The MKE 400 is a great microphone for on-camera shotgun work. It has a good suspension mount system that makes it easy to place the microphone in any position you want. Additionally, the MKE 400 is very clear and has great sound quality.
The MKE 400 is a camera-mounted microphone that is designed to be lightweight and easy to use. It has a cylindrical tube, and inside, out of sight, the tiny rifle mic is mounted on the rubber suspension system. The fact that it doesn’t bounce around and bob up and down like a comically long piece of rubber thanks to this design looks great, works great, and, well, you know what… the camera while you run and gun it on top of it. Next is the unusual but much-appreciated headphone jack socket with its own volume rocker control, allowing you to plug your headphones directly into the MKE 400 for latency-free monitoring if you’re using the mic on, say, a newer iPhone and don’t have a headphone socket there. ..
Design
The MKE 400 shotgun mic is designed to attach easily to the camera top for easy handling in contrast to boom mics. The lightweight and compact design makes it easy to move around, and the detachable wire is kept out of the way of your phone or camera’s display.
The MKE 400 is a great phone that is mobile-friendly, but you will need to purchase a case or stand to mount it. A TRRS (tip/ring/ring/sleeve) cable is available specifically for your smartphone’s headphone jack in addition to the 3.5mm TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) cable that is standard for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. You can begin by just plugging this in, or if your phone doesn’t have a headphone jack, use an adaptor.
The MKE 400 has a built-in power button, which enables it to automatically switch on whenever it is plugged in and shut off when the connection is broken. Along with a low cut filter that claims to eliminate unwanted low-frequency noises, there is a gain switch that can be used to optionally add or subtract 20 decibels. This may be the result of nearby motor vehicle noises or simply from handling the MKE 400 while recording.
The MKE 400 has a headphone jack for mic monitoring, which allows you to hear how your footage will sound while you shoot it. This is particularly beneficial when you’re filming anything other than yourself, and together with its 8-step volume rocker, it makes this version of an MKE 400 significantly more useful than its predecessor. Because the MKE 400 only uses a super cardioid recording pattern, it primarily captures sound in a small area directly in front of the mic. You must pay attention to where the MKE 400’s back is pointed just as much as its front because this pattern also takes up sounds that are precisely behind the mic. ..
Sennheiser MKE 400 review: Feature
One significant omission from the new shotgun microphone is a safety channel. This is where the microphone transmits signals on the left and right channels at various volumes in order to help recover sound if it becomes too loud and clips out. This feature is difficult to implement in something like a phantom-powered XLR shotgun microphone, so it has traditionally been handled by the recorder. ..
Many powered on-camera microphones now include a built-in safety channel, which is helpful for vloggers who need to be able to check the audio recording in real time. ..
Some Panasonic G80s have a built-in limiter that helps prevent clipping. You need to take extra care to ensure that your camera’s record level and microphone gain settings are correct and that you don’t speak too loudly.
Sennheiser MKE 400 review: Sound Quality
The MKE 400 offers clear, sharp communication indoors, as you would want and anticipate. The MKE 400’s recordings priorities the speaker’s voice over any background noise as long as it is accurately directed at them, minimizing incidental sounds like clothing rustling. When compared to the MKE 400, using my phone’s internal microphone was a pleasantly significant improvement. Our Google Pixel 4a microphone is capable of recording speech, but because of its less precise directional recording, it also captured unwanted sounds like foot tapping.
The MKE 400 recorded less reverb indoors and picked up far fewer unwanted sounds in addition to offering better overall clarity. When the low cut filter was turned on, background noises like traffic and the occasional screaming child were reduced to a minimum outside. However, they weren’t completely eliminated, so if you just want to record a presenter’s voice in crowded places, you should probably stick to lavalier mics. The MKE 400 will nevertheless assist in producing sufficient clean recordings for vlogging and travelogues. ..
The MKE 400 is wind-resistant and has a deliciously fluffy windshield that comes in the box. It also has low cut filter, maintains gain switch at 0, and is resistant to shock.
We were able to pick up the MKE 400 by its base and wave it around without any audible rustling, whereas handling mics while they are recording is a good way to add a bunch of random knocking and fumbling sounds. Even with the low cut filter turned off, that remained the case. Additionally, recordings keep a very clear left/right separation, making it simple to identify individual sound sources within a scene.
Performance
The Sennheiser MKE 400 is ideal for vloggers and aspiring filmmakers because it records sound best from directly in front of or behind it while excluding noise from the sides.
The built-in low-cut filter on the microphone makes it easy to remove unwanted low-frequency noise, such as road noise or vibrations from handling the mic while recording. The headphone jack makes it even simpler to balance recordings while they are being made because the gain switch, which can be used to adjust input volume, toggles between -20dB, 0dB, and +20dB. ..
The mic has an aux port and two volume buttons, allowing you to adjust the audio level as needed. If you have ever had this happen, you know how frustrating it can be when you think you have the perfect take but then realize that the gain was set too high and the audio is blown out. This will undoubtedly save you time – and pain.
Although we found that in most cases by adjusting the settings and making sure to angle the microphone correctly we could still make out what our subject was saying quite clearly, recording in places with a lot of background noise from all directions or when the wind picks up can lead to some problems. Additionally, you can always count on the windsock to assist lessen wind noise. There is almost never a reason not to slip this incredibly fluffy cover over the Sennheiser MKE 400 because it is so effective at blocking out unwanted noises. ..
Sennheiser MKE 400 review: Battery life
The MKE 400 has a door on the back where you can insert two AAA batteries, which provide 100 hours of use, and a mic output socket on the front that uses Sennheiser’s renowned locking system to prevent the cable from accidentally pulling out while you’re using it. A high-quality coiled TRRS to TRS cable, a TRS to TRS cable, included AAA batteries, a drawstring pouch to keep the mic in, and a windjammer are all included in the box.
Price and availability
The Sennheiser MKE 400 (2021) is a mic that is incredibly affordable when compared to similar models. It has a list price of $199.95 / £179, but you can find it for less if you shop around. This mic is offered by a variety of retailers, and it makes for a great piece of equipment for those dipping their toes into the worlds of filmmaking and vlogging because, even at its full price, it is a mic that is incredibly affordable when compared to similar models.
Conclusion
The MKE 400 mobile kit is a great option for content producers who are struggling to pay for pricey booms and mics. The clamp and tripod will help you find stability and control whether you’re using a professional camera or a smartphone.
The microphone is easy to use and has great sound. Trust us when we say that viewers will view you in a much more serious manner as a result. The final rating is nine out of ten. ..
