Good Microphone?

[Indien]

I am basically ignorant in the area of sound (as well as most other areas of filmmaking). For the purpose of documentary production, what recommendations might you all have regarding (a) good microphone purchase(s)? I am interested in some reliable brands (and would like to know of any to stay away from). I also would like advice on what type(s) of microphone(s) I might need. I will be recording some original music, narration, and interviews (both studio and 'on scene', involving a boom). I hope you all can make sense of this post, any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much

 

[Will Vincent]

For boom audio you'll want a good shotgun mic. The longer they are, the narrower the pickup area is. So if you won't be extremely close to your subject then you'll want one that is as long as you can get. Sennheiser is pretty much the standard brand for shotgun mics, with the ME-66 being a very good choice.

On a tight budget, Audio Technica makes some decent mics, the ATR-55 is a decent low budget mic, but it's major drawback is that it does not use an XLR cable. Over longer runs (like that required for a boom) XLR is your best choice.

Another good choice for interviews is a lavalier (also called a lapel) mic. These are the small clip on mics you see quite frequently on talk shows and such. They can be either wired or wireless.

For doing voice over narration work you can't go wrong with a good large diaphram condenser or ribbon mic. Also while being in a sound booth gives the best results, the most important thing is to cut down the echo around the mic. So technically only the mic itself has to be in a sound deadened space. A good article on building a very portable DIY solution for this can be found in this article written by Voice-Over actor Harlon Hogan. Check out the entry on Rich Gates' blog on this topic as well.

I see you're from my neck of the woods.. So I'll point out that you can rent a nice Sennheiser and boom (as well as a LOT of other gear) from Cinequipt for a very reasonable day rate, and weekends (Friday afternoon - Monday morning) are charged as a single day. The guy you'll want to talk to there for rentals is Chris... He's a great guy, very helpful, and will take good care of you and your equipment needs.

 

[Indien]

Thanks so much Will, your advice is much appreciated. I would really not know where to start without it. Also, I enjoyed Cupid's Arrow, very professional. You seem to be a technical guru, so I may be asking you some more questions in the future.

 

[DeceptionA]

You def want to look into wireless lavs. Especially for interviews and scenes where there's 1 primary (or 2 if you got 2 mics!), or if you have a wide shot. Remember, your boom can't be in the shot, so the wider the shot, the further your boom has to be, unless you have a low-head room shot, then you still have to extend that puppy a good ways out.

What we typically do for interviews (and anything else we can do it for) is use 1 lav, and 1 boom. And run one to the left channel, and one to the right.

Wireless lav's can also be a pain. Depending on the type of cloth the actor/speaker is wearing, there can be a bunch of rustling, which you just have to adjust the mic until it's gone, sometimes that could not be an option though.

Also, mic frequencies in congested places can get annoying to tinker with. Airports are a pain, malls are a pain, hotels can be a pain, anywhere with tons of electronic frequencies going on. But, once you find the 'right' channel/band, you are typically okay.

So, that said, a wired lav is also a good idea, if your subject isn't moving around at all.

I also concur with everything Will said.

 

[Indien]

Thanks, way cool. I am actually looking at wireless lavs at this exact moment. I appreciate all your input, it is a big help. Just to clarify, an XLRM is effectively the same as an XLR input?

 

[DeceptionA]

I think the M stands for Male. Like a XLR3F/XLR3M connector.

Honestly, that's the only reference I can give you to your question. Never heard of "XLRM", so it's only a guess.

Where did you see it at?

 

[WideShot]

Got an AT8035 a little while ago. So far I'm liking it a lot.

The ATR55 is simply incredible for the price, although it doesn't offer you the flexibility to tweak as much as a proper XLR mic does.

 

[Indien]

I think the M stands for Male. Like a XLR3F/XLR3M connector.

Honestly, that's the only reference I can give you to your question. Never heard of "XLRM", so it's only a guess.

Where did you see it at?

It was on the Audio-Technica website, listing the specs for a mic. That would make sense that it stands for Male, thanks.