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Sound recording devices for starters?

Situation: I'm having a hard time choosing my device(s) to record audio. There are a lot of options.

Needs: Recording dialogue (from whispers to screaming), ambient sounds (like a forest bird orchestra) and sound effects (footsteps). The audio needs to be good enough to not distract from the movie/story, and be able to add something where it has to. Like when accentuating the bad guy's footsteps while you can't see him.

Budget: $100 - $200, preferably less.

Considering: Zoom H1 with lavalier mic. 2x pop filter.

Any tips/feedback/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Edit: Which is the best lav mic for under $120?
 
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Interesting. I wasn't sure on how to do those type of shots. So you would, in most cases, record the dialogue from really wide shots on location after the take or maybe in post. And let's say it's a normal conversation (no dreamy/nightmare theme or anything) you would just make the sounds a bit softer, right? That way you can reflect the distance and make it sound more natural, right?

Assuming the scene has a wide establishing shot, that shot will be recorded MOS (a fancy industry term for “without sound”). The actual dialog scene is shot several times: once on a wider shot, and 2-3 times, or more, with varying close-ups, over-the-shoulder shots, etc. Dialog is recorded with each take. The final edit is a composite of the best audio and video from all takes.

The establishing shot will utilize dialog from one of the other shots, layered with ambient sound beds and other SFX.

That only a small percentage becomes ''good''. So the odds are against everyone trying to become good. It refers to a certain sentence which said: ''if I become good''

Putting yourself into a box like that is giving up before you even start. Snap out of it, dude. Odds mean very little if you actually practice and work to learn and improve.

There was another (now former) member around here who wasted everyone’s time for years because he always had a reason that any piece of advice given wouldn’t work. It didn’t matter what we said. We’d get, “Okay thanks. But...”

Don’t be that guy.

Not like I can learn the in-and-outs of 2 devices at the same time anyway. So I would start with the audio recorder and get a storage card with that. Then learn that stuff, until I feel like I can produce the sounds with it that the device is meant to produce. Then get the boom pole with shotgun mic and learn that.

But... learning to use the recorder with the boomed shotgun is part of learning the recorder’s ins and outs. It’s about learning to gain stage your mic, which is a function of the recorder. It’s about learning to set proper recording levels. This is the overall dialog recording process.

And you aren’t going to get anything useful other than ambient sound beds and SFX with the recorder by itself. If you try to get any kind of on-camera dialog recording with just the recorder then you have dropped yourself right in the middle of forming bad habits up front.

By the way, which camera are you using?
 
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I'll take your advice and see how I can improve.

By the way, which camera are you using?

Currently using a Nikon D3100 camera.
Got the camera from someone passing away in the family, sadly. It rebooted my interest in filmmaking though. I didn't own a camera outside of a webcam and phone before and never really bothered.

So far I've only spend around $140 to get 2 books, a Nikon battery and a SD card. So I guess I'll splash some cash on my audio gear. And I'm looking to invest in an extra lens cap and small tripod.

Likely won't be doing much more outdoor shooting until Saturday. Busy week coming up. I hope I can order the gear online around Tuesday, so I can play with it and ask some questions if needed.

I'll do some camera experiments with small toys and objects if I find time before Saturday.
 
Currently using a Nikon D3100 camera.

Sorry you came into the camera under such circumstances, but glad that it has given you some inspiration.

The D3100 has no connection for external audio, so your only option to record even halfway-decent sound is to go with a second system (separate audio recorder and microphone). DSLRs in general have terrible sound capabilities, but it’s not even possible to start there with your camera.

So we’re back to the mic and recorder. Bob has mentioned earlier that you should retain a sound specialist to take care of your sound recording. That’s great advice, and even on an extremely beginner hobbyist level it may be worth recruiting a friend who also has interest in learning to make short films and may want to learn sound. It’s impossible to boom a mic and run a camera at the same time (impossible? At least clumsy and highly ill-advised...). A stationary mic on a boom stand doesn’t cover blocking in a scene unless the actors stand perfectly still.

Seriously... if you have some friends who are interested in this stuff, form a small crew of beginners. 2 or 3 people to work behind the camera. It’s more fun with a team, anyway.
 
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I reckon that would be because you know all the ins and outs of audio.

I have some experience, not as much as Alcove. I'm still learning.

You may have a studio headset. You would maybe never like the audio from a Zoom H1.

