Austrian Audio OC818 Review
Studio Set Large-Diaphragm Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 3 of 3 Reviews
Record both sides of the capsule, to 2 separate tracks!
Austrian Audio OC818 Studio Set Large-Diaphragm Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone (Single)
Reviewed by Johannes on B&H Photo Video
It looks like I'm the first one to write a review about this mic here, so I will give it the full 5 stars it deserves. The only thing that makes me hesitate is the fact that the tiny tip of the plastic polar pattern switch fell off when I used it for the first time! I'm going to assume that's a rare event, and it just wasn't pushed in correctly ... But this mishap aside, this is the happiest a microphone has made me. Now, I'm aware that it may be a bad idea to write a rave review on the first day of using any such device. But I must share my excitement somehow, and I can't imagine I'll be less happy in a few weeks or months. This microphone is clear, balanced, clean and very very transparent. It's certainly a modern sound, but by no means sterile or unpleasantly polished. I have frequently read in reviews that people said they didn't need to EQ or compress, and I always thought well, that must be nice, without knowing what it might be like. I am still using EQ and compression, but not to fix or fundamentally alter any of the mic's characteristics. You can just subtly lift a frequency here or there, but the foundation is already in place, very solid, very complete, and very warm. This may sound like a contradiction to the modern sound I described earlier, because normally, we associate warmth with a certain softness, maybe even a touch of muddiness or distortion, and none of those are present here. One thing that is noticeable after hours of operation: My ears aren't tired. I hear this mic is the new secret weapon in VoiceOver recording, and I'm not surprised. Now for my most exciting discovery: With the included dongle, you can have a second XLR output and lead the front and back of the capsule to separate channels! This is HUGE for me, because I record vocal and acoustic guitar simultaneously. Using a figure 8 pattern, you can have almost complete separation (mic needs to be mounted sideways, and you sing over its flat surface. The included pop filter helps a lot). You can lift the air frequencies or lower any boominess on the guitar track, without creating the same, potentially negative, effect on the voice. And there are ZERO phase problems. The two tracks sound like one, completely harmonious, completely synchronized, completely together, while the subtleties of both elements are intact. I'm not sure I'll get into AA's polar pattern software, which apparently makes it possible to change the polar pattern on an existing recording, after the fact. No idea how such voodoo is doable. But if true, it amounts to endless sound variations. That's gonna be an interesting adventure somewhere down the line. For now, I'm just so thrilled at the plug-and-play perfection. One more tiny design qualm: I'm not a huge fan of the champagne color, I think the black cardoid-only version of this mic looks a hundred times cooler and more understated. But if that's really the biggest problem, you know that you have a happy customer on your hands. Now stay on, little switch tip, and this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. ... More
Initial results very promising
Austrian Audio OC818 Dual Set Plus Large-Diaphragm Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphones (Matched Pair)
Reviewed by Rob on B&H Photo Video
I bought the OC 818 stereo set on a Thursday, tested with some instrumentals at home then decided to use them right away on a location recording. This was a classical concert using only distant mics (no spots). I had a pair of Neumann KM140 cardiods in ORTF for the main pair in the center, and the OC818's utilized as flankers 14' to the left and right of the main pair. All mics were 11' up. The AA's were set to cardiod. It really sounded terrific. The mics blended well, got great detail, low noise, consistent polar pattern and very good frequency response. No stress when it got loud. Very pleased with the capture and I got a lot of compliments. I look forward to using both outputs from the mics in order to tweak the pattern in post using polar pilot app. Also really looking forward to trying them as a coincident pair with 1 in cardiod for the center, and the other in fig 8 for the sides for ms. You can get the free Stereo Creator plugin from Austrian Audio to assist in the matrixing duties in order to do ms, blumlein etc. techniques. ... More
A must-have
Austrian Audio OC818 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone - Dual Set Plus
Reviewed by Nic S on Guitar Center
These mics are incredible. The matching was on point and the quality of everything that came with them is great. The sound is massive and detailed, to a point where it picks up things my other mics didn't in the same scenario. I've never heard the sound of a drum kit captured so perfectly. Like all mics, you can't trust the specs to present the sound, you have to actually listen. The highs are present and not strident, mids are beefy and lows are present without being boomy. I have tried this on reeds, drums, percussion, guitars, and bass cabs, all with very useable results. Even vocals worked amazingly well. The polar designer and variable polar fields present real changes to the response of the mic and I found them to work great in figure 8 and cardioid for mid-side plus Omni for room and choral settings. The hypercardiod is very focused which is great for spot mic applications like toms. Not sure I'd use them for close miking a kit, not because it sounds bad, but because I don't want these dented! It's not every day that a new company comes out with "industry standards" right out the gate but these are mics you'll keep and use for a lifetime. ... More
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