I agree with what a lot of the commenters are saying about your review. It's very clear when you switch between the two, the volume changes dramatically. The MKE2 is recording at a much lower level. All this aside, the quality of your voice on both mics was nearly identical to me and does not justify the +$400/$250 cost increase. The size is a nice benefit of the MKE2 if you're trying to hide the mic on talent, but with that said -- the ME2 is already fairly small enough to hide in most places. Thank you for the review, however. I wasn't as concerned about the background noise as you were in your review. I was more concerned about how your voice changed between the two. I honestly couldn't tell the difference, and as a result I can't justify spending the extra money for Sennheiser's overly-spendy mic.
I know this was a long time ago now but basically the difference in these mics is not the sound quality it's that one much smaller and much more robust. The MKE2 has a Kevlar cable which extremely well shielded and the other doesn't basically. So for sound quality in a controlled environment the difference in audio quality is negligible. In terms of durability and usability the MKE2 is in a different league. Chose either based on how often you are likely to use it and in what type of environments. Gonna use it once or twice in a controlled environment and don't need to conceal it, get the cheap one. The audio quality is great. Going to be using it as a professional in lots of different scenarios over the course of many years and you need it to stand the test of time and take the abuse and it needs to be easy to hide, get the MKE2. Simple.
Note that Me-2 has 4 times higher sensitivity than MKE-2 (20mV/Pa vs 5mV/Pa) so comparing background noise is unfair. You can lower signal from Me-2 for times or 12dB (for example in SK100 transmitter) and you will get same signal level and noise, ME-2 should be a litter better since its noise per spec is lower. What I have learned from your video is the significant size difference.
Both of these are omnidirectional mics. No matter what you think, they don't block background noise. If one sounds quieter than the other one, it is mostly because you recorded it quieter. If you want to tune out background noise, you need a directional mic.
Understood, but I wanted to reference raw audio for people to make a decision on what works best for them. Messing with the levels and post production would have negated the purpose of this video. People evaluating these two mics need to know the differences of recording ability between the two. Thanks for your feedback though.
Sorry Tomas, but root studio is completely correct. The Me2 does not pickup any less or anymore than the MKE2... the only reason the Me2 appeared to pickup more background noise IS because it's more sensitive on the same 'settings' If you level match with your gain settings so they are identical, I can assure you that the 'background' noise will be identical within 1 db. Secondly normally you would adjust the MKe2 or the ME2 to a desired level for your video recording. Normally -12. Anyways, great comparison, but your statement that it picks up less, is completely incorrect.
Why do this? You've explained in several comments WHAT you've done, but not WHY you've done it. We're all going to normalize the audio in post anyway, so why do this? Also you don't address Root Studio's point that the MKE2 doesn't "repress the background noise" - as you say. Don't mean to be a hater, but it's just not an accurate test dude.
The ME2 has may more gain going into the recorder. So, you can turn down the input on the recorder and get cleaner sound from the pre amps. I put the audio into pro tools and matched it. They both sound exactly the same once the audio is normalised. Good observation rootstudio!
Are you CERTAIN you had any & all audio auto-gain disabled? Even in editing? Were you using any end caps on the MKE2? (those are not "miniature screens"... they are EQ endcaps for giving a slight EQ to the mic due to acoustic chamber cancellation. You probably should have had both mics equipped with "ball" windscreens, since the ME2 had one. Outdoors, by the highway, Something in the system was absolutely adjusting gain dynamically... I ran the audio track into my audio editor, and at the beginning of every clip, the first syllable was always high level, immediately dropping off and stabilizing in level within 150-200ms. There was also auto-leveling happening mid-speech... if there was a slight pause in your words, the next loud syllable would start loud, then drop... then level-off (clear example at 4:31 "... the BACKGround noise") From an engineering perspective, it would have been better (for comparison purposes) to "normalize" the levels of both mics in your editing. (once you figure out what was doing the AGC/ALC, and disable it.) That way you can do a truly fair comparison... but as it is, the MKE2 "background noise" levels sounded lower (more controlled)... simply because that microphone has lower overall gain. Once I did manual normalizing, the background noise between mics was almost identical. My results: First comparison: I had to add 6dB to the MKE2 to normalize to the speech level of the ME2. This brought the MKE2 background noise level up to the same as the ME2. HOWEVER... I noticed something else here. The frequency response of the ME2 roledl-off your voice above 4kHz. I believe the windscreen is responsible for this. It shows a low-end cut-off frequency below 60-80Hz, pretty appropriate for voice. The MKE2 high frequency response roll-off had a nice, gradual curve - with voice roll-off above 5kHz. It had a low-end cutoff around 40-50Hz... great for instruments, maybe a bit too low for voice as it allows more low frequency rumble, which can falsely trigger auto-gain reduction. Second comparison: I had to add 7dB to normalize the MKE2 up to the ME2 level. The background noise levels became the same... nearly identical. Third comparison: I had to add 9dB gain to the MKE2 to normalize the speech to the level of the ME2. At that point, the background noise level was within 1dB of the MKE2... again, nearly identical (once normalized). NOTES: My tests (as well as the original recordings) are obviously impromptu (not done in an anechoic chamber), and as such, are only moderately useful. The noise level spectrum in the room changed, apparently the air-conditioning came on between mic tests. When normalizing the audio during editing (making the audio levels the same), it would be important to make note of how much gain you needed to add to the lower-level mic, and report that in the final comparison results. In real-life use, the lower level mic should be compensated for in the wireless microphone system, by adding raw mic gain in the transmitter. (assuming you use a professional wireless mic system that has mic gain control)
Thanks so much for this analysis - I've just tested the two mics myself and found exactly what you found - that the MKE2 had to be boosted by at least 6-7db to match the same signal as the ME2 - and when that was done the noise levels were exactly the same. Really appreciate your detailed testing and comparison.