I use a H1 to record place holder audio until we record with gear that better suits. My suggestion comes from a place of experience, not elitism.

The average movie watcher wouldn't mind as long as you use the gear well.
I wholeheartedly agree, how you use the gear matters more than the gear itself. This also assumes you're talking about gear that hits minimum requirements for the task at hand.

So when audio gear gets me a 5% bigger audience, I'm not willing to spend +200%. I basically just need audio gear that can do more than close-up speaking, which is the only thing that the in-build camera mic can handle and sound half-decent after editing. (Sure, not cinema level, but average at-home watcher level)

If audio from the camera up close is as good as you need I'm going to suggest something a little different to Alcove. It might be just what you need, but you really need to take into consideration what you're planning on shooting. This suits more typical youtube videos as opposed to more serious narrative films. Look at grabbing a Rode Lav mic for about $50-$100, plug it into your iPhone and click on record. See if that gives you the audio you need. I think you'll find you'll get about the same quality as you'd get with your H1. You'll have to work out a way to get around clothes noise and other challenges (like monitoring etc). It'll get you about 50-60% of the way, but that might be the spot you're aiming for.... and for a bonus at a fraction of the price.

If you need to step up your gear, you'll want to consider investing more than what you're looking at right now.
 
I'll do some camera experiments with small toys and objects if I find time before Saturday.

Okay, let's all step back for a moment.

You have to understand, Pizza, and I'm sure that it's painfully obvious, that directorik, indietalk and Sweetie are passionate about audio. From our handles - Acoustic Al & Alcove Audio - it's a baseball bat between the eyes obvious that we are obsessed with sound-for-picture and sound in general.

I get it, you're funds are extremely limited. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. So keep it simple. You can do "silent" films. You can get a free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) like Audacity. There are some usable free plug-ins out there, as well as free sound libraries. Load in an image you've taken and give it a new atmosphere, or try to recreate from your sound library something like a passing vehicle or a dog. I guess what I'm saying is work at sound the other way; see what you can convey with sound and visuals only. Picking between three different car passes that all fit but sound entirely different can be a real education and that's what you're looking for.
 
Acoustic AI
So we’re back to the mic and recorder. Bob has mentioned earlier that you should retain a sound specialist to take care of your sound recording. That’s great advice, and even on an extremely beginner hobbyist level it may be worth recruiting a friend who also has interest in learning to make short films and may want to learn sound. It’s impossible to boom a mic and run a camera at the same time (impossible? At least clumsy and highly ill-advised...). A stationary mic on a boom stand doesn’t cover blocking in a scene unless the actors stand perfectly still.

I'll get one or two friends to help me out behind the camera. (Hopefully someone is interested :lol:) Even if they have no experience at all, I do agree with you that's its better to have a regular setup so it's not as clumsy. And while filming your friends will get better too.

Sweetie
I have some experience, not as much as Alcove. I'm still learning.

Yeah, I figured one can criticize the quality of audio by putting the volume up and listening to the noise. And I learned that within a movie, sound must follow certain obvious rules, like consistency. So it would be important to get a mic that picks up audio consistently. Probably many others things you can watch out for that I've never heard of. Tell me if I'm wrong or if I'm missing something.

I wholeheartedly agree, how you use the gear matters more than the gear itself. This also assumes you're talking about gear that hits minimum requirements for the task at hand.

Right. And is it true that better gear can be used in more situations? I do get that pretty much everything cheap is produced in such a way which causes noise/unrealistic capture/inconsistency.

If audio from the camera up close is as good as you need I'm going to suggest something a little different to Alcove. It might be just what you need, but you really need to take into consideration what you're planning on shooting. This suits more typical youtube videos as opposed to more serious narrative films. Look at grabbing a Rode Lav mic for about $50-$100, plug it into your iPhone and click on record. See if that gives you the audio you need. I think you'll find you'll get about the same quality as you'd get with your H1. You'll have to work out a way to get around clothes noise and other challenges (like monitoring etc). It'll get you about 50-60% of the way, but that might be the spot you're aiming for.... and for a bonus at a fraction of the price.

If you need to step up your gear, you'll want to consider investing more than what you're looking at right now.

I do want something a few levels up on camera mics. It only starts to sound half-decent after editing, and that's only when dialogue is recorded from close to the mouth, without being outside as the wind would cause tons of noise.

