Oktava MK-319

Been recording since 1975, I play drums, bass, guitar, and Sing as well as recording other people in my project studio. I love music no matter how unprofitable it is and get the greatest joy out of new and inexpensive gear that sounds great.
I record to a twin quad core 2 gig Mac through a MOTU MKII 24bit/48Khz I/O with a Aphex 207D pre-amp (mostly anyway) and listen with Event Bas Monitors, I second listen through a set of now vintage Dahlquests with a twin mono block amp supplying 1200 watts each.

The MK-319 sounds like a vintage mic and that is why I have them. They are not too bright like the new crop of chinese mic's, and can pick up good sound on certain vocalists (mostly whiney or very sill-abet voices) . I have a pair as over heads on my kit that I love for jazz, but some times I have to change them out for brighter mic's like KSM 27's if I'm playing modern stuff or rock. It's not that I don't like them they just have such a roll off at say 16Khz that it takes some getting used to.
I bought this Pair on e-bay because of the price and the hype and I'm glad I did. It is a LDC cardiod Pattern with crappy slider switches that I suggest you never use. Did not come with a spider mount but due to the fact I'm in a basement it doesn't need it here.
I find that if something is too shrill I will put up this mic, Penny whistle, violin, cheap guitars with plywood backs benefit greatly from this mic. I have not had much luck with high pitched percussion like bell trees and triangles. My greatest success was with a steel Dobro that was giving me fits, I put this up and that was it, the perfect match. And good thing for me because all my regulars weren't cutting it.
I would recommend this for anyone that has room for a tone it down mic. I do find it realistic in the range that it was made for, and it will impart a smoky aura to anything that it touches but not in a bad way, and just for the record I almost never EQ this mic because I feel that it gives a certain sound that either works or it doesn't.
I'm giving it an 8 mostly because it is very useful and if you already have a good LDC it would make a smashing second that will impart not only a second opinion but a very different vintage second opinion. The lose of the 2 points are for the bad sliders and ****** ring mounts, I tossed them and use a soft rubber clear tube wedged into a standard stand, it holds perfectly and gives me a tight fit so as I can angle them anywhere but upside down. Thankyou Peace.

I've been making music for 40 years. My recording experience goes from analog multitrack to Protools today. I listen on KLH monitors and Denon headphones, as well as Bose and other systems.

I got my 319 from an ebay auction and found that while it sounded good it had a pronounced sibilance on my voice, which the Oktava MK-012 mic that I have does not. I sent it out for a full modification to Bill Sitler Recording who had also modified my MK-012s.

The difference was dramatic. First of all, the sibilance on my voice was completely gone. I now prefer it to the MK-012 for my voice, and that of others because of the warmth and more pronounced midrange.

I have also found that it is great for mic-ing an acoustic guitar. I put the 319 near the bridge and the 012 near the soundhole. That way the 319 gives a warm low end, and the 012 gives a detailed high end.

Since then I have recorded several women's voices and found it to be equally as good and flattering. For the price (even new at list) there is nothing like it.

HIP HOP ARTIST, RECORDING SCHOOL GRADUATE(FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE) .CURRENTLY RECORDING 2 A KORG D8 WITH A FOCUSRITE VOICEMASTER PRO, JOE MEEK VC6Q.I ALSO OWN A AT 4050 ALONG WITH VARIOUS OUTBOARD GEAR A MACKIE 12 CHANNEL CONSOLE.IVE RELEASED 4 ALBUMS AND HAVE SOLD 20,000+ CDS OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS SINCE COLLEGE.HAVE HEARD AND RECORDED WITH NT1A'S ,AT 4040'S ,4I4'S,C3000'S, 1000'S ,57'S 58'S
AND A COUPLE I DONT REMEMBER