Thanks again for the analysis. I was curious, as well. Not sure what the low-frequency cutoff is on the AVX but none of them, including the D1 go down to 20 Hz. I A-B tested my DPA d:fine with the XLR adapter vs. a beltpack system and was surprised to suddenly hear tons of LF on the XLR.
@@akosbaranya6267 wtf, that can't be true. Sure auto gain is nice for certain applications. But the avx is supposed to be a high end professional system, and I don't know a single audio engineer that wants automatic ANYTHING. If you truly can't turn it off, noone would use it...
idk, is this comparison fair? I just hear ME2 more backround noises, right, but the more quiet MKE2 is not so loud on voice instead. MKE2 speach sounds much quiter.
+MisterBenne True. I don't know if Tomas did change the input level when switching between those two but if the settings were all the same, the MKE2 was very quiet and the MKE2 started clipping on some parts (especially when he was next to the freeway). I do think that the MKE2 sounds a bit more natural but IMHO it's not worth going from €100 to €249 for me at least :)
The MKE2 sounds better! But you should have matched the recording levels of the mics before comparing. Noise floor is also dependent on gain. Very helpful review anyway!! Thanks.
Thanks for the demo. Just curious, it sounds like the audio is much louder on the ME2 which would make it naturally pick up much more background noise. If both mics were recording at the same volume (pull the levels back on the ME2), I wonder how much the difference would be. Thank you again for doing this, it really helps a lot. Love how clean the audio sounds from the MKE2 btw.
+Shane Harder the demos provided have all the same settings for each mic to make the comparison more representative of actual sound. The difference are presented here, the MKE2 has to be bumped up because it is naturally a quieter mic. I think it's because of its intended use cases - broadcast media so hiding it easer and it cancels out a bit more background noise for movement and running about. That's just my two cents on the reasons behind it.
@@TomasVillegas the mke2 mic is less "hot" than the me2 so to do a comparaison on the background noise accurate they need to be recording your voice to the same level. Then you be able to hear if on of the two mics is canceling the background noise more than the other (btw i've been a pro sound man for the last 20 years)
First, at 0:35 in your video, the Sennheiser ME2 microphone appears different from the one at 2:07. The microphone at 2:07 remains consistent until the end of the video. Second, I agree that in your video, the Sennheiser MKE2 seems quieter than the ME2 in terms of noise. However, in reality, you may notice that the voice-to-noise ratio is nearly identical for both. If the MKE2 reduces noise, it also seems to reduce the loudness of the audio. I've used both during my class lecture recordings at the university, and I've observed no significant difference in quality or noise reduction between them. In my honest opinion, many TH-cam reviews comparing the ME2 and MKE2 are biased. I'm a big fan, follower, and subscriber of @curtisjudd TH-cam channel, and I've watched all his videos because I love his content. However, I have the same thoughts about his video comparing the ME2 and MKE2. Personally, I'm more impressed with the ME2's voice quality compared to the MKE2, though this may not be the case for everyone. but everyone will agree that the MKE2 is not better in audio quality than the ME2 honestly, may be better relative to other factors like size, etc but not relative to audio quality
To untrained ears and novices the MKE2 might come out ontop in this particular video... But you didn't make any effort to match them in gain, thus the ME2 may have sounded like it had a higher noise floor. The ME2 is much more sensitive (which I personally like, means I don't need to drive my preamps as high on my recorders), in terms of actual audible quality, these mics are identical. I would argue the only difference is the size (which matters a great deal for Lavaliers), and accessories that accompany each mic. However, in the end I would agree that the MKE2 is better. Not SONICALLY, but in terms of it's size, and accompanying accessories. In other words... It would NOT be worth switching from the ME2 to the MKE2, unless of course you ABSOLUTELY require a smaller lav, and the accessories it comes with. An "Okay" review overall, but completely for naught due to the mismatched gain settings... Next time be sure to note any differences in sensitivity/gain requirements.
+Stéphan-André Guschewski I ran the mics with the same settings to give people an idea of how each mic sounds. No post production was done and readjustment of gain levels would've been the proper way to do it, but again I wanted to provide audio samples of each mic on the exact same settings. As this was not a review, just merely a comparison. Thanks for the feedback.
Then why is the MKE2 around $400 and the ME2 around $150 if thy have the same audio quality. Is it only the size that makes the MKE2 so expensive and/or the durability of the MKE2? Has to be some MAJOR reason that the price is so significantly more.
+Thomas Villegas I just bought this microphone after wanting it for years. I was wondering what transmitters and cables I need to buy to make it work properly?
Nice comparison Tomas.. Can't wait to see you get use to using this and fine tuning it to your liking. I'm sure that's what you would do after trying it out for a while, unlike this first test, which people should have realized when you started this video that it was a NEW product for you. Instead they might act as if their knowledge is something everyone just can't live without and must be told in the most I'm better than you comment. I liked that you DIDN'T adjust the video in post to make one sound better over the other or make each one sound almost identical. Some of us who aren't engineers can see what extra editing might be needed in different environments. But then again, I'm just a guy who is trying to learn these things right along side you and yes constructive critics are certainly welcome, small novels trying to make yourself sound smarter than everyone in the world can just come across rude. BUT, no one could possibly be that obtuse? NAH... Awesome work T...
