Microphone Comparison : Line Audio CM3 ORTF “vs” Sennheiser MKH 8040 ORTF
I recently bought a second-hand pair of Line Audio CM3, mainly to use them as a second (rear) pair of mics in addition to my main Sennheiser rig in Double ORTF setup). The CM3 is made in Sweden and is a relatively cheap/cardioid/condenser/pencil microphone. Please note that the CM3 is now discontinued and replaced by the similar CM4. Click here to learn more.
This article is a quick comparison/shootout of a pair of CM3 “against” a pair of 8040, both in ORTF configuration.
I recorded both pair of mics into a Sound Devices MixPre-6 at the same gain level to get a fair comparison, then I matched the loudness to the same level, other than that, no processing have been applied.
The raw and level-matched recordings are included below :
Keys : Frequency Response and Transients
8040 ORTF / 43db of gain :
CM3 ORTF / 43db of gain :
8040 ORTF / matched to -23 LUFS
CM3 ORTF / matched to -23 LUFS
Moving Shaker : Stereo Image and Frequency Response
8040 ORTF / 43db of gain :
CM3 ORTF / 43db of gain :
8040 ORTF / matched to -30 LUFS
CM3 ORTF / matched to -30 LUFS
Roomtone : Noise Floor and Frequency Response
nb : windows are open
8040 ORTF / 56 of gain :
CM3 ORTF / 56 of gain :
8040 ORTF / matched to -35 LUFS
CM3 ORTF / matched to -35 LUFS
Here are the spectrograms if you wanna take a look at the frequency response and ultrasonic spectrum.
Keys :
Roomtone :
- The Line Audio CM3 pair / cheap is a good addition to my toolkit. These mics should work fine alongside the 8040s in a surround setup. Plus they are very light and relatively small and good looking. (yeah that counts too)
- The CM3 have a natural and flat frequency response which is good for ambiences recordings.
- The CM3 are way less sensitive than the 8040, I measured approximately 10 to 12db lower output with the same gain on the recorder.
- When level are matched in post, noise is less audible on the 8040 because of the noise rejection in the ultrasonic range (although this can be a problem when sounds are pitched down for design purposes. We’ll talk about this in another article)
- Ultrasonic response is pretty good on the CM3.
- To me the stereo image is better with the 8040 pair (Moving Shaker example).
- 8040 are RF-biased, to my knowledge the CM3 are not, which can cause issues in damp conditons.
I’ll try to upload more examples in the future if some of you are interested.
aXL
i never liked mkh8040 because of myths. there are many alternatives.
IMHO, the 8040’s are just a little bit nicer. They sound slightly fuller, have a better transient response and tighter imaging. The CM3’s have a slight dip in center imaging, though they are wide cardioids. Positioning could easily make up the difference.
I don’t have 8040’s but do have CM3s. Your CM3 recordings have the similar tone that I experience with mine. One thing with CM3’s is that they don’t handle wind very weil, even shielded. However, I like them and recommend them frequently (well the CM4’s now). Thx for posting. Also you have some nice SFX.