I HAVE ALOT 2 SAY BUT ILL BE BRIEF. THIS MIKE IS A SOLID PERFORMER. VERY NATURAL SOUND.HARMONICALLY RICH.ITS BLOWN ME AWAY WITH HOW GOOD ITS SOUNDED ON NUMEROUS VOICES.ITS NEVER LET ME DOWN.I PAID 5 TIMES MORE 4 MY 4050 AND ALTHOUGH THE 4050 IS A PRETTY GOOD SOUNDING MIC IT DOESNT BLOW THE 319 AWAY.ACTUALLY I JUST ADDED THE 4050 AND HAVE DOWN 13 VOCAL RECORDINGS WITH IT.IT HAS PERFORMED PLEASINGLY WELL.HOWEVER THAT BEING SAID.IM READY 2 REACH 4 MY 319. ITS THE KIND OF MIC THAT IS A GREAT VOCAL MIC. SOUNDS PLEASING ON ALMOST ALL VOICES YOU THROW AT IT(SINGERS INCLUDED). THAT BEING SAID IT PERFORMS BEAUTIFUL ON HIP HOP STYLE VOCALS.IN OTHER WORDS IT RESPONDS VERY WELL ON DYNAMIC AND AGRESSIVE MATERIAL AS WELL AS MORE SUBTLE TONES.THE MIC IS A WINNER AND COULD DEFINATELY SELL 4 MORE.GC BUYERS CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY IF U GOT A GOOD STOCK ONE 4 A HUNDRED BUCKS.ONE LAST NOTE. PLEASE TRY 2 USE A DECENT OUTBOARD PRE OR DECENT CONSOLE PRE.THIS MIC LOVES HIGH QUALITY SIGNAL CHAINS(AS ALL MICS DO)WRAPUP: GET THIS MIC.ITS A STEAL.AND A TRUE JEWEL AMONG ALL PRICE RANGES OF MICS(MOD OR NO MOD)

Recording and playing for 25 years. Recording on Mackie D8B with Mackie HDR24/96 all digital. Home recording studio with a slew of mics.

For the price, this mic is BY FAR the best I've ever used for a large diaphram condenser! The clarity is unmatched in this price range and there is no need to EQ this mic. I use it on high quality guitars, vocals, anything that requires full range with ample headroom. HOWEVER, I will tell you that if the gear you're recording from is crap, that's what you'll get...due to the precise reproduction of this microphone. I tell that to my recording clients when they say they want me to use my best mics. I have been using one since about 5 years ago and purchased two more because of the growth of the studio...I get rave reviews about vocal and guitar recording reproduction...I only use one Neumann, occaisionally, and this microphone certainly can compete.

Drummer, Project Studio Enthusiast (playing and recording for 25 years)

Using Mac with Logic , Motif ES8, Alesis Micron, Alesis Multimix Firewire 16 interface, RANE HC6, KRK 5s with 10" Sub, Peavey Delta Blues, GMS Grand Master Maple Kit, Beyer 770 headphones, Shure SM57, Audix I5, Shure Beta 58, Rode NT1A, Audix VX 5, Oktava 319 (2), Crown PZM, too much more to list

Recording pop, rock music

Large Diaphram Condensor

Considered an AKG 414, Audio Technica 4050, Heil PR40, and others. Many savvy engineers on GearSlutz recommended adding the Oktava to the mix...especially with the Joly Mod option. I bought one on eBAY and was BLOWN AWAY. You know how you can hear the room noise through your headphones when your are recording? This is the first mic in my locker that sounds THE SAME as my ears...when I remove the headphones. Very little color. Smooth. Natural. Wonderful.

I am buying another to use in a "Glyn Johns" drum overhead configuration...so that I can get those big "When the Levvee Breaks" drum tones. I can't tell you what a good value they are...learn to spot the fakes (serial #, flathead screws, etc) and your mic locker will be so much more versatile.

Been making music for about 20 years, not proffesionally just as a hobby. I'm recording with Cubase SX3 using a ESI Juli@ soundcard, my mic preamp is a Studio Projects VTB1. My monitors are Tannoy Reveal Active.

I've been using a Studio Projects C1 and the SP VTB1 preamp for 4-5 years. I bought the MK-319 because i wanted something that is the opposite of the C1, something that isnt so bright, to see which is better for my voice.

I have a small recording room with sound absorbent materials on the walls where i did a comparison between the C1 and the MK-319.
Singing the same vocals in exactly the same way / same position, the C1 is much brighter, almost a little harsh and forced. The MK319 sounded much better for my voice. The sound can be described as more relaxed and more "fat", it's not as detailed perhaps.

I have only limited experience with these two mics so it would be wrong to rate it, but im happy with it and i wont keep the C1..

Ive been a msuician since childhood and I studied music at UEA where we did a lot of my work in the studio. I now run an on location recording company. Our monitors are custom built and designed, backed up by an assortment of decent nearfields.

