DISCLAIMER: Sennheiser sent me this mic for review, but otherwise had no input. 💥 Sound better, level up: Audio101.info

Just received this as a gift and was looking through reviews. This is by far the most well produced and most detailed one I've seen. And I appreciate you using that mic for the whole video, super nice touch.

Amazing review! You said everything needs to say in a mic review! I’ve always loved that you brought the problem right at the beginning! For real good job!

Great information and beautifully shot. Thank you!

YES, why do have good timing with the videos in my life. Can’t wait to show people what I can do with this quality. Also Completely agree about the form factor of the mic it’s so discreet and I love it. Thanks again boss.

Thanks for the great overview and review. I got mine early this 2022 and noticed the self-noise a few months into using the MKE400. It was never never (never!) mentioned in any review videos I've watched prior. Eeeeekk!! Still my fave for mobile vlogging :)

Incredibly informative presentation. Thank you very much for this.

Many thanks for explaining clearly the information about DB on the mic and your video examples. I have one of these MKE 400 mics which I use in harsh windy conditions. Being the nature of my job running a paragliding school. Which audio for content creators would you recommend please ? Regards Rob

What a great video, extremely thorough. TY!.

I got this microphone six months ago to use along with my Movo camera top mics and I love it. I haven't noticed any self noise from it honestly but I don't think I've ever changed the switch from Base mode. I think I'll just keep it there.

Learned something new today thanks for sharing!

Great video, you answered a lot my questions and provided lots of useful info. Do you have any videos or recommendations on optimizing this mic through an iPhone 14? Thanks

This is the same issue I’m having with my MKE 440. I have it plugged into a go pro. Cause I’m sitting in some tight spaces and I can’t figure out my setting to minimize it. Glad to know its not just a faulty unit. This vid has adjusted my expectations

great review. thank you very much!!!

Thanks, this was so helpful, I've looking at this mic but wasn't sure if I should buy it. But a number of things you mentioned really helped me make a decision. The 10ft distance is really helpful if I haven't time to lav someone up and I need to record 2-3 people fast at an event. The sound of your wife sounded great. Plus the size does matter, I know if I take time or have big equipment it can intimidate people.

Thank you so much for this video. Actually I was disappointed with MKE400 as for at 1m distance the base setting wasn't good enough for a good quality audio, and the boost option didn't sound any better. But now I see that maybe it'e because of my type of voice. Thanks to you, I got my confidence back, and I will use this mic for my outdoor vlog style videos with boost option.

great video does the unit protrude past the eye piece on the rear of the camera. as i use eye piece alot.

Nice job. I've used a first generation MKE 400 model for nearly eight years and it has been a reliable work horse on stories for the Republican-American newspaper in CT (and recently for my "RIDE-CT - Classic Cars" channel). The only problems have been the rubber "shock absorbers" that have twice failed due to operator aggressiveness in shooting action footage of classic cars and the fact the dead cat occasionally falls off. You've convinced me to get a second generation and retire the first generation to backup status. Never hurts to have two of everything when out shooting. Thanks.

so how do you deal with the noise issue in post? specifically?

this mic sounded great even on the studio.. I think the noice is manageable . but I really like the small form factor .. im getting this

Great video. I just switched from the Rode Videomic NTG to the MKE 400 for my vlogs as well.

When i use my Panasonic S5 on a mains power plug it picks up a loud hum. I don't get this when using the Sennheiser MKE 400 mk1 mic. Any ideas?

Hello, I really like your channel. I have a question hope you can help me. Wich mic would be better for dslr? Rode videomic ntg or sennheiser? Like mk400 I like most of all the warm sound of the voice.

Bro please share camera preamp setting for this particular recording you made...I literally just bought mke 400 and i got a7iv too...

Great review. Do you ever record loud bar bands? It seems like no one looks at how camera mics handle high SPL's. Voice recordings are usually handled well by many mics out there, but which ones handle loud sound sources with minimal distortion? Thank you for spending the time to evaluate the MKE 400. It appears that the 'minus' setting might work great for a loud bar band recording. Your thoughts?

Excellent, thank you! However, I AM using a Lumix G85 in a "studio".., not for vlogging outside. What do you think I should be using instead then?

What about the noise issue if I try to use this mic with an iPhone?

