Sennheiser MKH 50 Boom Microphone for indoor dialogue recording

In this week’s episode, we have a look at and listen to the Sennheiser MKH 50 supercardioid boom microphone. The film and TV industry has generally considered the MKH 50 as a staple boom microphone for many years. This microphone has the unique characteristic that it captures bass frequencies, even when used at at distance of 2 or even 3 meters. This makes it useful for wide shots in addition to more traditional booming distances of less than 50 cm. In my experience, the MKH 50 is a rich sounding mic which is well suited for indoor booming. Its RF bias design and overall build make it incredibly reliable. Its gentle roll-off filter and -10dB pad also make it useful for closer mic (10 - 40 cm) or really loud situations. The MKH 50 also holds up really well when compared to the much newer MKH 8050 and Schoeps CMC641 boom microphones which we compare it to in this episdoe. The $1200 USD price seems very fair for the quality offered by the MKH 50.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX. https://school.learnlightandsound.com

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Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Sennheiser MKH 50 boom microphone — B&H, Trew Audio, Sweetwater, Amazon https://geni.us/iYb065
- Sennheiser MKH 8050 boom microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon https://geni.us/mUcDk
- Schoeps CMC641 boom microphone — B&H, Trew Audio, Sweetwater https://geni.us/wi8r4
- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Trew Audio, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon https://geni.us/O8e0
- Rycote PCS Microphone Quick-Release System — B&H https://geni.us/1WBdkmX
- Aputure LS 300X used for background light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/LBXWV
- Aputure Spotlight Mount —  Aputure, B&H, DVE Store. Amazon https://geni.us/kfAj
- Rosco Gobo creates the pattern on the back wall — B&H https://geni.us/Yqzw
- Canon C70 cinema camera — B&H https://geni.us/ABYB
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L lens — B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/qwsEs
- Schneider Radiant Soft 1 diffusion filter — B&H https://geni.us/VFScD
- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/InspOl
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/gr47

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: https://geni.us/G7by

Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd

#Sennheiser #MKH50 #Microphone

Index
00:00 Start
00:08 Summary
00:17 Intro
00:25 Sound samples
01:22 My immediate thoughts
02:16 Bass response at distance
03:54 Proximity effect sample
04:10 With vs. without roll-off filter
04:47 Off-axis sound coloration
06:03 Included stand clip and shock mount
06:34 A word on sibilance
07:19 Practical noise floor sample
08:23 RF immunity
08:48 About the MKH series: RF bias mics
10:30 Air moving over switches issue
10:55 Which mic should I buy?
11:57 Pricing
12:12 50 and 8050 vs. CMC641
12:48 My take
13:26 Please buy my courses