+TechExamined I still haven't read the novel, hahaha! If anyone did any reading into the AVX they would know that you can't disable the auto-gain issue. Oh well can't please the know-it-alls :P
Hi my question im a truck driver and im make it video when im driving big rig so i have a lot noise so im looking for good mic whats your advise about that thank you very much
That the MKE2 is significantly smaller than the ME2 while maintaining the same audio quality as the ME2 is the true benefit of the MKE2 over the ME2 in my opinion.
Since the MKE is less sensitive it's clear that it will have less pick up of extraneous sound. Turn up the gain so the RESULTS of the volume is equal and my guess is the the off axis rejection between the two would be negligible. Of course, we don't know that for sure, because it wasn't tested. :-(
I hear far more gain difference between the two mics than I hear any background noise difference. In the process of compensating the level of the foreground voice, any difference in background noise gets swamped.
@@TomasVillegas you dont even know what a level calibration is. And you compare ambient noise rejection of 2 omnidirectional microphones, that is absurd.
@@TomasVillegas different mics have different output levels. yes your voice did not change, likely neither did the noise level if adjusted for different volumes. this can be done in audio software.
Tomas Villegas What I am saying is, how can we make a fair judgement on these mics if everyone keeps post processing them for their videos and we do not hear RAW footage. It gets frustrating.
I'm trying to adjust the levels on my ME2 to not hear breathing noises. Do you think the MKE2 is better for cutting that noise out? Thanks for the review.
I found there was the difference of volume level between ME2 and MKE2 If you did blind test, I couldn't distinguish ME2 to MKE2 I think both have good performance to normal user like me not professional MKE2 is so expansive. so ME2 is better thanks for making your video
Have a look at Curtis Judd's methods when evaluating microphones. You have gone to a lot of effort whith this comparison, but your omissions make it difficult for me to form an opinion..
Dude - what do I buy they dont sound amazingly different no? The G3 comes with the Me2 but not the Mke2... aaaaaaaaaaa the ME2 has a warmer and louder gain no?
Bro, thanks for the recommendation. I feel like every other TH-camr is AFRAID to make a recommendation and opt for pleasing everybody with the "Well, that's up to you." THANK YOU
Thanks for the comment. It's tough with audio. There's a lot of experienced user out there that know a lot more than me. I just make videos to try and help other people like myself.
Love this. My fav, sound man. I use ME2 and there is tons of "car" in my films... maybe its time to try the MKE2 - however what camera is this as your camera seems to have no AGC issues. GH4 no agc - did not know you could switch that out.
I think that the MKE2 has to point up to your mouth since is directional... here it's pointing down so the omnidirectional one obviously will sound louder
Just got the mke2, And must be doing something wrong. I already have the me2, came with my g3. Anytime I touch the wire on the mke2, there is a rubbing noise that gets picked up by the mike. What am I doing wrong? Lots of movement noise. If I sit still, or don’t move, all is good, but I never sit still
Tomas Villegas I did and they told me to get the Rode! But seriously, thanks. They were very helpful. They want me to turn down the wireless gain and loop the wire and see how that sounds. Appreciate your advice.
Of course the MKE 2 doesn't recording all the background noise, because the volume gain is not put on 0db. If you do, you will see that actually the MKE2 take the background noise as same as the ME2. And the 200 € of difference between these both microphone, is unfair. I will buy the ME2 ! But, thank you very much for your review, except that there is an big probleme with that gain level, which is not allow us to compare properly.
Thanx a lot! I like your down to the importance - style...no self promoting, just very sympathetic style... Go on, I check out your other videos... THX
Couldn't tell a difference between the two. MKE2's gain level was for sure lower so both microphones need to have the same loudness to really figure anything out...
Hello guys, do you happen to know if the mke2 ew gold or the mke2-4 for shure (changing the plug for a 3.5 sennheiser compatible) work well on a rode wireless go II? I appreciate much your knowledge.
Thanks for this video Tomas. Quick question. I'd be running this mic in Rode System which has 3 gain settings: 0, 10, 20db If I normally run an ME2 (-34db sensitivity) at 0 gain Would I need to boost to the max of 20 for the MKE2. I ask because alot of what I do is live with no post processing so I'm trying to get a sense of how much juice I need to give this puppy for a normal volume level. Thanks
I don't think you'd need to max boost it. It works great as a direct line, just depends on the camera gain settings. I still use the MKE2 in nearly all of my videos and I record my audio at low -12 to -8 dB so I can properly boost it in post to where it sounds full.
I'm and +Ahmed Alkzaz the only one who see that the mic lvl completely different and if you match the level the background noise is more or less the same?!?
Useful review, but next time compensate for the difference in amplitude. Bring the two signals in an editor and try to volume match them. And only then present them side-to-side.
You didn't gain match. This comparison is totally useless unless you match the volume of each microphone to compare how loud ambient sound is RELATIVE to the voice of someone wearing the mic. Do better.
@@TomasVillegas if your intention was to demonstrate the different sensitivity of the microphones, why didn't you say that? Why did you misrepresent your comparison as being about ambient rejection? That makes no sense. Much more likely you don't know what you're talking about.
@@TomasVillegas an* expert. And I'm no expert, which is why I DON'T have a channel. And yet I, and dozens of other non-experts commenting on this video, seem to know more than you. Nothing wrong with admitting you're wrong. We've all done it. Most of us learn from our mistakers and grow. Try it.