Awesome Video. Man I would love to see your take on the Zoom M3.

Amazing review, thank you! I got the same mic a few weeks ago. It’s paired with my Fujifilm X100V. I am brand new to video & audio production but excited to grow and learn some new skills. Is it possible to clean up the self-noise in LumaFusion, or would I need a different app? Thanks again.

thanks for this great review , I just got myself a MKE400 yesterday haha . I had a question , when I attach the mic to my Lumix GH6 , and set the camera gain level down to -12db, ( while the mke400 is at standard ,not +20 or -20 ) the record sound is pretty low , reaches only about -25db ~ -18db ( mic was 3ft away) any thought ? I’ve seen most reviews with other mics with the same camera setting, and the record sound is around -6db ~ -12db 😕 how come mine’s came out with such low volume? did I did something wrong or any suggestions? thanks mate👍🏼

First time watcher. Nice video. What are your thoughts on the MKE 440 compared to the 400?

What would be the reason for you to choose the MKE 400 over the VideoMic NTG?

Torn between this and MKE600. On its own, which on is better overall if plugged into the camera? Thanks 😊

I got this to record my videos with my normal camera, but it is too long for recording my gopro, it can see when it attachment. Thinking to have my gopro mic MKE 200. Does it be good?

hello , how are you ? where is the rode videomic ntg ? what's your opinion between those 2 mics ? tx a lot

Oh interesting... I'm stuck between choosing mke 400 and mke 600 on camera mic setup for my cooking channel... Have you tried out the mke 600?

Nice review buddy

Excellent, exactly what I needed, even though I didn't know it : - I'd been sort of looking for a deal for the NTG for quite some time (as I don't need it immediately yet), & was curious about the competition for that kind of mics - Came across this Sennh, while not knowing exactly how it would perform & what the form factor looked like. - I'd have believed the NTG would be + compact/discrete, eventually by not using the included mount system, but as usual, doing my own sauce gets exhaustive sometimes. So here, realizing the MKE 400 actually has a + interesting & discrete form factor, is refreshing The only alternative I'm still considering (& already tested anyway), is using good & compact XLR mics such as the Oktawa MK12 (cheap & great) or the K6 + Me64 capsule (cardioid pattern, but so much + compact, & still quite usable outside in not too noisy environnement), with an extrnl preamp such as the Saramonic Smartrig II, that I fix to the tripod below the camera/smartphone, & the resulting quality / bulk is quite pleasant. Don't know if you've ever experienced that kind of set-up?

An awesome review video as per usual, Brian! 😄👍👍 as ever, I appreciate you for going into such a high level of detail and thoroughness. 🙂👌 Just out of curiosity, if you don’t mind my asking what’s the brand/name of the 2 LED light panels behind you above your desk? 💡💡 Cheers to you, my man! 🥃🥃

great review.

what you think about new Godox mic? Rode videomic NTG analog*

Can be used for asmr video?

Thanks for this awesome review, I've been considering this mic for some time (& waiting/wishing for the prices to fall 😉). Which mic (type of mic &/or a specific model) would you recommend for doing video calls/ video conferencing?

Hard to believe your voice in this video wasn't processed. And that's all into a MKE 400? Liked, subscribed, hit the notification bell. Going to go see if you've done a review or instruction on the Sony XLR-H1. I have the A7R5 and want to find some good microphones to record my brother playing his acoustic guitar and singing.

Rode videomic Go 2 and Sennheiser mke 400. Which of these two microphones is better to use for ASMR videos? Some bloggers claim that the Sennheiser mke 400 microphone has relatively strong 'self noise', is that true?

You are the only one who pointed out the self noise. I havent come across any other review so far. Appreciate your honest review 🙏 one small request, can you suggest me a substitute for this mic for dslr vlogging?

I just bought mke 400. I have xiaomi 12 so i used an adaptor but the sound is terrible. You hear some noices .why is this happening? Does anyone know? Maybe very cheap adaptor??

