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Sennheiser 416 users
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Mike Harrison
M&M


Joined: 03 Nov 2007
Posts: 2029
Location: Equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia, along the NJ Shore

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:12 am    Post subject: Sennheiser 416 users Reply with quote

Have you ever encountered a client, producer, etc. who has commented negatively about the sound of the 416?

Have you ever received any positive comments?
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

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BruceG
Been Here Awhile


Joined: 01 Jun 2012
Posts: 257
Location: just south of Boston, MA

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 10:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a 416 and, while I haven't used it a lot, I've received only positive feedback on the end product. I tend to trust my ear on this - as George Whittam says: "If it sounds good, it is good!"
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Last edited by BruceG on Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Frank F
Fat, Old, and Sassy


Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 4421
Location: Park City, Utah

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"416's tend to be too pristine": comment from a millennial ad agency person.

That person was quickly chastised for the comment when it pointed out the commercial (which won several Addy awards) was created using a 416 by a Senior Producer.

The (now former) ad agency person was quickly terminated.

Highest and best use for a 416: ENG/EFP. For VO, meh, IMO. 416's are a choice, not an industry solution.

I still enjoy my Classic U87 Purple Badge and so do my clients/customers.

A couple of microphones which are showing some real promise and which are inexpensive are the Lewitt Audio LCT - 240 or 440.

F2
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Bruce
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Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7921
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have used my 416 about 99% of the time over the past 3 years. I've used it for audiobooks, animation, soft sell ads, hard sell ads, medical and technical narration, poetry, Democrat ads, Republican ads, even a couple of Independent candidate ads, and no one has ever said anything. No one has ever asked what mic I'm using.

ONE TIME, Sam Mowry was here in my studio a few years ago to do an ISDN session and the engineer asked what mic we were using. Now Sam has a very rich register so the question might be a reasonable one. The engineer didn't seem to care one way or the other and we moved on with the recording.

I swear, 99+% of producers, writers, and even engineers don't care what mic you use, ever. So long as you sound "five by five", all that matters is your performance.

B
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todd ellis
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Joined: 02 Jan 2007
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Location: little egypt

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
99+% of producers, writers, and even engineers don't care what mic you use, ever.


this has been my experience for ... ever.
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BruceG
Been Here Awhile


Joined: 01 Jun 2012
Posts: 257
Location: just south of Boston, MA

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
A couple of microphones which are showing some real promise and which are inexpensive are the Lewitt Audio LCT - 240 or 440.


I just pulled the trigger on a Lewitt 440 Pure last week and had a chance to test it out. It's VERY quiet (self-noise of 7db a-weighted) and it sounds very much like a high-end mic (think TLM 103).

Best $220 I ever spent on a mic cool
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Mike Harrison
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Joined: 03 Nov 2007
Posts: 2029
Location: Equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia, along the NJ Shore

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting comments... and, actually, about what I expected.

If anyone is wondering, the reason I asked is because, in a VO forum, someone once asked whether the 416 was considered suitable for a particular genré (either eLearning or audiobooks). Certainly a legitimate question from someone who may be a newcomer to VO and/or just unfamiliar with the 416. One of the first responses was a rather emphatic recommendation NOT to use the 416, whether for that genré or generally, because of its sound.

A person's decision not to use a given mic is their choice. If asked, they are certainly entitled to offer their opinion, but should not lead others to take that opinion as a rule or even common knowledge.

Because I'd worked with a 416 (and a Focusrite Platinum VoiceMaster Pro preamp) for a number of years at an outside studio, I decided to buy the same mic and preamp when I put my studio together in 2002. Since then, I've never received any negative feedback either and, as a matter of fact, a couple of studios (of the ISDN persuasion) have asked which mic I was using and commented positively when told.

So, I just wanted to confirm what I'd thought all along.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
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Frank F
Fat, Old, and Sassy


Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 4421
Location: Park City, Utah

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Way to go BruceG!

I am proud to see someone else looks for fun things too.

Me, I am a collector of microphones.

I painted mine, with a gold mesh... gotta' have the bling!

Mic Reports are mandatory.

F2
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dwpthe3rd
Contributore Level V


Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Posts: 198
Location: Where palm trees meet pines

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Mike,

I used my 416 for one audiobook and would not use it again... (or do another audio book heh heh)

Too much time spend correcting for sibilance and overall just a "bright" sound, which to me came across as a little too aggressive sounding for a relaxed listen. (After all the time spent on that book I swore I'd never do another). If I ever want to subject myself to that type of work ethic again I'd go first for a TLM102 or Sony C48. Both offering a warmer, mellower presentation.

That said, I really really like my 416. Your results may vary.
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todd ellis
A Zillion


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
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Location: little egypt

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
(or do another audio book heh heh)


amen, brotha!


*don't start a war - i just don't like audio books - you can love 'em --- that's ok with me.
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Jason Huggins
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: In the souls of a million jeans

PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Same boat here. I have used the 416 for 99% of my work for the past 7 years or so and I have never had anyone EVER complain about my sound. I had one engineer (who was a self-proclaimed gear junky) who asked and then commented that there are better mics for voice, but he didn't actually complain and the client never knew about the conversation.

I use it for commercial, web stuff, eLearning, audiobooks and everything in between. It really comes down to learning the placement of the mic. I CAN sound really bright...if you shoot the thing straight down your throat. I would say that it doesn't sound as "intimate" as a good LDC, but placed well and mixed well it definitely works just fine for anything I've ever done.

The reason it is in every VO studio in LA (and other places) isn't because it is the perfect mic for every voice, but rather it is a known commodity, sounds good on most voices, rejects outside noise and room noise well and it doesn't crap out on you. For me, it is a consistent sound that any engineer can work with.

If you have a bad sounding room though...then someone might complain...but that is a totally different conversation xD
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Nik S



Joined: 11 Apr 2017
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Other than taste and the other myriad of affecting factors I think a fairly significant point with a 416 is that you have to stay on mic pretty closely as it (by design) drops off veeeery quickly if you don't. So for big dramatic arm-waving stuff, anime etc you might want to find something with a wider field of vision.
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Bruce
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Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7921
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Or wave your arms but not your head. A lot of us former dj’s learned how to move everything else while keeping the mouth at the mic sweet spot.


B
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MBVOXX
Been Here Awhile


Joined: 03 Jun 2008
Posts: 227
Location: USA

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bruce wrote:
...The engineer didn't seem to care one way or the other and we moved on with the recording.

I swear, 99+% of producers, writers, and even engineers don't care what mic you use, ever. So long as you sound "five by five", all that matters is your performance.

B


A few years back, after upgrading my studio with new gear, I sent 3 brief VO phrases to a video editor whom I was sending tracks to every few days, and asked him which he preferred. The samples were done on a 416, U87, and Blue Kiwi.
this was his response:
"I don't care what you use as long as it's minus ten and doesn't sound like crap".
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andrewpeters



Joined: 05 Oct 2021
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 416 is a mic that sounds EQ'd, and really need little post as it just cuts. Sibilance can be an issue for some. I use mine for clients who do little if any audio post, but for studios who will treat the audio I'll use a LDC.
Having said that, if you just had one mic the 416 would definitely do a great job.
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