Excerpt that you're comparing these mikes without consideration for the TYPES of mics that they are - they are both condenser mics but the pattern is different - and that will account for most of your testing results. You'll get dramatically different results not based on the mic quality but on that pattern. You could literally take the same mic and alter the acceptance pattern electronically and get the same results. Most of the cost difference has to do with the construction / build differences and where they are made and expected sales and marketing. You should compare the mics with others of the same type - and cardioid mics like the MKE2 (but sized like the ME2) range from $29 that are quite good. Personally I have found that Sennheiser gear in general is priced 2-4X their actual peers for equal build and quality.
Hi, i got both mics but if i set the sensivity to -24 with the me2, to get the same level with the mke2 i have to set the sens to -12 or even less, is this normal?
i'm new to lavalier mics so forgive me if this is a dumb question. can these mics plug directly into your camcorder or do you have to buy a wireless dongle jaunt to use them?
Hello This microphone produces a noise between the transmitter and the mic, and I can solve that problem? When approached the mic ME2 to body tranmitter buzz noise occurs, that's normal?
Ermm.. the ME2 level is set consistently louder on your voice, so impossible to say if background noise is just louder for the reason that the level is higher.
I have the MKE2 mic, and the one gripe I have is the alligator clip. On the old mic, you could flip the clip. This helps when needing to quickly fasten to an opposing lapel. The clip with the MKE2 only goes one way. Am I missing a workaround? Your advice on this would be helpful... Also, what do those small caps do?
There's really no workaround, I agree that clip is annoying if you are wearing just a t-shirt. If you wrap it around and loop it through the clip it works and looks more professional. The caps are for different shooting environments (windy, wet, etc.).
hello tomas!i am a photographer videographer i want good sound for interviews i don't know so much about sound i am thinking about avx sennheizer you think its right for me?thanks!
Great comparison man! I'm guessing the difference in amplitude on the audio, is due to the ME2 is more sensitive the MKE2. The MKE2 sounds great! I wonder how an Audio-Technica, Sanken, or DPA Mic equivalent compares. I personally use the AT899. :)
I agree with what a lot of the commenters are saying about your review. It's very clear when you switch between the two, the volume changes dramatically. The MKE2 is recording at a much lower level. All this aside, the quality of your voice on both mics was nearly identical to me and does not justify the +$400/$250 cost increase. The size is a nice benefit of the MKE2 if you're trying to hide the mic on talent, but with that said -- the ME2 is already fairly small enough to hide in most places.
Thank you for the review, however. I wasn't as concerned about the background noise as you were in your review. I was more concerned about how your voice changed between the two. I honestly couldn't tell the difference, and as a result I can't justify spending the extra money for Sennheiser's overly-spendy mic.
I felt the exact same way
so true
I agree 👍
Totally agreed.
I know this was a long time ago now but basically the difference in these mics is not the sound quality it's that one much smaller and much more robust. The MKE2 has a Kevlar cable which extremely well shielded and the other doesn't basically. So for sound quality in a controlled environment the difference in audio quality is negligible. In terms of durability and usability the MKE2 is in a different league. Chose either based on how often you are likely to use it and in what type of environments. Gonna use it once or twice in a controlled environment and don't need to conceal it, get the cheap one. The audio quality is great. Going to be using it as a professional in lots of different scenarios over the course of many years and you need it to stand the test of time and take the abuse and it needs to be easy to hide, get the MKE2. Simple.
Note that Me-2 has 4 times higher sensitivity than MKE-2 (20mV/Pa vs 5mV/Pa) so comparing background noise is unfair. You can lower signal from Me-2 for times or 12dB (for example in SK100 transmitter) and you will get same signal level and noise, ME-2 should be a litter better since its noise per spec is lower. What I have learned from your video is the significant size difference.
Both of these are omnidirectional mics. No matter what you think, they don't block background noise. If one sounds quieter than the other one, it is mostly because you recorded it quieter. If you want to tune out background noise, you need a directional mic.
Both mics were recorded at the same settings.
Understood, but I wanted to reference raw audio for people to make a decision on what works best for them. Messing with the levels and post production would have negated the purpose of this video. People evaluating these two mics need to know the differences of recording ability between the two. Thanks for your feedback though.
Sorry Tomas, but root studio is completely correct. The Me2 does not pickup any less or anymore than the MKE2... the only reason the Me2 appeared to pickup more background noise IS because it's more sensitive on the same 'settings' If you level match with your gain settings so they are identical, I can assure you that the 'background' noise will be identical within 1 db. Secondly normally you would adjust the MKe2 or the ME2 to a desired level for your video recording. Normally -12. Anyways, great comparison, but your statement that it picks up less, is completely incorrect.
Why do this? You've explained in several comments WHAT you've done, but not WHY you've done it. We're all going to normalize the audio in post anyway, so why do this?
Also you don't address Root Studio's point that the MKE2 doesn't "repress the background noise" - as you say. Don't mean to be a hater, but it's just not an accurate test dude.
The ME2 has may more gain going into the recorder. So, you can turn down the input on the recorder and get cleaner sound from the pre amps. I put the audio into pro tools and matched it. They both sound exactly the same once the audio is normalised. Good observation rootstudio!
Are you CERTAIN you had any & all audio auto-gain disabled? Even in editing?
