Shotgun Mics

i'm thinking this is the best place to ask this question. I'm thinking of getting a shotgun mic for my filming purposes because i don't like picking up the camera noise and echo's in my small green screening room. so my question is what would be a decent mic and pole, and do i need another audio capturing device or could i do the audio capture directly into the camera?(like can i hook up the mic into the camera)

help would be greatly appreciated.

-bert

 

I could use some advice on this also. I have a MiniDV cam with a mic input jack, and film in a greenscreen room (basement). I'm tired of that "home movie" sound. I've tried hooking up some regular mics with those foam covers from Best Buy/Radio Shack, and put them close to actors on a stand when filming, but it's still not that good.
Any recomendations on a cheap shotgun mic that will give me more professional audio? When I say cheap I mean under $200?
Note: I never film more than 20/30 feet away from my actors, and I really only need this mic for voices.

Thanks,
Knight9703

 

I use a shotgun mic for everything. I plug it right into the mic input on the camera. It sound a LOT better than the internal camera mic.
For the record, it's a really good idea to do this because you want the sound coming from where the actor is - not the camera.

Now, how much did my mic cost? Well, I don't know that. It was a present from a friend of mine...

But, the bottom line is, those little cheap $15 mics from Radio Shack sound like little cheap $15 mics. Get yourself a good one. It's worth it.

 

The stick mics that you use don't work because most, if not all of them, are cardiod mics (they have somewhat of a heart-shaped pickup pattern). They aren't working, because most likely they're outside the pickup range.

The shotgun mics work very well since they have a much larger pickup pattern, and can pick up speaking talents and noises from a good distance away. It also picks up sound from the side and rear of the mic, but on a different diaphram. This way, they can cancel the unwanted sound (the sound the mic isn't pointing at) with phase variance (overlapping two sound waves in such a way as they cancel each other out). As far as poles go, you really don't need one. You should just mount it on a shoe on top of your camera. The only time you would need it on a pole is if your talent was walking in front of something (e.i. another actor, a pole, a wall, etc.) or something was going to be between the talent and the mic. That's when you'd want to disconnect it and put it closer to the talent.

But if you did need to do that, a good thing would be to get a mic stand or boom and just use that. Sure it's a heck of a lot heavier than a fishpole boom, but it's cheaper and more readily available. Then you might also want to look at getting a shock mount for your mic. Rigging up a PVC boom would probably be more trouble than it's worth.

As far as capturing goes, just run it straight into the camera. If you don't have a mic input... you may be in trouble. You could always run it through some recording device like a 4-track portastudio, but getting the audio from that to the computer... that's the interesting part. I would suggest finding another camera, and running all audio through that, then syncing up the audio with the video later.

 

I love the AZDEN SGM-2X
SUPERCARDIOID SHOTGUN MICROPHONE. It retails for 250-300 but on ebay you can easily find it for 200.

www.azden.com


I myself am looking for a new mic though, not because of the quality of the azden but the lack of phantom power. Anyone got any good suggestions on a phantom powered shotgun mic?

 

www.lafcpug.org/review_shotgun_mic.htm

here read this article. It gives an excellent, concise explanation about how shotgun mics work, what to look for in a good low priced mic...etc. And then it gives a comparison of 3 really good affordably priced mics: Audiotechnica at835b, Azden SGM-2x, and Sennheiser K-6.

 

I have the Azden SGM 2x as well. I have yet to be let down by it.

 

I don't think you're going to find a phantom powered shotgun mic. Stick mics are phantom because they're condenser mics. Shotgun mics are not condenser mics, as such they aren't phantom powered through other electronics. At least, that's what I know. Sorry to bludgen your hopes.

 

I've heard nothing but good about the Sennheisers. I'll be using one for a project later this month. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

thx for everybodys help, and after reading different articles and having your opinons, i think i'm gunna go with a Azden brand mic.
thx.

-bert

 

Good choice! I'm thinking about getting one myself now....

 

Hey, I was looking at the Azden Site and took a look at the other mics they have. Does any body know about the SGM-1x
or the SGM-X? The 1x is 100 dollars cheaper and the X is 150 dollars cheaper (150 bucks total). Are they good microphones? I'm thinking about getting a microphone too.

 

I've got the SGM-X myself, and I'm sufficently happy with it, it gets the job done. The cost was right where I needed it to be, too.

 

The Azden 1x is still a great mic. I've worked with both the 2x and the 1x. The "X" Azden i've never used.. and all i know is its a miniplug.. so you lose the XLR connection and the fact of the mic being "balanced"

 

But the fact is, most cameras we use (with exception to some of the top-o-the-line 24p cameras) don't have XLR inputs, forcing us to use mini-plug adapters. Sigh... can't wait to get my Panasonic AG-DVX100.

 

I kinda want a shotglass that says "Shotgun Mike's"

....
(remembers Cafepress)
HANDS OFF IT, IT'S MINE!
(Neumann fights other geeks to get the logo done first)

Chris

 

HAHA! That's great!

 

I have a Panasonic NV-DS27B camcorder ,will any shotgun mic with mini jack work with said camera?
Do they have thier own power supply or take power from the camcorder?
thanks