The Iron Curtain may have fallen, but Western microphone manufacturers face a new red peril - the Oktava MK011. Not a sub-machine gun but a cute condenser mic whose performance belies its budget price. Nigel Lord rolls-off his dipthongs and tells Tchaikovsky the news...

I've always found it odd that the Japanese should leave such a large stone unturned when it comes to the production of high quality microphones and speaker systems.

Japanese companies do of course manufacture audio transducers - in vast quantities - but somehow they've never managed to gain a foothold at the quality end of the market. This is territory where the reputations of American, German and British manufacturers remain intact. When even the Russians are able to grab a slice of the action, it becomes all the more difficult to explain. But with a string of mics arriving from the former Soviet Republic in recent months, this is exactly what has happened.

Unfortunately, with a number of these mics having already been assessed in this magazine and its predecessor, Home & Studio Recording, I've been robbed of the element of surprise which accompanied those first reviews. Nevertheless, there is something newsworthy about any new gear arriving from the former Soviet Union, not least because, everyone expects it to be available at a bargain price (the payoff, presumably, for 'winning' the cold war). Is this latest mic a bargain? We'll come to that in a moment. For now, let's look at its design and the kind of results it achieves.

Build quality

The Oktava MK011 is a fixed pattern cardioid condenser microphone suited to hand-held or stand-mounted applications both in the studio and on stage. The design actually resembles that of a conventional dynamic mic, giving an impression of durability and a level of impact resistance one would not normally associate with condenser designs.

Though a built-in pop shield is included, an additional external shield is also recommended for studio applications. The MK011 is surprisingly light to hold and features a screw-fit, detachable head which would be even nicer if it had an obvious function. There is no mention of alternative heads offering different response patterns, (like the MK012 reviewed in July), and given the cost of the mic, it hardly seems feasible to offer replacement heads.

Nevertheless, the accompanying blurb describes a 'precision integral connection system to ensure reliable electrical contact' between the two halves of the mic. So now you know.

The mic's wide bandwidth makes it suitable for use with a variety of acoustic instruments and percussion in both live and recording situations. However, it's as a vocal mic that the MK011 really needs to be judged. The distributors, AS McKay, describe performance as 'warm and detailed', with a gentle 'presence' rise for improved vocal articulation.

Road tests

After some pretty thorough testing with one female and two male voices through a variety of monitors and a pair of DT150 cans, I find myself unable to contradict a single word of McKay's description. In fact, I would have described it in exactly the same way, had they not beaten me to it. Tedious, isn't it?

But the fact remains, this is an extraordinarily likeable microphone. It suited my voice almost as perfectly as my all-time favourite, the AKG C1000. The MK011 differed only in its noticeable warmth, with a clear improvement at the lower end.

This wouldn't spur me to trade in my existing mic for the Oktava, but that's only because I tend to roll off the lower vocal frequencies anyway, using the EQ on my desk. This allows me to get a little more edge to the vocal track without increasing overall level too much. There also seems to be a slight peak on the AKG, which coincides with one of my voice's few acceptable features, so it does me proud.

But I am aware that this is almost certainly a coloration which shouldn't be there - and indeed isn't with the Oktava. In fact, considering that a mid-frequency presence rise is a deliberate aspect of its design, the response seems remarkably flat. This revealed itself in tests with an acoustic guitar, piano and an assortment of ethnic percussion instruments lying around the studio. Sensitivity was impressive, too; I found there was no need to crowd in on the guitar player's fingers to get an acceptable level, and 'though angling the mic did prove quite critical, the sound was crisp, clean and totally convincing.

My sole concern centres on the use of the MK011 as a vocal mic on stage. At no point in any of the vocal tests I conducted was I able to dispense with the use an external pop shield. Across a variety of different phonetic sounds, which included hard 'C's and 'K's, the popping was simply too much to live with, and 'though easily overcome using a pop shield, it's difficult to see how this would be viable on stage.

There might be a solution in using a wind shield ('though none is supplied): I tried using one from an old Beyer mic but this did lead to some loss of definition and crispness. If a singer is prepared to take a little extra care with the angling of the mic and position it far enough away, you might be able to overcome the problem to an extent, but it's not something I would be particularly happy with.

Verdict

Reading through previous reviews of mics in the Oktava range, and mindful of the good press they have received almost across the board, I have to say I was ready to apply my, ahem... higher standards and find fault where others had only lavished praise. I failed utterly.

The quality of this mic is beyond doubt and leads you to question the kind of price other condenser mics have been commanding over the years. Yes, I know about the cost of living in Russia and how many years the average citizen of Moscow has to save up for a Big Mac. But even so, I think certain European microphone manufacturers have been only too happy to have us believe that condenser mics need to be paid for in human limbs.

It seems to me that in the MK011 you have a mic capable of remarkable results with vocals and many acoustic instruments in the studio, but with restricted applications for acoustic instruments on stage - unless you're prepared to hide behind a pop shield. But it does offer remarkable value for money - and in my book that ain't half bad.

The essentials...

Price inc VAT: £188

More from: AS McKay, (Contact Details)