No more cheap mics

L

Libby

Okay I have had it with cheap mics. The ones I can use range up to 50 dollars. Even changing the batteries doesn't help much. You tilt it a little to the right or left and it doesn't pickup anything and it sounds like the person is in the next room. I resorted to the camera mic - because that sounded better actually.


So I am going to purchase a decent mic.

Where would I start? Most of the filming would be indoors...one actor at a time. Don't know if I want one that works off batteries because I would have to ensure I had spare batteries with me all the time...but if there was a decent one that worked off batteries than I would.

I was using a shotgun mic and a handheld mic...the shotgun was fine but sometimes tunes out and picks up nothing when tilted slightly. The handheld mic isn't much better and would work okay if the mic could be in full view and the person were holding it.

Lav mics do not appear to work in this camera because the one that I tried buzzes.

Merci
 
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Scoopicman said:
Hmmmm, does it look like this?

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WOW!!! It's the price of a used honda!
 
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Hmm.

Depends on what mic you're talking about.

In terms of diaphragms, there is pros and cons of large vs. small diaphragms.

In terms of sheer size of mic, that could be debated either way. There are awesome sounding mics that are tiny, and awesome sounding mics that weigh 12 pounds.

In terms of the interference tube of a shotgun, the more you have the more directional you're going to get - hence that 2 foot-long Sennheiser.

What context is that reliable source saying that in?
 
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EDIT:

Oh well, a larger diaphragm mic I have found in my experience to be best on voice but a large diaphragm mic usually has a resonant frequency that is hard to get rid of in mixing - I.E. the 2.5K zing of a U87.

A small diaphragm condenser has a smoother bass response IMO and I have found it easier to get clarity in the highs and lows with a voice on those,

It really depends on what sound you're looking for.

But, I have never heard anyone or told anyone that the solid rule about buying a microphone is that the bigger they are the better they are.

He might have been talking about a specific application - recording voice or vocals for example. In that case, it's pretty much agreed in vocals that a larger diaphragm works better on voice than a small diaphragm. But I dunno what he meant.
 
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insert_cliche_here said:
I did not realise mics were so expensive.
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But now you understand why Roc and I chuckle and roll our eyes when folks say that they want to spend $300 on their entire sound kit. A "Hollywood" sound cart can easily go for $50k.

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An entry level Pro Tools HD system starts at about $25k; a fully loaded system can easily be over $100k. Then you need a computer ($3k+), speakers ($5k - $25k), mixing desk ($6k to $200k)... you get the idea. (My personal investment in gear and my room [isolation, soundproofing, treatment] is about $50k.)

Here's my modest little studio:

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ROC said:
lol if you guys think that's expensive filmmaking gear, look at the film cameras :)
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But at least audio gear - with maybe the exception of digital recorders - holds its value. An ME-66 goes for about $475; a ten year old ME-66 still will go for about $300. A new U87 is about $3,200, a used U87 for about $2k or more. How much would a ten year old video camera go for these days? I'm still using mics I bought 30 years ago.
 
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insert_cliche_here said:
I'm starting to understand how movies can cost millions of dollars to make lol
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It's kind of bizarre when you look at a "Hollywood" budget. Your stars cost seven or eight figures each. Insurance, completion & indemnity bonds, union rules & rates, etc. add up in a big hurry.

A great film can be made on a very modest budget. Hitchcock made "Psycho" for about a million, if I remember correctly (not including marketing), about 15 million in todays dollars. "Hurt Locker" is another example of a good film on a relatively modest budget. The original "Star Wars" was much bigger than its budget.

Everything is a matter of perspective. Obtaining a budget of one million dollars is a seemingly impossible goal for 99% of the indie filmmakers out there, yet it's a single percentage point of a "Hollywood" budget.

The dichotomy that indie filmmakers face is that audiences have very high technical standards, even if those audiences are not aware of that fact themselves, so filmmakers have to deliver a product that looks and sounds professional as well as being emotionally engaging. How to do this on a modest budget? That's the problem we debate here on IndieTalk every day.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
But at least audio gear - with maybe the exception of digital recorders - holds its value. An ME-66 goes for about $475; a ten year old ME-66 still will go for about $300. A new U87 is about $3,200, a used U87 for about $2k or more. How much would a ten year old video camera go for these days? I'm still using mics I bought 30 years ago.
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Very true of digital gear, but film cameras don't seem to lose much of their original value, and lenses in good condition often go for the same price as they were new.
 
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