So something 1 level up on the Rode Lav mic. Pretty much the best piece of gear at around $150 to $200. Looking at a shotgun mic and a recorder. So around $350 for the recorder + shotgun mic together. And then getting all needed accessoires for those. I reckon I could do with that for a few years.

But thanks for the recommendation anyway, and I may just pick up something really cheap to see how bad it is. I guess I could return or resell it afterwards. And if I can't, I don't lose much and have some personal practical experience with it.

Alcove Audio
You have to understand, Pizza, and I'm sure that it's painfully obvious, that directorik, indietalk and Sweetie are passionate about audio. From our handles - Acoustic Al & Alcove Audio - it's a baseball bat between the eyes obvious that we are obsessed with sound-for-picture and sound in general.

I do get that. I think what I'm trying to say is that at this stage it's too much of a risk to get the better gear, but getting the worst stuff will just be painful to listen to. I need a balance. Gear that I can work with for a few years at most until I upgrade or have a sound member. Gear that, with the right technique, can make sound that casuals love, sound that the passionate will be okay with, and sound that the experts won't like but are willing to listen to if the story is good.
I think that gear is the stuff that you two recommended. Not the cheapo list, but the stuff around $150-200 per piece. Would you agree with me on that?

I get it, you're funds are extremely limited. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. So keep it simple. You can do "silent" films. You can get a free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) like Audacity. There are some usable free plug-ins out there, as well as free sound libraries. Load in an image you've taken and give it a new atmosphere, or try to recreate from your sound library something like a passing vehicle or a dog. I guess what I'm saying is work at sound the other way; see what you can convey with sound and visuals only. Picking between three different car passes that all fit but sound entirely different can be a real education and that's what you're looking for.

Right. I do think it's important to see your limitations and be creative around them. For the project I'm working on right now, I did download some 'free for commercial use' sounds and play with them. It's just that certain sounds like footsteps are hard to do the same to and still have it sound good. Dialogue isn't part of my current project.

I do have Audacity for sound editing. So far I've only really used it for editing dialogue from my Blue Yeti, which I already own a few years now. (I don't plan on using it for filmmaking, apart from for small camera experiments with toys.)

But I'll look into the free sound libraries and play with them. See what different versions of the same type of sound do for the feel of the scene, as you recommend.

And someone gave me the tip to tell a story just through sound, so I'll try that with the free library, and then later, with my own recorded sound.

----

Once again thanks for all the feedback, tips and opinions. It really has helped me to understand audio better.
 
And someone gave me the tip to tell a story just through sound, so I'll try that with the free library, and then later, with my own recorded sound.

Watch silent films. Check out the pre-"Toy Story" Pixar shorts (all with no dialog) and Wall-E (which has limited dialog). Check out YouTube for videos on Sound Design. Ben Burtt, Randy Thom, Walter Murch and Gary Rydstrom are a few guys to start with.

Here's a few videos to give you some inspiration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ_IwTp4Rwo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cpoww6iKyA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrE0MVYmGCc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBrl96hyChc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kavxsXhzD48
 
Watch silent films. Check out the pre-"Toy Story" Pixar shorts (all with no dialog) and Wall-E (which has limited dialog). Check out YouTube for videos on Sound Design. Ben Burtt, Randy Thom, Walter Murch and Gary Rydstrom are a few guys to start with.

Thank you very much. Watched the first video and I'm already inspired (and scared). I think that's a good thing.

Good luck & have fun. You seem to have a healthy attitude.
And don't underestimate those pukey videos. A poison treatment center may be able to use them to help induce vomiting with appropriate victims haha

Thanks. And that's a good joke. Chuckled me up. May just use it in one of the pukey movies, or on a movie on movies, which every filmmaker seems to do at some point.
 
The other option is to find someone in love with sound and pair up. That way he gets your visuals and you get his sound.

Thank you for joining the discussion.

I'll certainly try to post something on the free ads billboard at my local supermarket and on fora online.
 
So it would be important to get a mic that picks up audio consistently.

For the most part, yes, but also no. It depends on what you're doing, what you need and the circumstance you're thrown into.

Probably many others things you can watch out for that I've never heard of.

It's the experience curve. You're never going to learn what an experienced audio guy will.

Tell me if I'm wrong or if I'm missing something.

It's very hard to know. To be frank with you, the details about what you're doing are limited, so it's virtually impossible to give you anything more than general advice.

So something 1 level up on the Rode Lav mic. Pretty much the best piece of gear at around $150 to $200.

