Cost Cutting-- Cheaper Audio Deals Worth It?

M

Mannie Bothans

Okay, say I want to buy a boom pole, a blimp, a windscreen, and a Rode NTG-3 shotgun.

I have the option of getting exactly that for $808 but might be cutting corners on the boom pole, a blimp, a windscreen quality:

http://www.pro-audio-warehouse.com/rd-ntg3.html
http://www.indiefilmdepot.com/products/proaim-6-boom-pole-with-blimp-windscreen

or the items (different brand) plus a cable for $1000:

http://www.dvestore.com/products/DVcreator-Location-Sound-Package-4.html

or the same stuff minus the windscreen for $1500:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/765110-REG/Rode_NTG_3_B_H_Signature_Series.html

There's a big difference in $808 and $1500. I know B&H is known for excellent customer service, but I don't mind ordering from multiple sources if the gear is as good.

Is the $1000 gear really $200 better than the $800 gear? (I don't want to waste money on junk, but I don't want to overpay for unnecessary name-branding either.)
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Low cost does not equal low quality, it leads to compromises. If you get a cheap blimp it is not going to provide the same amount of wind protection, so you either cannot shoot when it's really windy (a lost shooting day) or you get excessively noisy audio tracks (lots of noise reduction and/or ADR). Either way you have added to the cost of your production - you have to pay for the lost day or the you have to pay for the added audio post. So saving $300 by buying a cheap blimp costs a few hundred or thousand in added costs later on. Or your project just sounds like crap, nobody can hear what the actors are saying, so no one will ever see your project, so you've wasted all the time and effort it took to make the film.

As I expound so frequently, knowledge and technical skills are just as important, if not more important, than the equipment used. The biggest contradiction is that you need a high degree of knowledge to overcome the shortcomings of budget gear.

Now I completely understand the financial problems facing the indie community. The key is to know the limitations of the gear and to extend your knowledge to the utmost. The problem filmmakers have is there are just too many disciplines for them to even become a jack-of-all-trades. It is always a much better option to retain someone with knowledge you do not have.
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So this one is cheap quality:

http://www.indiefilmdepot.com/products/proaim-6-boom-pole-with-blimp-windscreen

Is this one significantly better?

http://www.dvestore.com/products/DVcreator-Location-Sound-Package-4.html

Does anyone know if this "Pro Audio Warehouse" is a reputable dealer?
 
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The big difference in my view is the boom pole.

This one
http://www.indiefilmdepot.com/produc...imp-windscreen
is just a cheap mic stand with a couple foam handles on it. It only goes 6' high. You can add extensions but still crap, better then a broom handle, but no by much.

The $1000 kit comes with a good boom, k-tec avalaon series you can pick the 9 footer!

The B&H kits also comes with a k-tec boom, but its graphite and from the higher end line.





In my analysis, the $1000 kits is the best of the three options. The graphite boom is not that much lighter , and not really worth $500 more.

Thats my opinion, worth every penny you paid for it.
 
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For the money you are talking, you could hire a sound person for a project or two. You would get great quality and be able to focus on other aspects...just sayin

I have some gear meself cuz I do video production and have rented myself out to do sound
 
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Don't get the NTG-3. Yes, it is a very nice mic. But is your skill set able to take advantage of it? Are you going to be swinging the boom? No, you're going to hand it to someone who knows even less than you do. So no one will never hear the difference in sound quality.

Get the Rode NTG-1 or the Audio Technica AT875 and spend the rest of the money on quality accessories. A quality boom-pole, shock-mount, blimp, dead cat and cable will always be compatible should you ever decide to upgrade the mic.
 
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IndieB, I was actually looking at that very pole as well. I wondered about just using a broomstick or painter's pole as well, especially after watching some of the FrugalFilmmaker videos.

I'm liking the idea of starting with a kit if I can find a decent combination at a good price.

Wheatgrinder-- thanks so much for the insights about the Ktec Avalon series vs Klassic series, as well as the observations about the indiefimdepot one. Very helpful.

Does anyone know if this "Pro Audio Warehouse" is a reputable dealer? Their NTG is about a couple hundred dollars cheaper than everywhere else-- well, everywhere else except these guys, but I suspect they aren't a real store:

http://desktop.toolshomes.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2775&offer_id=B007BZBZCY

http://ace.audiogoshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=8090&offer_id=B007CE03MC


**edit** I just saw the two posts that were made to this thread while I was replying...

Good point about hiring crew. We'll see where this little hobby leads.

Regarding buying quality accessories, I didn't think about that. I just heard the NG3 next to the NG2 (both in fixed positions) and the NG3 sounded amazing even though the talent intentionally moved to stretch the limits of the mic-- and was inaudiable with the NG2.
 
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