Budget Shotgun

[Artificial]

I'm getting ready to take the plunge, and film my first short. I already have the camera(D5100), and I'll be picking up a new tripod(I only have a crappy one for photography). So, that leaves me with audio and lighting to worry about. Right now, I'm tackling the aspect of audio.

I was, kind of still am, torn between the H1 and DR-05. I'm leaning more towards the H1 for the portability.

What I'm really struggling to find/choose is a good shotgun mic for the boompole. It seems like I'm better off not using an XLR-mini adapter, and just using a mic with the mini output. But, if it's fine to use an adapter I'm open to mics with an XLR out. Ideally, I would like to keep it under $100 for just the mic. But, it seems that I need to spend at least ~$150 for a good mic. So, I'm prepared to spend that. What are my choices for that price range?

 

[Duckforceone]

for cheapness and quality, i would go with the Røde Videomic... the quality is good, but it's mini output...

but it's good quality and comes mounted on a stabilizer already, so you avoid sound from your boom pole or whatever else you mount it on...

 

[Alcove Audio]

If I had the choice I personally would go with the Tascam. But remember, opinions are like a$$holes; everybody has one and they all stink!

If you choose to use hi-Z (high impedance) gear just be aware that you are letting yourself in for potential problems, mostly all types of RF (radio frequency) interference, which can include interference from just about any type of electrical device you could imagine, and it can show up in very bizarre ways.

My thinking is always towards future compatibility. By getting a low-Z (low impedance) mic (XLR) you will not have to replace it when you decide to upgrade. You should also keep in mind that professional mics don't go out of fashion the way cameras do, so are a much more solid investment that will at least have some resale value, unlike hi-Z gear that are disposable consumer toys. There have been several fads in cameras in the last ten years (I got into audio post 10 years ago; anyone remember the DVX-100 craze?) but the good solid audio standbys from 20 and even 30 years ago are still being used (even though there have been lots of recent entrants into the micro-budget category). BTW, I still have - and use - my Shure SM-58 from 35 years ago, and my AKG 414BUL/S is almost 20 years old - and still sounds fantastic.

If you get a low-Z mic you will either need to supply phantom power or the mic will have to supply its own phantom power via battery. Going with a mic that supplies its own phantom power via battery does have a drawback as they tend to have lower volume output levels. All other mics will need an external phantom power supply or have it supplied by the mixer or the audio recorder. The batteries of low budget mixers and recorders tend to drain VERY rapidly when supplying mics with phantom power.

BTW, if you are shooting primarily indoors a hypercardioid may be a better choice than a shotgun.

Oh, you'll still need to get the mic off of the camera no matter what you choose. You'll need a boom-pole, a shock-mount and wind protection. Oh! Yeah! You need someone competent to swing the boom.

My suggestion is that you look very carefully at your future needs. Be truly honest with yourself. It may be more efficacious to rent gear if you are only shooting two or three times a year. Or you can hook up with an ambitious audio up-and-comer looking to gain experience. What you should actually do is hire a professional, but that is probably financially unfeasible at this point.

Once you have production sound sorted out then you can begin on audio post, which is about 10 times more involved.

 

[Artificial]

If I had the choice I personally would go with the Tascam. But remember, opinions are like a$$holes; everybody has one and they all stink!

BTW, if you are shooting primarily indoors a hypercardioid may be a better choice than a shotgun.

Oh, you'll still need to get the mic off of the camera no matter what you choose. You'll need a boom-pole, a shock-mount and wind protection. Oh! Yeah! You need someone competent to swing the boom.

My suggestion is that you look very carefully at your future needs. Be truly honest with yourself. It may be more efficacious to rent gear if you are only shooting two or three times a year. Or you can hook up with an ambitious audio up-and-comer looking to gain experience. What you should actually do is hire a professional, but that is probably financially unfeasible at this point.

Thanks for the abundance of information.

My first short is going to be only indoors, but I know some in the future will be outside. Almost everything I've read says that hypercardioid mics tend to pic up too much background noise outside. Which is why I was trying to stay away from one.

I'm gonna try to find a student at the university that would be willing to be my sound man. If they have their own equipment, then that's even better. If I can't find someone from the university, I'll have my brother help me out.

I'm hoping to pick up film making as a full time hobby. I'm planning to be shooting at least 3 shorts a year. Maybe a feature in a year or two.

Hiring a professional is out of the question for this first short. There's literally going to be like 30 words said throughout the whole film. I really only need a boom for one scene. The rest of the audio could be recorded by a single person with the digital recorder then added in post.

 

[Alcove Audio]

Almost everything I've read says that hypercardioid mics tend to pic up too much background noise outside. Which is why I was trying to stay away from one.

True, but shotgun mics greatly over-exaggerate the ambient reflections of indoor spaces unless used with exquisite skill, even if the set is properly prepared. That's what creates the hollow roomy sound so prevalent in indie productions. It's a question of choosing the proper tool for the job. That's why I recommend that you find someone who has a modicum of production sound knowledge.

 

[Artificial]

I think I'm going to go with the Rode VideoMic. I heard a sound test with the VideoMic into the H1, and it sounded great to me. Plus, I like that it's mountable on the dslr. That will come in handy for me when I'm out at the motocross track.

B&H has a deal on the VideoMic with a boom and 3.5mm extension cable for $170(vs $205 if bought separately). But, it's out of stock right now. Pairing that with the H1, I'll be dropping(happily) $260 on sound gear.

 

[Mitra]

I'm getting ready to take the plunge, and film my first short. I already have the camera(D5100), and I'll be picking up a new tripod(I only have a crappy one for photography). So, that leaves me with audio and lighting to worry about. Right now, I'm tackling the aspect of audio.

I was, kind of still am, torn between the H1 and DR-05. I'm leaning more towards the H1 for the portability.

What I'm really struggling to find/choose is a good shotgun mic for the boompole. It seems like I'm better off not using an XLR-mini adapter, and just using a mic with the mini output. But, if it's fine to use an adapter I'm open to mics with an XLR out. Ideally, I would like to keep it under $100 for just the mic. But, it seems that I need to spend at least ~$150 for a good mic. So, I'm prepared to spend that. What are my choices for that price range?

If you are planning to boom, then you have to have a recorder with XLR. Even with best shielded phono cable, you will end up with EMI. For recorders, you get what you pay for. There is no value way out to professional sound. If you want really top notch sound at value price, then I will recommend a generation older professional digital recorder such as Fostex FR2. They are not so small and cute like prosumer digital recorders you have mentioned, but buy, the sound quality is astounding!

I will also suggest investing on a pair or good quality diversity wireless lavaliere. This will eliminate any booming if you need to shoot two talents simultaneously. So you can even manage to shoot such scene and interviews alone. Here again, you cannot save much by selecting a value wireless systems, as those are more of less toys. For a dependable on-camera wireless lavs, you have only few choices from vendors like Sennheiser, Sony and Audiotechnica.

 

[Alcove Audio]

This will eliminate any booming if you need to shoot two talents simultaneously.

Except for the fact that most dialog editors and rerecording mixers prefer well-boomed dialog over lavs. I ALWAYS go for the boomed mic first.

 

[Mitra]

Except for the fact that most dialog editors and rerecording mixers prefer well-boomed dialog over lavs. I ALWAYS go for the boomed mic first.

Cheap lavs even from reputed name brands are bad. However, I am very impressed with professional wireless lavs from Sony, Shure and Sennheiser. Haven't used other brands but I believe their pro version will be good too. Booming wide shots are challenging, so for any multi angle wide and closeup shots of the talent, wireless lavs really shines.