Sennheiser recently launched the Sennheiser MKE 200, a budget friendly mic for content creators and upcoming youtubers that have entered the world of video. In this article we have reviewed the latest and affordable microphone from the MKE lineup by Sennheiser, which works with both your cameras and smart devices.
To see the Video Review on our YouTube channel click: https://youtu.be/mlJNTiC9H88
Design:
In terms of design, the mic is really compact, stylish and minimalistic. It can actually fit inside your palm and Sennheiser has done a good job when it comes to understanding what the customer needs and its product placement. It really is an idiot proof mic that works as a plug and play design. You just mount it on the camera or smartphone and its ready to use.
Although it uses plastic, the MKE 200 is well built and features only a 3.5mm jack in the front and nothing else. It doesn’t even need batteries and draws the power from your camera or smartphone using the same cable. But a light indicator would’ve been good to show if the mic was on and working.
A Directional Mic
The MKE 200 is the most budget friendly direction mic in the MKE line-up. A directional mic records the sound from the front and a minor sound from the sides. The sounds from back are slightly softer. The built-in mics of the cameras that we use are omnidirectional which means they record the sound from all directions. And this is also the case with some of the more expensive mics that you use.
The microphone comes with a clever internal shock-mount which acoustically decouples the capsule from the housing. To reduce the wind noise, Sennheiser has designed the MKE 200 with an integrated layer of protective mesh inside the housing. This protection is further enhanced by using the included dead cat cover that comes in the box.
Performance:
Sound recorded from the front:
In terms of sound quality the mic does a good job of recording the sound. It captures the sound coming its way clearly and like any other outdoor scenario it will capture ambient noise as well. But if you are using an external microphone then we assume that you will post-process your sound to eliminate other sound.
Sound recorded from front (5 ft):
In order to check the throw of the mic we tested it from a distance of 5 feet to check its performance. The sound was decent and again it did record ambient sound.
Wind cancellation:
We also recorded the sound in a windy situation with and without the dead cat cover, which is included in the box. The deadcat also does a good job of reducing the wind and high pitch noises.
Sides and Back:
We recorded the sound from sides and backs and the sound is much softer from the sides and is almost negligible when using it from the back.
Conclusion:
For a Rs. 8,490 mic the Sennheiser MKE 200 performs well across all the tests. Sennheiser has really understood the needs of someone who is beginning to shoot videos. The mic is really compact, small and idiot proof that does the task well. So, if you are starting out in shooting videos or vlogging and looking for an budget friendly mic, then the Sennheiser MKE 200 is surely the mic you are looking for.