Were you using any end caps on the MKE2? (those are not "miniature screens"... they are EQ endcaps for giving a slight EQ to the mic due to acoustic chamber cancellation. You probably should have had both mics equipped with "ball" windscreens, since the ME2 had one. Outdoors, by the highway,
Something in the system was absolutely adjusting gain dynamically... I ran the audio track into my audio editor, and at the beginning of every clip, the first syllable was always high level, immediately dropping off and stabilizing in level within 150-200ms. There was also auto-leveling happening mid-speech... if there was a slight pause in your words, the next loud syllable would start loud, then drop... then level-off (clear example at 4:31 "... the BACKGround noise")
From an engineering perspective, it would have been better (for comparison purposes) to "normalize" the levels of both mics in your editing. (once you figure out what was doing the AGC/ALC, and disable it.)
That way you can do a truly fair comparison... but as it is, the MKE2 "background noise" levels sounded lower (more controlled)... simply because that microphone has lower overall gain. Once I did manual normalizing, the background noise between mics was almost identical.
My results:
First comparison:
I had to add 6dB to the MKE2 to normalize to the speech level of the ME2. This brought the MKE2 background noise level up to the same as the ME2. HOWEVER... I noticed something else here. The frequency response of the ME2 roledl-off your voice above 4kHz. I believe the windscreen is responsible for this. It shows a low-end cut-off frequency below 60-80Hz, pretty appropriate for voice.
The MKE2 high frequency response roll-off had a nice, gradual curve - with voice roll-off above 5kHz. It had a low-end cutoff around 40-50Hz... great for instruments, maybe a bit too low for voice as it allows more low frequency rumble, which can falsely trigger auto-gain reduction.
Second comparison:
I had to add 7dB to normalize the MKE2 up to the ME2 level. The background noise levels became the same... nearly identical.
Third comparison:
I had to add 9dB gain to the MKE2 to normalize the speech to the level of the ME2. At that point, the background noise level was within 1dB of the MKE2... again, nearly identical (once normalized).
NOTES:
My tests (as well as the original recordings) are obviously impromptu (not done in an anechoic chamber), and as such, are only moderately useful. The noise level spectrum in the room changed, apparently the air-conditioning came on between mic tests.
When normalizing the audio during editing (making the audio levels the same), it would be important to make note of how much gain you needed to add to the lower-level mic, and report that in the final comparison results.
In real-life use, the lower level mic should be compensated for in the wireless microphone system, by adding raw mic gain in the transmitter. (assuming you use a professional wireless mic system that has mic gain control)
Thanks so much for this analysis - I've just tested the two mics myself and found exactly what you found - that the MKE2 had to be boosted by at least 6-7db to match the same signal as the ME2 - and when that was done the noise levels were exactly the same. Really appreciate your detailed testing and comparison.
The Avx system has auto gain built in, you cannot turn it off AFAIK
Thanks again for the analysis. I was curious, as well. Not sure what the low-frequency cutoff is on the AVX but none of them, including the D1 go down to 20 Hz. I A-B tested my DPA d:fine with the XLR adapter vs. a beltpack system and was surprised to suddenly hear tons of LF on the XLR.
@@akosbaranya6267 wtf, that can't be true. Sure auto gain is nice for certain applications. But the avx is supposed to be a high end professional system, and I don't know a single audio engineer that wants automatic ANYTHING.
If you truly can't turn it off, noone would use it...
Thanks for doing this, Tomas! Very helpful.
+Curtis Judd whoa, didn't expect you to drop by! Thanks for checking out my work!
But the me2 is much louder then the mke2
idk, is this comparison fair? I just hear ME2 more backround noises, right, but the more quiet MKE2 is not so loud on voice instead. MKE2 speach sounds much quiter.
+MisterBenne True. I don't know if Tomas did change the input level when switching between those two but if the settings were all the same, the MKE2 was very quiet and the MKE2 started clipping on some parts (especially when he was next to the freeway). I do think that the MKE2 sounds a bit more natural but IMHO it's not worth going from €100 to €249 for me at least :)
the difference is incredible. hopefully I can talk them into sending me an mke2
+DroidModderX ROOT Master I agree, with a little adjustment on the AF Out, the MKE2 is really really awesome. Thanks for checkin' out my work man!
Awesome video and amazing comparison!! The ME2 was outstanding in performance.. Excellent work and job well done.
The ME 2 was more sensitive ! If you reduced the the sensitivity of the ME2 to be equal with the MKE2, it will get less ambient noise !
Thank you for the review Shia.
The MKE2 sounds better! But you should have matched the recording levels of the mics before comparing. Noise floor is also dependent on gain. Very helpful review anyway!! Thanks.
This. The levels need to be matched in post to give it a true 1:1 comparison
That special effect at the end of the video made me jump. Too loud bro! Even so, the video was pretty decent! Thanks
Appreciate the feedback 🤝
Thanks for the demo. Just curious, it sounds like the audio is much louder on the ME2 which would make it naturally pick up much more background noise. If both mics were recording at the same volume (pull the levels back on the ME2), I wonder how much the difference would be. Thank you again for doing this, it really helps a lot. Love how clean the audio sounds from the MKE2 btw.
+Shane Harder the demos provided have all the same settings for each mic to make the comparison more representative of actual sound. The difference are presented here, the MKE2 has to be bumped up because it is naturally a quieter mic. I think it's because of its intended use cases - broadcast media so hiding it easer and it cancels out a bit more background noise for movement and running about.
That's just my two cents on the reasons behind it.
