Mic sudgestions!?

B

brettzdamn

I have the zoom h4 and now im looking for a nice shotgun mic! At the moment im looking at the rode ntg-2, and the azden SGM-2x/1x.

I am looking to get a used mic just for the fact that i can gett better quality for cheaper. Does any one have experience with either of these mics? Or if some one has a better mic in those price ranges? I would love any help! Thanks!
 
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brettzdamn said:
So as of right now my top choice is a NTG-3. Is that a good choice?
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Some call it the poor mans Sennheiser MKH-416; maybe not quite that good, but a very nice mic for the price.

Please, please, please keep in mind that the mic does not guarantee quality, it's the skill with which it is used. Also keep in mind that it relies on external phantom power, and recorders like the batteries of the H4n and DR-100 are drained at a remarkable rate when supplying the power to mics, so you'll probably want to get a power pack for if you use one of those recorders.
 
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theclash4u5 said:
Would you recommend either one for someone who is looking into getting the DR-100 as well? My budget for a mic would probably be $300, and it would be my first microphone I've bought for a DSLR.
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The DR-100 is aimed at musicians, so has issues when it comes to production sound, the most notable being low volume levels. It's popular because it's inexpensive, not because it's the correct tool for the job. That being said, it's an acceptable (but barely) choice for indie filmmakers.

The NTG-2 is also notorious for low volume levels, so the DR-100/NTG-2 combo will yield very low volume levels. The NTG-1 and NTG-3 have acceptable volume output levels. The Audio Technica AT875 is another acceptable small budget shotgun. The battery powered Audio Technica AT897 has the same volume level problems as the NTG-2.

And I repeat:

Please, please, please keep in mind that the mic does not guarantee quality, it's the skill with which it is used.
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You may want to check out my blog:

http://www.myspace.com/alcoveaudio/blog
 
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Alcove Audio said:
The DR-100 is aimed at musicians, so has issues when it comes to production sound, the most notable being low volume levels. It's popular because it's inexpensive, not because it's the correct tool for the job. That being said, it's an acceptable (but barely) choice for indie filmmakers.

The NTG-2 is also notorious for low volume levels, so the DR-100/NTG-2 combo will yield very low volume levels. The NTG-1 and NTG-3 have acceptable volume output levels. The Audio Technica AT875 is another acceptable small budget shotgun. The battery powered Audio Technica AT897 has the same volume level problems as the NTG-2.

And I repeat:



You may want to check out my blog:

http://www.myspace.com/alcoveaudio/blog
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I'd be using the DR-100 to record live music, so hopefully that will work out okay. But I will definitely check out your blog, thanks! :yes:
 
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As there is a lot of talk of DR-100 I'll share my experiences and why I decided to replace it in the end.
I originally got it due to the XLR inputs and the fact it was Tascam. The choice was between that and the Zoom but I always Knew Zoom as a consumer brand known for making cheap guitar effects whereas Tascam were known for their professional recording gear.
From day one I had intermittent problems when using phantom power, (heard of others who had the same and others who dont) so could never really trust it with mics that relied on phantom.
I found it really needed cranking up to get good levels as many have already mentioned and could lead to a lot of hiss with weaker mics and signals. If you could mic up close (done a lot of radio work) and with a good mic it did give good results.
I found it cumbersome in use though. It's a handheld recorder but when you are also having to boom then what? I found myself trying to stuff it into pockets, tangling wires while trying not to hit the stop button. I eventually made a sling for it but there was no way of peeking at the levels while recording.
The big problem is that the next step up puts you in triple figure territory.
Before you all go spending money on sound gear keep in mind there are sound guys around with their own gear looking for projects to gain experience on and get credits. I have collaborated on quite a few projects for expenses only I found out about on Mandy.com. Cab fare and a pizza is a lot cheaper than a mic, boom and recorder and odds on they will get better sound than you or a friend will.
 
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Chrisk said:
As there is a lot of talk of DR-100 I'll share my experiences and why I decided to replace it in the end.
I originally got it due to the XLR inputs and the fact it was Tascam. The choice was between that and the Zoom but I always Knew Zoom as a consumer brand known for making cheap guitar effects whereas Tascam were known for their professional recording gear.
From day one I had intermittent problems when using phantom power, (heard of others who had the same and others who dont) so could never really trust it with mics that relied on phantom.
I found it really needed cranking up to get good levels as many have already mentioned and could lead to a lot of hiss with weaker mics and signals. If you could mic up close (done a lot of radio work) and with a good mic it did give good results.
I found it cumbersome in use though. It's a handheld recorder but when you are also having to boom then what? I found myself trying to stuff it into pockets, tangling wires while trying not to hit the stop button. I eventually made a sling for it but there was no way of peeking at the levels while recording.
The big problem is that the next step up puts you in triple figure territory.
Before you all go spending money on sound gear keep in mind there are sound guys around with their own gear looking for projects to gain experience on and get credits. I have collaborated on quite a few projects for expenses only I found out about on Mandy.com. Cab fare and a pizza is a lot cheaper than a mic, boom and recorder and odds on they will get better sound than you or a friend will.
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These are all fair points. I'll offer a few counterpoints. Yes, the volume is a little low on the DR100, but I still get better sound than on any video camera I've ever owned, including my EX3 which is known for good audio. About phantom power, I haven't had issues. What exactly happened with your phantom power?

How to manage the DR100 while booming? I've used it mainly off night stands. If I did a lot of booming I'd wear it as a necklace or perhaps strap it to the boom pole.

I'm not sure it's wise to plan a shoot and have an essential player like soundman an unpaid volunteer. What if he doesn't show up? You're hosed. Dead. I've found it stressful on shoot days wondering if the free help will show. So I vote for having a few pieces of sound gear and/or hiring a pro for $.
 
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I often got a high pitched whistle when using phantom power. As my mic was battery powered I just went with that and never really looked into what might cause it. I've read suggestions it could be battery strength.
I wouldn't of mentioned it had I not heard about other people experiencing it too.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good recorder, far better than on camera sound and when I've used it as a field recorder for recording interviews or audio for radio work I have been very happy with it, I just found it cumbersome when booming. If you have the luxury of placing it next to you on a table you do negate most of the negatives and I did find slinging it round my neck went a long way when out in the field.
Of course all these niggling problems are universal to all similar hand held field recorders and not in any way unique to the Tascam.

As for what you say about (almost) free crew I have to disagree. I've worked on a few no budget films were a great number of the crew were on expenses. These are people who are serious about doing this work and are willing to donate their time and equipment to get a foot into the industry and make contacts. Even when doing free work you have to offer full professionalism or how would you expect it to lead t professional work? Messing people around is not the way to make it into the industry. We are not talking friends you have roped in but people who want to make films as much as you do.
 
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