All user reviews for the Oktava MK-012

The Oktava MK-102 is a small diaphragm condenser microphone with an interchangeable set of heads used for changing polar patterns. I have used it only in the recording studio, but I could see it being used for a recording a live show as well, as they work very well as overheads. The MK-102s come with a clip that is sturdy and will home up the microphone well. The only problem with these mics is that the newest Oktava models are worse than the microphones they made a few years ago.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Oktava MK-102 small diaphragm condenser mics for about two or three years and have found them to be great mics that are useful in a number of different settings. The multiple polar pattern choices make it a versatile mic that can be used in a few different practical recording settings. I have used this microphone mostly on acoustic guitars, drum overheads and for getting just a general room sound. Since they are small diaphragm mics, they are great at picking up the high end of a sound and therefore are great for these instruments. It also works great on mandolin, banjo, and other acoustic stringed instruments. One of the best things about these microphones is how inexpensive they are. While they aren't the cheapest mics of this kind, they are cheap considering how great they sound and their overall versatility. I would compare these microphones to the Rode NT-5s as they are similar in price range. I believe that both mics are a good choice and I would recommend comparing them on your own if you are able to. While these can't match the brilliance of the Neumann KM184s, they are great sounding mics at the fraction of the cost. Oktava makes some great, inexpensive mics that are both useful to the home studio owner and professional studio owner. These are definitely worth a look!

These are small diaphragm condenser mics. They are quite commonly found in pairs, so you can do stereo recording with them. They are best suited for recording, but you could use them live if you needed maybe an overhead setup or something like that. They are cardioid pattern, so they have a good amount of off-axis rejection. Since they are condenser they are well suited to applications like drums where you need quick transient response, or violins where you need a lot of high frequency detail. Since they are small diaphragm, they are even better for these kinds of applications, because it takes less air to move the capsule. They require phantom power to operate.

OVERALL OPINION

I have had these for maybe 5 years in a stereo pair. I used them as drum overheads for a long time. Really, they are just kind of average microphones. They come with a pad connector, so if you are recording something very loud you can still get a usable signal. They do a pretty good job with transients, but I do wish they were a little brighter. Most things I recorded with them ended up needing some additional treble added to make them shimmer. Low frequencies were not well represented, but you wouldn't normally need them with the sources this is best suited for. They lasted a long time and were dropped many times, but sadly eventually one of them broke upon being dropped, so now I only have one. They served me pretty well for a long time though as a pretty cheap stereo pair of condensers. They were a good value for the price at the time, though now you may have better luck elsewhere. I probably would not get these again, because they were not as bright as I would have liked in a mic that is mostly suited for bright sources.