This twenty year old beast is no less than 55 centimetres in length, and used to be one of the best directional microphones on the market. Right now, it's not produced any more. It got replaced by shorter, less expensive, but also less effective models like the MKH 416 .
The microphone was a gift from someone who didn't need it any more, and allegedly acquired it when a Dutch news organisation decided they needed new equipment after only four years.
So far, I've only used it once. However, I used it incorrectly. I hoped to negate the problem of echoes, but used it in a location where it would only make things worse. You need to point the thing not directly at a source, but at an angle. One side should point at the mouth, and then down, so you don't get any other sounds. The back should be pointed up, away, to somewhere in the sky where there is no sound. This obviously does not work well inside an echo chamber. The highly directional microphone is used best outside, in large areas. Preferably with windjammers and booms. Which I have yet to find, as nothing (affordable) currently on the market comes close to it's massive size.
– Hayo
Page last updated Thursday, January 6th 2011
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