The $199.95 Sennheiser MKE 400 shotgun video microphone works with both cameras and smartphones. Its highly directional recording pattern means that it rejects audio from the sides and back—great for getting clear audio from subjects in front of the mic, especially in challenging outdoor environments. Purists may appreciate that the MKE 400 is an analog mic that doesn’t include any digital signal processing (DSP), but some other design choices, such as a three-point gain switch, make it less appealing. The $249 Rode VideoMic NTG is a bit more expensive, but it has a slight edge in terms of features.
A Light, Camera-Friendly Design
The 3.2-ounce MKE 400 has a long cylindrical contour like most other shotgun mics. At 5.0 by 2.6 by 1.5 inches (HWD), it’s compact enough to not extend far beyond the back edge of a typical camera body. On the other end, it’s unlikely to extend beyond the edge of most lenses, either. The mic connects to cameras via a cold-shoe mount. Beneath the grille, a super-cardioid condenser, cradled in a shock mount, delivers a frequency range of 50Hz to 20khz. The included furry windshield slides on easily over the grille.
A 3.5mm coiled TRS audio cable connects to the front panel of the mic’s base, using a hand-tightening screw to lock the connection. Sennheiser also bundles a coiled TRRS cable, so you can connect the mic to your smartphone if it has a compatible 3.5mm jack. This setup also requires a smartphone clamp—Sennheiser sells a separate $229.95 Mobile Kit for the mic.
A power button on the left side of the mic’s base lights up green when you turn it on. Next to the power button, a low-cut filter switch enables you to cut out lows that tend to add rumble and wind noise to outdoor recordings—not to mention noise from the camera handling.
The mic also includes a three-position switch for gain sensitivity. At its quietest position, the gain is -20dB, while the middle (0dB) and maximum (20dB) positions seem most useful in dialogue-focused scenarios that don’t involve substantial background noise. With only three levels of gain to work with, the best setting likely depends on your proximity to the subject. If your subject is quite loud, you may find that the only way to get a clean recording is to move farther away, though at the expense of a less focused direct recording.
While fixed positions are useful for ensuring consistent levels, a gain knob with many fixed stopping points would have been a far better choice. A knob doesn’t completely alleviate the problem, but it does allow for a more nuanced approach than three fixed gain positions. The MKE 400’s gain controls aren’t a deal breaker, but in the absence of DSP to control peaks when they appear, this design decision limits the mic’s flexibility.
On the right side panel, the mic sports a headphone jack, something that’s not standard on mics of this type. A volume rocker-style switch sits next to the jack. I wish Sennheiser used this same style of switch for the gain controls.
The MKE 400 ships with two AAA batteries, which slide into a compartment at the rear of the mic’s base. Sennheiser claims the MKE 400 should get more than 100 hours before needing new batteries—a power indicator turns red when less than three hours remain. USB charging would have been a more convenient and modern method for powering the mic.
Crisp Recording Quality
The MKE 400’s super-cardioid recording pattern means that the mic rejects audio dramatically from its sides, as well as from behind it. The result is a crisp, clear signal to work with—even crisper, unsurprisingly, if you enable the low-cut filter. The filter is ideal for recording interviews or vocals, as well as when you need to contend with low-frequency industrial or city noises. It’s less necessary to apply when the subject is farther away from the mic, especially if you mount the mic and camera on a tripod.
The windscreen is relatively transparent—I didn’t notice any obvious coloration of the audio with the fuzzy screen attached. If anything, the windscreen only slightly reduced the mic signal.
The difference in levels between the three gain settings is pretty dramatic; it’s hard to imagine using the -20dB setting for anything but the loudest recording scenarios. Either the 0dB or the 20dB settings are most appropriate for picking up typical voice levels in an outdoor setting. I also found that the grille provides decent protection against light wind interference, even without the fuzzy windshield.
As is true with most video mics for cameras, you should go through your camera’s menu and disable any audio settings that apply DSP or limit the signal, as well as any wind protection settings that your camera doesn’t automatically disable when you connect and use the mic in manual mode.
One gripe I had when testing the mic was that the audio only passes through its headphone jack during recording—if you play a video back from your camera, you need to connect headphones directly to the camera’s headphone jack. This limitation encourages the use of the camera’s headphone jack exclusively. Having the jack on the mic is still an advantage, but its functionality has limitations.
Clear Audio, Okay Design
The Sennheiser MKE 400 is capable of providing clean, directional audio and its low-cut filters and windshield work well together to provide optimal clarity even in challenging recording scenarios. Our two main issues with the mic are its inflexible gain settings and that its headphone jack works only while you’re recording (not for playback). The latter is more of a minor annoyance, but the former could limit your recording abilities in certain environments. The similarly priced Rode VideoMic NTG provides greater flexibility and more useful features, though its mic quality is consistent with that of the MKE 400. That said, the MKE 400 is an analog mic, and thus free of digital signal processing, and that might make it the right choice for you.
