Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Camera Microphone | Phantom & Battery Power | Switchable Filter for Wind Noise Minimisation | Black (505453)

The MKE 600 is arguably the best value for money solution used by serious video shooters requiring a high-quality shotgun microphone without a thousand-pound budget. After listening to a professional blind test comparing this with the industry standard MKH 416 and a couple of more expensive Rode mics, the MKE 600 seemed like the obvious choice; costing considerably less money, yet still offering crisp, natural audio with depth and clarity, whether indoors or out in a range of situations. It offers the option to shoot phantom power or independently with a convenient single AA battery. The XLR to Jack port with a cable plugs straight into my S5IIIX, plus it can also be plugged into a portable field recorder like a Zoom or Tascam if needed. The build quality is solid and built to last, yet light and looks the part if you are dealing with clients, which never hurts. It seems to be fairly low sensitivity, which has both pros and cons, but I turned it up to +6 gain on my Lumix and I’m very happy with the results, whether over a boom or shooting on camera. There are some negatives, but no deal breakers. Although it has the AA battery option, it gives no indication how long it will last, and could power down if you are not paying attention, so in practice it makes sense to use a fully charged battery with every shoot and power down when not needed. Maybe keep a spare in the bag as well. The case it comes with is barely large enough to take the microphone without adequate space or padding for any extra accessories, so you may need to budget for a separate case with more protection later on. The shock mount is frankly poor and rather awkward, so I picked up an alternative that is a clear improvement, offering flexibility of movement, facility for boom usage and better damping against vibrations for well under £10. The switchable low-cut filter helps reduce unwanted ambient sound, but a good-quality fur “deadcat” will be indispensable if working outdoors, just as with other shotgun mics. Sennheiser makes one for this model, but I opted for one from Rycote on sale at Amazon, and it works really well. If this ever becomes a full time job, I may get the MKH 416 or even a DPA 2017, but those represent a serious jump in cost. This gets you surprisingly close, while still offering exceptional value and quality at far lower entry cost.

I am beyond impressed with its performance. The design is sleek and modern, making it look as professional as it sounds. It is also incredibly lightweight, which makes it easy to transport and use. One of the features that I love the most is the battery for phantom power, which ensures that the microphone is always ready to record in any situation. But what really stands out is the quality of sound that this microphone produces. It captures audio with immense clarity and precision, which is perfect for my needs as a content creator. Whether I'm recording interviews or capturing ambient sounds for my videos, this microphone delivers exceptional results every time. Overall, I would highly recommend this shotgun microphone to anyone who is looking for a reliable and high-quality audio recording device. It's definitely worth the investment!

Great Microphone! I use it with the Rodecaster Pro 2 with phantom power. Needed a microphone which I could mount out of sight. It does have a battery (standard AA) which can be used with a camera. It's super convenient. From my short time using the Microphone I would say it's standard size. Not compact. It has a power button to switch on the microphone if you aren't using phantom power. From another functionality point of view It also has a low cut switch.

Absolutely great value for money, pair with a tascam for film quality audio, great for any occasion, will truly deliver great audio once post production as been used for a DAW. Professional level equipment. Premium quality and recognised brand. Will recommend over any wireless tech.

I've become very fond of the MKE 600. They don't have the brilliance and sensitivity of much more expensive shotgun mics that I've used for broadcasting work, but I've never come away disappointed from using the MKE 600. It's robust, has a superb omnidirectional pickup pattern and is fuss free. It's got a surprisingly low noise floor for the price and a major bonus for me personally is I've been making a podcast in a horribly EM noisy environment which has forced me to ditch dynamic vocal mics. Shotgun mics in general just don't care and can record next to as buzzy an AC power supply as you like and the MKE 600 will ignore it. If I've any criticism at all, it's that the area of sharpest pickup is almost unforgivingly narrow, and off axis sound attenuates rapidly. That makes it great for getting a voice from across a room like any shotgun - good for singles, great for duos, but if you're putting 3 people on camera, getting them all crammed into the "sound beam" on an MKE600 can be arduous. Probably time for different/multiple mics at that point! You can get cardioid mics cheaper than this, such as the rival Rode NTG-2, but based on my experience I would strongly suggest spending the extra £40 and getting the Sennheiser. To give it it's dues, the NTG-2 is capable of sterling, competent work, but I've found the MKE pips it in pretty much every technical aspect, adding just that little extra sweetness to location sound. I don't recommend any shotgun mics cheaper than the NTG-2, and since this is only a little more money for better features, I say you should start here. This much quality sound for what is still a reasonable price in the semi-pro/pro mic market makes it a highly recommended buy!

Quite simply it is a well built Microphone. Excellent quality with brilliant results.

I've tested this MKE 600 against other products of a similar price and it just stands out. Versatile for indoor and outdoor use, with a plus as it can supply its own phantom power. This is now my main go to microphone, for video work. Great sound and great build.

