Shotgun vs Hypercardioid Condenser Mics for Indoor Interviews | Sennheiser MKH-416 vs AT4053B

Everyone always says a shotgun mic is terrible for indoor dialogue/interviews. But is that really true?

Instead of repeating the same assumptions about shotgun vs hypercardioid condenser microphones, I recorded each in 6 different spaces for you to hear the differences.

I chose the Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun and the Audio-Technica 4053B hypercardioid, because these are popular mics for video producers who interview subjects for a living.

Thank you to B&H Photo Video for loaning these mics for this test. I ended up buying one of the two mics, and my decision sort of surprised me, especially after shooting hundreds of interviews over the last ten years.

Gear Used:
Sennheiser MKH 416: https://bhpho.to/3PI50aj
Audio-Technica AT4053B: https://bhpho.to/3S4VJL0
iZotope RX Elements plugin (see below for chapter where this is tested) - https://bhpho.to/3oxSsGr
Sound Devices MixPre-3 multitrack recorder: https://bhpho.to/3vloFog
RODE VideoMic NTG used to record the intro: https://bhpho.to/34CZq6I

Chapters:

00:00 - An in-depth summary of the shotgun vs hypercardioid debate for indoor dialogue
10:44 - My conclusions (skip ahead if you'd rather listen to the test first)

Audio Examples:

Home entryway with tile flooring and a 9ft ceiling
14:17 - AT4053B hypercardioid
15:44 - MKH-416 shotgun

Open kitchen/dining area with wood flooring and a 9ft ceiling
17:12 - AT4053B hypercardioid
18:44 - MKH-416 shotgun

Big garage with cement flooring and a 10ft ceiling (the worst conditions)
20:17 - AT4053B hypercardioid
21:52 - MKH-416 shotgun

Basement with carpet flooring, an 8ft ceiling, and a buzzing utility room nearby
23:28 - AT4053B hypercardioid
25:10 - MKH-416 shotgun

Small basement bedroom with carpet flooring and an 8ft ceiling
26:51 - AT4053B hypercardioid
29:01 - MKH-416 shotgun

Small bedroom closet with carpet flooring (voice over example)
31:11 - AT4053B hypercardioid
33:46 - MKH-416 shotgun

36:22 Default iZotope RX Elements Voice De-Noise applied to each mic in each space
30:23 Heavy iZotope applied to both mics in the garage space

Thank you!