@@TomasVillegas the mke2 mic is less "hot" than the me2 so to do a comparaison on the background noise accurate they need to be recording your voice to the same level. Then you be able to hear if on of the two mics is canceling the background noise more than the other (btw i've been a pro sound man for the last 20 years)
Agreed. No point in measuring self-noise or background noise if the mics are at very different gain levels.
Solid review brother, thanks!
+Max's Best Bootcamp Thank you
First, at 0:35 in your video, the Sennheiser ME2 microphone appears different from the one at 2:07. The microphone at 2:07 remains consistent until the end of the video. Second, I agree that in your video, the Sennheiser MKE2 seems quieter than the ME2 in terms of noise. However, in reality, you may notice that the voice-to-noise ratio is nearly identical for both. If the MKE2 reduces noise, it also seems to reduce the loudness of the audio. I've used both during my class lecture recordings at the university, and I've observed no significant difference in quality or noise reduction between them. In my honest opinion, many TH-cam reviews comparing the ME2 and MKE2 are biased.
I'm a big fan, follower, and subscriber of @curtisjudd TH-cam channel, and I've watched all his videos because I love his content. However, I have the same thoughts about his video comparing the ME2 and MKE2. Personally, I'm more impressed with the ME2's voice quality compared to the MKE2, though this may not be the case for everyone. but everyone will agree that the MKE2 is not better in audio quality than the ME2 honestly, may be better relative to other factors like size, etc but not relative to audio quality
To untrained ears and novices the MKE2 might come out ontop in this particular video... But you didn't make any effort to match them in gain, thus the ME2 may have sounded like it had a higher noise floor. The ME2 is much more sensitive (which I personally like, means I don't need to drive my preamps as high on my recorders), in terms of actual audible quality, these mics are identical.
I would argue the only difference is the size (which matters a great deal for Lavaliers), and accessories that accompany each mic.
However, in the end I would agree that the MKE2 is better. Not SONICALLY, but in terms of it's size, and accompanying accessories. In other words... It would NOT be worth switching from the ME2 to the MKE2, unless of course you ABSOLUTELY require a smaller lav, and the accessories it comes with.
An "Okay" review overall, but completely for naught due to the mismatched gain settings... Next time be sure to note any differences in sensitivity/gain requirements.
+Stéphan-André Guschewski I ran the mics with the same settings to give people an idea of how each mic sounds. No post production was done and readjustment of gain levels would've been the proper way to do it, but again I wanted to provide audio samples of each mic on the exact same settings. As this was not a review, just merely a comparison. Thanks for the feedback.
Then why is the MKE2 around $400 and the ME2 around $150 if thy have the same audio quality. Is it only the size that makes the MKE2 so expensive and/or the durability of the MKE2? Has to be some MAJOR reason that the price is so significantly more.
Them MKE2 kills alot of the background noise definitely makes a difference another outstanding video T!
+PremierReviewer thanks bro!
The MKE2 comes out very low.
Its nice to see a comparison but the volume is hugely higher with the ME2 so of course, so will the background noise.
That's what I tried to show 👍
+Thomas Villegas I just bought this microphone after wanting it for years. I was wondering what transmitters and cables I need to buy to make it work properly?
Get Sennhesier G4
@@jonathanwilson6043 Thanks for the info.
Nice comparison Tomas.. Can't wait to see you get use to using this and fine tuning it to your liking. I'm sure that's what you would do after trying it out for a while, unlike this first test, which people should have realized when you started this video that it was a NEW product for you. Instead they might act as if their knowledge is something everyone just can't live without and must be told in the most I'm better than you comment. I liked that you DIDN'T adjust the video in post to make one sound better over the other or make each one sound almost identical. Some of us who aren't engineers can see what extra editing might be needed in different environments. But then again, I'm just a guy who is trying to learn these things right along side you and yes constructive critics are certainly welcome, small novels trying to make yourself sound smarter than everyone in the world can just come across rude. BUT, no one could possibly be that obtuse? NAH...
Awesome work T...
+TechExamined I still haven't read the novel, hahaha!
If anyone did any reading into the AVX they would know that you can't disable the auto-gain issue. Oh well can't please the know-it-alls :P
Thanks for the info. Saving my pennies to buy either but agree the AKE2 sounds great.
+DougJHarper you won't be disappointed.
Thank for making this kind of videos.!!!
Thank you for watching 👍
Hi my question im a truck driver and im make it video when im driving big rig so i have a lot noise so im looking for good mic whats your advise about that thank you very much
Either of these microphones will work well in that environment. Thanks for watching.
Looks like you picked up some Kryptonite on your front tire. Thanks for the mic comparison!
+SpiderWayne Right!
That the MKE2 is significantly smaller than the ME2 while maintaining the same audio quality as the ME2 is the true benefit of the MKE2 over the ME2 in my opinion.
ME2 is louder during all tests, adjusting volume, I think ME2 did a good job.
I agree 👍
Since the MKE is less sensitive it's clear that it will have less pick up of extraneous sound. Turn up the gain so the RESULTS of the volume is equal and my guess is the the off axis rejection between the two would be negligible. Of course, we don't know that for sure, because it wasn't tested. :-(
the MKE2 sound clearer, but I dont hear less background noise...
Great comparison. Personally i don't mind the ME2 cause for my videos i might need that extra loudness pick up
I hear far more gain difference between the two mics than I hear any background noise difference. In the process of compensating the level of the foreground voice, any difference in background noise gets swamped.
very bad review, very basic mistakes.Impossible to compare both microphones with this review.
It's not a review. It's a comparison.
@@TomasVillegas with your video is imposible to do a comparison.