Clear sound. Battery operated or xlr powered. Nice piece of equipment.

The sound of dialogue in my videos becomes too good for me i am not use to it haha , its just perfect and i dont need to do much in post

Il microfono arriva in una scatola di cartone essenziale. Accessori pesenti un cavetto xlrf-minijack, un supporto per montaggio su dslr, e la cuffia in spugna. Dotazione un po' povera: un supporto da staffa sarebbe stato gradito. L'ascolto. Il microfono presenta la possibilitá della doppia alimentazione. Ho provato solo il phantom. La sensibilitá é nella norma per la sua categoria di prezzo, ed é (ad orecchio) intorno ai -32/34 db. Quindi non sensibilissimo. La risposta in frequenza é invece la caratteristica che mi ha fatto apprezzare subito questo microfono. Ben presente sulle basse, la risposta si estende molto in alto. Gli acuti sono chiari e cristallini, privi di "attufamenti" O compressioni. Il suono é arioso ma mai gracchiante o metallico. Anche sulle si volanti il 600 regge bene il colpo, esibendo una caratteristica di rumore tipica di microfoni di alto rango. Insomma, risposta decisamente ricca. L'ho preso per la mia voce, decisamente bassa e con pochi acuti, che ora é perfetta senza dover usare artifizi in post. Nelle prove di questi giorni su un Tascam d60mkII é peró emerso un piccolo neo: il microfono sembra essere molto sensibile ai campi elettrici. Se si trova a 50/60 cm da una sorgente elettromagnetica (tipo un alimentatore switching per USB) il mio microfono capta del ronzio. Allontanandosi, il ronzio sparisce. Tale difetto é comune ad altri microfoni molto economici in mio possesso. Ignoro se anche microfoni piû costosi siano affetti dallo stesso problema, ma lo segnalo nel caso abbiate spazi angusti. 5 stelle piene (anche se manca il supporto per staffa...)

Was mich am MKE 600 sofort begeistert hat, ist die herausragende Richtcharakteristik. Es nimmt den Ton von vorne präzise auf und blendet Umgebungsgeräusche von den Seiten und von hinten effektiv aus. Das ist Gold wert, wenn du Interviews führst, Dialoge aufnimmst oder einfach nur deine eigene Stimme sauber einfangen möchtest, ohne dass störender Hintergrundlärm die Aufnahme ruiniert. Ich habe es in verschiedenen Szenarien getestet – sowohl draußen mit Wind als auch drinnen mit leichtem Hall – und die Ergebnisse waren stets beeindruckend klar und detailliert. Robust, vielseitig und einfach zu bedienen Das MKE 600 fühlt sich robust und hochwertig an, was bei Sennheiser auch zu erwarten ist. Es ist kompakt genug, um es bequem auf der Kamera zu montieren, aber auch lang genug, um es an einem Boom-Arm zu verwenden. Die Phantomspeisung (48V) oder die Möglichkeit, es mit einer AA-Batterie zu betreiben, machen es extrem flexibel. Besonders praktisch finde ich den Low-Cut-Filter, der tieffrequentes Rumpeln oder Windgeräusche effektiv eliminiert. Das spart viel Zeit in der Postproduktion! Mein Fazit Wenn du auf der Suche nach einem hochwertigen Richtrohrmikrofon bist, das dir professionellen Sound für deine Video-Produktionen liefert, dann ist das Sennheiser MKE 600 eine ausgezeichnete Wahl. Es ist zuverlässig, liefert eine hervorragende Audioqualität und ist dank seiner Flexibilität für eine Vielzahl von Anwendungen geeignet. Ich kann es jedem empfehlen, der Wert auf kristallklaren und rauscharmen Ton legt. Dein Publikum wird es dir danken!

Heb deze microfoon besteld en ben uiterst tevreden. Heb hem ook op een boompole geïnstalleerd met volledige voldoening. Top product

The quality of this mic matches other mics in the $800-$1000 range. If you need a truly professional mic and cannot afford to go above this price point then this is the one to get. This is also the only battery powered mic I would consider. The Rode NTG2 sounds weak on AA power and you will notice a decrease in input volume on the Rode. The MKE-600 will still sound punchy and cut through on AA power and one battery provides 150 hours of operational time. I find the MKE-600 mixes well in post production with other common on-set production mics from DPA, Schoeps, Audio Technica. Of course the next level up MKH-416 is more than double the price and has also has a characteristic with a big bump on the high end frequencies which this mic will not capture, but that is unique the 416 over other almost all other Shotgun mics. If I had to compare, the MKE-600 sounds closest to a DPA 2017 which is a $999 mic. You can't go wrong with the MKE 600 and its versatile, nimble, quality capabilities as both an on-camera mic or boom mic.