I have to admit, for the most part, I've always been removed from low end budgets you're talking, but I've never come across anything in your budget range that's an improvement than the Rode Lavs. Your circumstances may alter that.
 
So it would be important to get a mic that picks up audio consistently.
For the most part, yes, but also no. It depends on what you're doing, what you need and the circumstance you're thrown into.

In which situation would it not be important, though? I mean consistency as in that when you record the same sound twice with the same settings, that you pretty much get the same recording.

It's the experience curve. You're never going to learn what an experienced audio guy will.

That is true. Thankfully I don't need to master it unless I exclusively want to be in sound. I would want to, but no one can master all aspects of filmmaking. It's a team sport, you need to be competent in the all roles so you can guide them towards doing the thing you need them to do to realise your vision of the film.

It's very hard to know. To be frank with you, the details about what you're doing are limited, so it's virtually impossible to give you anything more than general advice.

Okay, I have to get footsteps. I reckon, but I could try, that it's impossible to record footsteps while filming in my situation. The mic would be out of frame, but the surface I'm walking would be unlikely to create enough sound. I would also need to get someone on short notice to hold the mic, since I want to wrap up this project and move into the next.

Other than that: Forest ambient sound. Which type of mic (something below $250 pls.) would be best suited? Not really talking about the exact model, but about the pickup pattern. And I've heard about using two mics, one which picks up sound in front and the other picking it up from the sides. Any advice?

I have to admit, for the most part, I've always been removed from low end budgets you're talking, but I've never come across anything in your budget range that's an improvement than the Rode Lavs. Your circumstances may alter that.

Hmm. So you reckon nothing inside the $200 budget range is better at that Rode's job, than that Rode itself? Could I PM you some links to sound tests done by people on YouTube, see if you like the audio?
 
I mean consistency as in that when you record the same sound twice with the same settings, that you pretty much get the same recording.

I get your theory. The reality is nothing is ever the same.

It's a team sport, you need to be competent in the all roles so you can guide them towards doing the thing you need them to do to realise your vision of the film.

If that's so, why invest in the sound gear in the first place. Collaborate.

I have to get footsteps.
Other than that: Forest ambient sound.
Any advice?

Use a sound effects library.

see if you like the audio?

I'm not sure what would be the point. Recorded vs mixed audio and all.
 
In which situation would it not be important, though? I mean consistency as in that when you record the same sound twice with the same settings, that you pretty much get the same recording.

When it comes to production sound consistency is when the boom-op keeps the mic properly aimed at all times. Production sound is extremely easy to get wrong; that's one reason so many experienced filmmakers are so passionate about sound.


Okay, I have to get footsteps. I reckon, but I could try, that it's impossible to record footsteps while filming in my situation. The mic would be out of frame, but the surface I'm walking would be unlikely to create enough sound.

As I have mentioned previously the only thing you should be recording during production is dialog. Everything else will be added in audio post. Use your Yeti and do the Foley work yourself. You can cut it tighter if your performance isn't perfect. Here's a place to start…


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IknJfvFXbM



Other than that: Forest ambient sound.

Get your sound effects (ambience qualifies as sound effects) from a sound library. Trust me, even mediocre libraries will probably sound better than what you could record. There are lots of free libraries of varying quality. You can start here:

https://freesound.org

Many sites that sell sound effects will have a small free section as well.

https://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/PIRsfx.shtml


Which type of mic (something below $250 pls.) would be best suited? Not really talking about the exact model, but about the pickup pattern. And I've heard about using two mics, one which picks up sound in front and the other picking it up from the sides. Any advice?

Something that will record ambience WELL is beyond your budget and, more importantly, your skill set. Use library sounds. Two mics will record stereo ambient sound in a X pattern or a wide split pattern. And it's not front and back, it's left and right - unless, of course you are recording for surround sound. And even ambience is not that simple. I personally use use a simple stereo ambience as a basis for the full ambient sound sub mix. So if I am doing a forest scene I first study the scene and pick an appropriate "canvas." In this case it would be light birds (geographically correct). Then I will keep adding details such as individual bird calls, wind, animals, etc. This is when sound design can be fun as well as adding to the overall project. I don't know what kind of birds are in the Netherlands, but here in North America I would use a Jay or a Crow (which sound "nasty" or "evil") in the ambience after a character says something ominous.


Hmm. So you reckon nothing inside the $200 budget range is better at that Rode's job, than that Rode itself? Could I PM you some links to sound tests done by people on YouTube, see if you like the audio?