I'm new and don't know what I'm doing :D Can anyone tell me... if you want to record visuals with iPhone and audio separately (not plugged into iPhone) with the MKE 400, which audio receiver/recorder should I use to be able to adjust the pre-amps? Heeeelp

I currently use a Rode Videomicro, which is horrible. I recently upgraded my Zoom F2 companion lavalier mic to a Sennheiser MKE2 Gold, ex-theatre from eBay, and THE CLARITY, for such a tiny mic, it's amazing. However, I find that it also has a lot of noise too... yes it's extremely high impedance and low sensitivity compared to the LMF-2 by Zoom, and most voice recordings appear at -55dB. I think it's somewhat due to the frequency response to the higher frequencies. But I'm ok with that, a few dB of noise reduction cleans it just fine. For voiceover I use a 14 years old Shure SM-58 through a tiny Behringer mixer. It's such a full-bodied sound, being a moving coil mic, unlike 90% of piezoelectric capsule mics, sounds a lot different. I really like the sound of Sennheiser mics. Used a MKE 600 a few years back, borrowed, and it sounded amazing... again, a lot of background noise from that one too, but it was mighty clear.

New subscriber here, thanks for making this review. I have the older MKE400, and it has been, and still is a great microphone. I need a good on camera microphone for event work while using a gimbal. The older version has a flexible shock mount at the base, that's not really good for being mounted on a gimbal because it can have a bit of a bounce. This new model looks like it's base is a fixed hot-shoe, with internal shock mounts. This will probably work better for use with a gimbal due to reduced movement of the microphone weight. Old one, the whole mic shakes, the new one will only have the lightweight internal mounted mic move which weights much less than the old one as a whole.

Did you use this mic with an I phone

Great video. Turn between this one and the Videomic NTG 🤔 I’m planning to boom it overhead for talking head videos, zoom calls etc. Any thoughts or opinions??

Little KZfaq review, you have the quality of a 200k+ subscriber KZfaqr but with 12.1k subscribers (at the time of this comment) Your channel is gonna grow for sure. Great video and helped me make a decision!

Im heartbroken, thats a terrible noise floor even on the +20db and low pre amp setting. Thanks for the vid.

Thank you for your honest review! I currently own this mic and I’m having fun with it. I also own the little brother of this one the mke200, they are just fun to have and for my purpose I go out and just use the mke 200 on top of my GoPro (which I did last year when I went vacation to Philippines) it’s perfect for its size and form factor. This time I have the mke400 and again I like the way it looks on top of the go pro and currently the GoPro 10 has a blue logo and the cable of both the senheiser mke 200 and 400 is “kinda in the same” color coding😅. Again, thank you for your honest review. Peace ✌️ Edit: I even tried two (2) mke 400 and use the rode sc15 (splitter /stereo cable) and I experimented and mimic the mke 440😅 the stereo mic of senheiser (which I don’t own) . Mke 440 looks like a stealth plane. It works😄 I’m not a pro but again, it’s fun!

Just starting a channel and my biggest issue has been audio once I’m at the desk editing. I think of all the aspects audio is the one thing viewers will judge harshest and exit a video early.

What about recording a Band with live music?

I just got the mke 400 with hd25 headphones can't wate to hear the clarity ;)

I’ve heard so much about the MKE 400 that I bought one. I do almost everything in a very quiet Studio. I often use a Lavalier microphone. And now seeing this video and hearing that self noise… Wow. Back it goes.

why not recording with the minus setting and lowest in camera and then normalize it to -23 lufs or -14 lufs? so no input from he cam and 16 db self noise.

Nice catch. If we clean up the noise with Izotope does it clean up, and if so, are we negating the benefits of the mke 400 vs the 200?

Are they going to fix this?

I will replace my Rode NTG with this one! Mostly for the form factor and replaceable batteries. But I feel like they could've added a low cut filter that is like 80-100hz. 200hz seems a lot for only one option.

Using my computer with Zoom ZHP-2 Headphones I could hear the noise .Microphone would work for me.Background noise in my studio runs between 19,and 29db.

Is the self noise there with all recorders?

Hello, i found it to be really quiet at the plus setting. To me it sounds better than the Rode videomic NTG which i also own. With the NTG i keep getting static noise even after i upgraded firmware. I have used different cables but the static noise still present. Rode claims 15db of Equivalent Noise Level which seems great until put in practice. With the MKE 400 it sounds clean with my EOS R and not even at the minimun sound level on the camera settings. Like them both though. Great review. I got the 400 recently.