@@vmre I guess this video is the impossible 😉
@@TomasVillegas you dont even know what a level calibration is. And you compare ambient noise rejection of 2 omnidirectional microphones, that is absurd.
@@vmre it's really not that absurd. Lots of people got a lot out of this video. Have a great day.
Can I buy only MKE2 Lav (without transmitter and receiver) and plug it into Canon 80D, use it as wired microphone?
Yes you can do that.
Idk maybe it’s just me but they literally sound the exact same. The background noise as well.
Thanks for the comparison.
Thanks for watching.
Can you connect this one to your PC or only to camera? Thanks
Can you please do a video on how to attach to your shirt?
audio guy here, your volume is lower with the mke2, this also makes the noise lower. compare apples to apples next time.
Interesting take. Considering the volume of my voice is the same in both. I didn't talk any quieter or louder between each test.
@@TomasVillegas different mics have different output levels. yes your voice did not change, likely neither did the noise level if adjusted for different volumes. this can be done in audio software.
Thank you Tomas :)
Damn dude how much post processing did you do on that ME2.
PickleNinja I explained it in the video.
Tomas Villegas What I am saying is, how can we make a fair judgement on these mics if everyone keeps post processing them for their videos and we do not hear RAW footage. It gets frustrating.
Do you have suggestions for microphones that handle rain better?
I'm trying to adjust the levels on my ME2 to not hear breathing noises. Do you think the MKE2 is better for cutting that noise out? Thanks for the review.
Nice! Thanks!
I found there was the difference of volume level between ME2 and MKE2
If you did blind test, I couldn't distinguish ME2 to MKE2
I think both have good performance to normal user like me not professional
MKE2 is so expansive. so ME2 is better
thanks for making your video
Have a look at Curtis Judd's methods when evaluating microphones. You have gone to a lot of effort whith this comparison, but your omissions make it difficult for me to form an opinion..
I’ll pass on that advice. I’m me, this is my channel, and that’s how you found this video I made in 2015.
Dude - what do I buy they dont sound amazingly different no? The G3 comes with the Me2 but not the Mke2... aaaaaaaaaaa the ME2 has a warmer and louder gain no?
Love the durango!
The MKE2 sounds half as loud as the ME2
I would rather have more background noise.
MKE2 is significantly quieter
Superb video sir!
Bro, thanks for the recommendation. I feel like every other TH-camr is AFRAID to make a recommendation and opt for pleasing everybody with the "Well, that's up to you." THANK YOU
Thanks for the comment. It's tough with audio. There's a lot of experienced user out there that know a lot more than me. I just make videos to try and help other people like myself.
You did a great job bro thanks
Thanks man 👍
Love this. My fav, sound man. I use ME2 and there is tons of "car" in my films... maybe its time to try the MKE2 - however what camera is this as your camera seems to have no AGC issues. GH4 no agc - did not know you could switch that out.
Can you please let me or show me how to connect Sennheiser Dual Microphone Clip with Sennheiser MKE 1
I think that the MKE2 has to point up to your mouth since is directional... here it's pointing down so the omnidirectional one obviously will sound louder
I really can't see how the MKE2 is any better than the ME2, especially to justify the added expense.
They're both great mics. The smaller MKE2 works for me because it is smaller.
Just got the mke2, And must be doing something wrong. I already have the me2, came with my g3. Anytime I touch the wire on the mke2, there is a rubbing noise that gets picked up by the mike. What am I doing wrong? Lots of movement noise. If I sit still, or don’t move, all is good, but I never sit still
samlol23 definitely contact Sennheiser support.
Tomas Villegas I did and they told me to get the Rode! But seriously, thanks. They were very helpful. They want me to turn down the wireless gain and loop the wire and see how that sounds. Appreciate your advice.
Of course the MKE 2 doesn't recording all the background noise, because the volume gain is not put on 0db. If you do, you will see that actually the MKE2 take the background noise as same as the ME2. And the 200 € of difference between these both microphone, is unfair. I will buy the ME2 ! But, thank you very much for your review, except that there is an big probleme with that gain level, which is not allow us to compare properly.
Thanx a lot! I like your down to the importance - style...no self promoting, just very sympathetic style... Go on, I check out your other videos... THX
Couldn't tell a difference between the two. MKE2's gain level was for sure lower so both microphones need to have the same loudness to really figure anything out...
Hello guys, do you happen to know if the mke2 ew gold or the mke2-4 for shure (changing the plug for a 3.5 sennheiser compatible) work well on a rode wireless go II? I appreciate much your knowledge.
will the mke2 work with rode wireless go?
Idk if it's just me but Mke2 sounds very muted and kind of unrealistic compared to the old version of ME2 which kind of balances all ranges.
Thanks for this video Tomas. Quick question. I'd be running this mic in Rode System which has 3 gain settings: 0, 10, 20db If I normally run an ME2 (-34db sensitivity) at 0 gain Would I need to boost to the max of 20 for the MKE2. I ask because alot of what I do is live with no post processing so I'm trying to get a sense of how much juice I need to give this puppy for a normal volume level. Thanks
I don't think you'd need to max boost it. It works great as a direct line, just depends on the camera gain settings. I still use the MKE2 in nearly all of my videos and I record my audio at low -12 to -8 dB so I can properly boost it in post to where it sounds full.
Thumbs up
Appreciate it 🤝
the MKE2 gold is different with MKE2 lav that comes with avx... its -6 dB difference
стоило бы провести нормализацию звука, было бы идеально.
