pin) to an MKE2-4 (supplied plug-less) the length of the cable has an effect on the impedance and to avoid an shortening of the supplied cable. I don't want to start a war of the experts ('cos I know nothing!) but we took his advice and were careful.

This might help a bit. Here is a sample of the RODE NTG-3 shotgun, followed by the Sennheiser MKE2-EW Gold via Sennheiser Evolution G3 wireless recorded into a Tascam DR-100.

I don't think Guy is using the MKE2-EW Gold. He doesn't mention it, only G3 wireless. And the lav sounds pretty bad, so I'm thinking it's the ME-2.

I could be wrong of course, but nothing in this video tells me otherwise.

Oops my bad. I didn't see that it was you Guy that put this up!

I'd like to address a few things since I'm the guy in the first video on page 1. Especially since this thread has had close to 2,500 views!

My review was my first impressions of the mic. I stand by my words that selling a professional product without an instruction manual is B.S. Manufacturers should not assume we have access to the internet or assume we know how to use their products. Just like buggy, system crashing software shouldn't be released a PROFESSIONAL product shouldn't come without a guide. Using the internet as your company's crutch by forcing your customer to hunt it down and use his electric utilities/internet service is the cheap way out. Again, products from the dollar store come with instructions.

The Sennheiser's clip is unlike other mic makers' designs. It's actually smarter once you figure out how to do it. It's also more durable because it's not a thin piece of metal that could easily snap in two like a lot of designs (ahem, Sony). When I made the video review I didn't know how to use it. It also has a little slip to put your loop. If you loop the typical way (using the back part of the gator grip) it doesn't work as well due to the cable's stiffness. You need to use the loop holder.

I also didn't know what the heck the capsule extensions were for. After testing them and then finding the manual online (on a European Sennheiser site, LOL) I knew that I did a few other things wrong.

The positioning of the mic on my shirt wasn't the main problem. The problem was that I had the windscreen on. The ME2's windscreen isn't as effective as the MKE-2 Gold's. Hence, the MKE-2 sounds thinner by design. The Sanken COS-11 with windscreen on also sounds this way on a wire outdoors. By it's nature (no pun intended) outdoor audio sounds thinner due to lack of wall/ceiling reflections. I take back what I said due to these user errors. I may post a new review if I find the time.

When the MKE-2 is "naked" it sounds nice. You are only supposed to use the capsule extenders if you hide the mic underneath clothing. It isn't to be used as a spit/sweat protector like I thought. IF THE MIC HAD COME WITH A MANUAL I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS!!!

I am one of those guys who RTFM and enjoys getting to know every feature of my gear. When I buy an XBox 360 for $250 and it comes in a nice colorful glossy box with a colorful manual, etc. etc. (or name your product) and then buy a microphone that comes in a baggy like I bought crack off the streets from a dealer...that miffs me a little. At least print on the stapled cardboard piece that a manual is available online.

But I'm OK with the MKE2 now. But I still don't think the ME2 sounds that bad in comparison. A little boxy and lacking in "smoothness" but not bad for a kit mic. But it does feel like it'll break easily if I'm too rough with it.