Just bought it, and Izotope RX really gets rid of the self-noise!

Whats the beat settings for outdoor music concerts extremely loud ? Thanks 😊

Do you still use this mic as your vlogger mic?

Wowsa. I like it! Good review but...that deck. Be careful!

There is an even more serious flaw of this mic. I tried two pieces, and have just returned one after communicating with Sennheiser. It looks to be a design issue, not an individual fault. There always is a hum, sometimes just noticeable, sometimes very loud when the recording device is plugged into a device any way connected to the mains. I tested it with my smartphone, two different Zoom sound recorders, my Canon M50 camera... Hum goes away when you earth the shield of the jack cable with your hand. Otherwise it is pretty unuseable unless you are powering your recorder/camera from batteries. Build quality also leaves a bit to be desired, too plasticky to my liking, but that's not a dealbreaker. This ground hum is. I tested the same recorders with other mics (Videomic NTG, Videomicro, Sennheiser MKE600 and others: no problem.) The MKE400 is nice and compact, sounds great, but not being able to shoot when powering the camera from the mains is nonsense.

I could hear no noise listing on my cell phone speaker with volume at 90%. I will check out the video on my computer using Zoom headphones and let you know in a day or two. Microphone sounds great on my phone.

I think it gives character

I have an old MKE 400. Very good on Pentax, but worse on Sony, means worse than the Mic inside the A7R5 ...

It would be nice if it had an 80 hz, 120 hz, as well as the 200hz low cut . I agree 200hz is steep.

Davinci Resolve's voice isolator will take out the self noise.

Here I am one year later, still undecided . I’m beginning to think that this is all a delicate game of compromises . 😅

To some extent, seems like a Sony problem but I do understand your viewpoint. Why give Sony a pass for a crappy quality pre Amp, it's not like they are cheap.

Shit found this too late bought it already …

FFS ... I watched this video some time ago ... and said to myself ... damn I'm not buying this mic ... and I forgot about it ... and I bought it ... this white noise level is really hideous ... I think I'm going to send it back.

You can power wash the deck lol

Have you found a shotgun mic with the lowest self-noise out of the box that doesn’t require post-processing?

I tried to look at the mic on the S website, but it required me to accept a crazy amount of cookies so I just can't do business like that.

Sony pre amps are good and worst of many cameras

Unnecessary to make videos like this one.

17 min video to talk about 1 flaw?

Clickbait! If it WAS a major flaw, you wouldn't use this microphone. The fact that you do proves that it isn't really a problem. Otherwise a good video.

The best review probably, especially because you focus on the major flaw that is self noise. Hard to find other reviews who even touch on this. Bought this and the self noise is quite loud on +20 setting, but the form factor and auto on/off is just too good compared to the alternatives.

Hi! I am a twenty-three-year-old college student majoring in film in Korea. Although I can't use English very well, I watched some of your KZfaq videos and found them very informative, so I subscribed. I want to thank you for being a professional and providing good information, but I have a question for you. I'm in an extremely bad financial situation for a movie I'm making, so I'm not able to do simultaneous recording, so I'm going to do it with an MKE400 that I recently got from a friend. The camera is my BMPCC4K, I know it's ridiculous, but we don't have a sound professional on the team, we don't have the money, and we're pressed for time: the shoot will take place in just five days, and we have about six hours. We have to shoot 79 shots in that time. The location we're shooting at is inside a building on the outskirts of the city, and there's traffic right next to the building. We're shooting on the second floor of the building, and the last time I was there, the noise wasn't too bad. I've only ever been involved in shooting and directing, so I've never worked with sound before, and I don't have any basic knowledge. When I've shot with BMPCC4k, I've usually worked with a simultaneous recording team, but that's not an option this time. The movie doesn't have a lot of dialog, but it will be shot mostly indoors, and I haven't even done any on-set acoustic testing. To summarize, 1. BMPCC4K - MKE400 I need to shoot a 5 minute movie with these two devices. 2. the shooting location is not a very noisy environment. 3. I don't have access to a sound test. I don't have time to check the acoustics on location. In this situation, I would like to ask you how to set the BMPCC4K's Power Amp setting and the MKE400's setting to ensure the safest sound recording. I would be very grateful if you could answer this question. Have a nice day.