The oktava is a wierd mix of sophistication and poo! It is a fairly standard old school transformer based large diaphragm condenser. The capsule and transformer are as many have noted, (in particular the respected scott dorsey) very good. The design of the other electronics (except the pad and low cut board) is ok. The body is crude, nasty and rings horribly. Because the fundamentals are there though, it still sounds decent out of the box, but it is far from flawless. As micheal joly mentions, if you remove the pad and low cut board, damp the chassis with silicone and change some key components, you get something a bit good. It stood up surprisingly well against 414s and neumans in the studio pre mods, but imho once modded they can take pride of place as proper vocal mics. We use AT4050s and oktava mk012's (again modded)as our standard multipurpose mics along with a list of other dynamics and condensers, but i have a pair of these (one with the HF resonator disc on, one off) which i use as my 'go to' vocal mics. A rough diamond which requires polishing, but well worth it.

Been a musician my whole life, recording/mixing more the last few years.

I like this mic alot for male vocals, it really seems to do a good job of taming somewhat lower male voices like mine. I removed the plastic things on the diaphragm, it seems maybe a little more open now.

Overall, I think this mic has an edge over the chinese stuff, especially for male vocals.

Been an active musician/technician for over 20 years. Lead Vocalist, guitarist pianist, solo performer and band performer. Lots of studio experiance. Like all kinds of equipment and do not believe that you pay for what you get. Some of my favorite pieces of equipment have cost the least and have lasted the longest.

The Oktava Mk-319 mic. I had read about this mi for years and even heard people play recordings that they claimed they had used it on vocals. I never believed I could own it because it used to have a liust price of $895. and you could find a good deal if you got it at under $600. I don't thonk people understand that because the company could no longer compete in the market because of the bottom falling out on the prices people could charge for microphones. A lot of this has to do with patents that lost their protections because of age and inability to afford to protect them in the world market! Yes you can get an incredible sounding mic for pennies on the dollar. I love inexpensive equipment and compare it regularly with expensive equipment. This microphone has an eq pattern that is absolutely flawless when it comes to laying down studio tracks. The lack of needed eq makes it a perfect vocal mic in the studio. In a live situation it is too sensitive at louder volumes in loud rock music but it is great for trios and groups that stand around one mic like a barber shop quartet. An SM58 could not accomadate more than one singer effectively and it is still my favorite live microphone along with the Shure Sm57. When compared to the Sm58, the large diaphram of the MK-319 is far superior because it handles loud bursts of sound much more effectively. Inother words the eq stays less subtly distorted when belting out into it. Also, stepping away from the make gives an ambient distance sound which maintains a full body tone that the Sm58 /Sm57 will not do very well. In the shure mics the top end drops as well as the low end too much. Another thing is, that you ,ust p[lant your lips on top of the Sm58 to maintain the lows. Th Oktave keepos your lips at a distance further away from the element. If you do a hiss check against just about any other mic, you will find that even at the most sensitive setting on the Oktava there is an unbelievably low hiss level. This may not seem that important, but it becomes important when you are adding limiting and compressing which is all but essential in the studio. This mic is Awesome, and is my favorite by far for recording.

I have been making music , on and off, for maybe 25 years.
I took a class in NY years ago, a basic 8 week multi-track recording course, all analog. Now I am using a PC running Vegas and Acid. For monitoring I used a late 70's era DENON power amp, an NAD preamp(same era), and KRK 4000 monitors along with AKG 240S headset.

Oktava MK319 large condenser, cardioid..using it for dialog /VO..
Considered Rode NT1000, AT4040, CAD M179, etc
Chose the Oktava after using the MK012, which I also liked for over head boom miking.
The thing I like about the mic is the openness, and the smooth high end....a lot of other mics in this price range seem "brittle" to me, with an over-empasised high end......I kept hearing a lot of sibilance in other mics, but this one is smooth as silk on the high end on dialog, with a nice round mid and bottom end. It also seems very well constructed, in general, and I see no reason why it wont hold up in my little suite.
On the down side, yes, the body will ring if you tap it or bump it, so dont tap or bump this mic, it will ring. I use a shock mount, which it very effective in elimination of noise transmitted from the boom, but you should always use one for any mic.
I would certainly reccomend this mic for dialog, male or female voices.....talent that is prone to sibilance will especially benefit from its forgiving high end. Certainly for the money , its a fine microphone.