I'm and +Ahmed Alkzaz the only one who see that the mic lvl completely different and if you match the level the background noise is more or less the same?!?
was the vu levels on the mics equal roughly> seemed kinda like the mke was a lower gain level?
@ 5:54
ah... Ok thank you... thinking hard about this for my channel as well... thanks for the great video !
Useful review, but next time compensate for the difference in amplitude. Bring the two signals in an editor and try to volume match them. And only then present them side-to-side.
You didn't gain match. This comparison is totally useless unless you match the volume of each microphone to compare how loud ambient sound is RELATIVE to the voice of someone wearing the mic. Do better.
That was the point of this video. I'll do as I please on my channel. Thanks, but no thanks on your recommendation.
@@TomasVillegas if your intention was to demonstrate the different sensitivity of the microphones, why didn't you say that? Why did you misrepresent your comparison as being about ambient rejection? That makes no sense. Much more likely you don't know what you're talking about.
@@MrWarwickJones glad you're a expert. I'll make sure to check out your channel and watch your video next time. 👍
@@TomasVillegas an* expert. And I'm no expert, which is why I DON'T have a channel. And yet I, and dozens of other non-experts commenting on this video, seem to know more than you.
Nothing wrong with admitting you're wrong. We've all done it. Most of us learn from our mistakers and grow. Try it.
I'll pass on feedback from you. Thanks.
Sennheiser ME2 price is?
Kits are linked in the description. 👍
dude, you didn't compensate the gain for the difference in sensitivity, making the whole thing useless.
Theo J I said that in the video. Thanks for reiterating it 👍
Keep doing an amazing job on those reviews
Excerpt that you're comparing these mikes without consideration for the TYPES of mics that they are - they are both condenser mics but the pattern is different - and that will account for most of your testing results. You'll get dramatically different results not based on the mic quality but on that pattern. You could literally take the same mic and alter the acceptance pattern electronically and get the same results. Most of the cost difference has to do with the construction / build differences and where they are made and expected sales and marketing. You should compare the mics with others of the same type - and cardioid mics like the MKE2 (but sized like the ME2) range from $29 that are quite good. Personally I have found that Sennheiser gear in general is priced 2-4X their actual peers for equal build and quality.
Sounds like you have a handle on what type of video should have been made. Hopefully you put something together on these in the future 👍
Hi, i got both mics but if i set the sensivity to -24 with the me2, to get the same level with the mke2 i have to set the sens to -12 or even less, is this normal?
soooo helpful. thank you. also thanks for showin the accessories, helpful to keep track of whats supposed to be in the kit
Do either of them suppress background noise if there isn't any foreground noise? Thanks for the comparo in multiple environments!
i'm new to lavalier mics so forgive me if this is a dumb question. can these mics plug directly into your camcorder or do you have to buy a wireless dongle jaunt to use them?
No question is a dumb question. You can plug them directly into the camera of you wanted to. 👍
Thanks for the comparison!
Hello
This microphone produces a noise between the transmitter and the mic, and I can solve that problem?
When approached the mic ME2 to body tranmitter buzz noise occurs, that's normal?
Contact the Support at the Sennheiser website. They can help you.
Want one of these kits so bad!
+Phil Vierno I'm floored that I have 2! Love them!
are these microphones condensor microphones ? or dynamic ?
will the Me2 work with ECM~AW4 by Sony?
Ermm.. the ME2 level is set consistently louder on your voice, so impossible to say if background noise is just louder for the reason that the level is higher.
Levels were set the same on both, the ME2 is a hotter mic.
Bro your comparison was awesome. I can actually hear the difference in your video. Thanks for doing this!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for watching 🤝
Thanks for this video.Very helpful
Thank you for watching 👍
where do u connect the other side of the mic to ?
Quit massaging the goddamn thing if you don't wanna wreck it.
Thx
wait.. so the only difference between me2 and mke2 is the mic itself? the receiver/transmitter is the same?
That's correct.
Sorry for all the thumbs down man! Your video helped me alot! Thanks!
Thanks for watching 🤝
Nice job 👍
Thanks 🤝
Did you get any noise from the mke2 when anything rubs on the wire?
I haven't noticed anything strange.
I have the MKE2 mic, and the one gripe I have is the alligator clip. On the old mic, you could flip the clip. This helps when needing to quickly fasten to an opposing lapel. The clip with the MKE2 only goes one way. Am I missing a workaround? Your advice on this would be helpful...
Also, what do those small caps do?
There's really no workaround, I agree that clip is annoying if you are wearing just a t-shirt. If you wrap it around and loop it through the clip it works and looks more professional. The caps are for different shooting environments (windy, wet, etc.).
Man I need this kit haha dope AF. awesome as always bro
+BeginnersTech it's a game changer for sure, thanks for the comment love mang!
hello tomas!i am a photographer videographer i want good sound for interviews i don't know so much about sound i am thinking about avx sennheizer you think its right for me?thanks!
+sotiris kypraios perfect for you, it's a true plug and play audio solution.
+Tomas Villegas thanks you tomas.
Great comparison man! I'm guessing the difference in amplitude on the audio, is due to the ME2 is more sensitive the MKE2. The MKE2 sounds great! I wonder how an Audio-Technica, Sanken, or DPA Mic equivalent compares. I personally use the AT899. :)
+DAVIDSDIEGO that would make for a great video, if only I could get my hands on those Lavs. Thanks for the comment :D
i think that me2 might be good for studio environments with live crowd.
They're both pretty great.