Problems with ME66/K6
 

I recently got a Sennheiser ME66/K6 to use as a camera mounted mic on my XL1s with a MA200. I’m very unhappy with the performance though and I hope it’s because I have something setup wrong.

I have the mic connected to Audio 1 L of the MA200. The MA200 is connected to Audio 1 at the back of the camera. The Input Select switch under Audio 1/Mic is set to Audio 1. My actor is less than 4 four feet from the mic. If I leave Rec Level switch set to A then I can barely hear any audio through connected headphones when the actor is speaking normally. There’s virtually no response on the camera’s audio meter. Headphone level is cranked all the way up. If I change the Rec Level to M and crank the Level pot to Max then I can hear a little through the headphones. The camera’s audio meter peaks at about 30. Afterward I have to increase the level in post by about 25db. I’ve checked all the obvious stuff; i.e. cables plugged, switches switched, pots turned up, new battery, etc. Nothing seems to fix it

Can someone tell me what I can do to fix this?

Sorry to waste your time folks, I found the problem. In the VCR Set Up options in the menu I had Audio 1 IN set to Line instead of Mic

Was just going to indicated that might be the problem...

So how is it working now. Mic sound okay ?

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It sounds good. I like the quality of it. I wish it didn't pickup as much ambient noise from the sides though. I thought it would be more directional and get the majority of its sound from directly in front. Did I choose the wrong mic for that? Does Sennheiser make another mic that is tighter and still uses the K6 module?

Check the polar pattern at the various mfgrs web sites or the spec sheets for differnt mics. Side and back rejection are compromises, and all shot guns will pick up some side sound. It alsodepends on frequency. You can find some that reject side sound a bit better but you may get more back sound pick-up. Look for one that mets your needs. Try before you buy if you can.