If you don't care about quality, reliability or upgradeability you can pick any lav or mic you want. Rode and Audio Technica pretty much own the market as far as prosumer mics go. They sound okay and are reliable.
 
Thanks for the continued discussion. Enjoying it!

Sweetie
I get your theory. The reality is nothing is ever the same.

Okay, so I shouldn't worry about it as much.

If that's so, why invest in the sound gear in the first place. Collaborate.

I need to know how it all works. Or at least the very basics. How else will I effectively guide people towards creating the thing I need?

Also, it's not all that easy to find filmmakers in my area who are willing to collaborate with a beginner. But like I said before, once I have some experience (i.e. made 3 micro shorts or so) I will try to hunt for collaborators. Would be nice if within a group we can help, on production and out of production, during each other's projects, share knowledge and brainstorm together.

Use a sound effects library.

So I should basically just buy a recorder and a boom mic for dialogue, and that's it? And then a quality headset to judge it.
Use a sound library for foley and sound effects. ADR with same boom mic. And (background)music free, or free but on request. Of course if I really need something more fitting I could pay a fee.

Alcove Audio
When it comes to production sound consistency is when the boom-op keeps the mic properly aimed at all times. Production sound is extremely easy to get wrong; that's one reason so many experienced filmmakers are so passionate about sound.

Okay. I'll experiment with the equipment a lot once I have it.

As I have mentioned previously the only thing you should be recording during production is dialog. Everything else will be added in audio post. Use your Yeti and do the Foley work yourself. You can cut it tighter if your performance isn't perfect. Here's a place to start…

Thank you very much. I'll check it out.

Get your sound effects (ambience qualifies as sound effects) from a sound library. Trust me, even mediocre libraries will probably sound better than what you could record. There are lots of free libraries of varying quality. You can start here:

I can very much believe that. They just have to fit, but I guess I can edit the audio a bit.
Added them to my bookmarks.

Something that will record ambience WELL is beyond your budget and, more importantly, your skill set. Use library sounds. Two mics will record stereo ambient sound in a X pattern or a wide split pattern. And it's not front and back, it's left and right - unless, of course you are recording for surround sound. And even ambience is not that simple. I personally use use a simple stereo ambience as a basis for the full ambient sound sub mix. So if I am doing a forest scene I first study the scene and pick an appropriate "canvas." In this case it would be light birds (geographically correct). Then I will keep adding details such as individual bird calls, wind, animals, etc. This is when sound design can be fun as well as adding to the overall project. I don't know what kind of birds are in the Netherlands, but here in North America I would use a Jay or a Crow (which sound "nasty" or "evil") in the ambience after a character says something ominous.

Okay, so I should just keep scenes simple as much as possible so I only have to record some dialogue. Especially while I'm learning and don't have budget/crew/experience.

I like the mood reflection in the audio with a crow. Seems like a lot of fun indeed.

If you don't care about quality, reliability or upgradeability you can pick any lav or mic you want. Rode and Audio Technica pretty much own the market as far as prosumer mics go. They sound okay and are reliable.

I'll for sure go for a Rode or Audio Technica for within my budget range then. Thanks for all the help.

-----

What I'm planning to buy:

- Tascam DR-40 V2 (€179 = $219)
- Audio Technica AT875R Shotgun (€155 = $190) OR Rode NTG2 (€185 = $226)
- Sony MDR 7506 Headphone (€100 = $122)

Haven't looked into accessoires and what I should watch out for. Any tips on would be greatly appreciated.

Specifically looking for a handheld boom pole, a boom stand for 'static' scenes, a shock mount, XLR cable if needed and a windscreen for shooting in the wind for the shotgun mic. Looking to spend around $200 for all, but feel free to convince me that more or less is better.
Are there any decent low budget boom stand/pole kits? Like a 2 in 1 thing?
 
so I shouldn't worry about it as much.

If all you're going to do is learn enough to get yourself into trouble, I'd say correct. have a read of those books Alcove suggested and you'll be in a better position to determine your requirements and best course of action.

I need to know how it all works. Or at least the very basics. How else will I effectively guide people towards creating the thing I need?

I get what you mean. It's exactly the same as catching a taxi. You need to know how to drive their vehicle and what path they need to drive to be able to catch one... Not to mention, how to maintain the vehicle and the list goes on and on.

I prefer another method. I tell the driver the desired destination and let them do their job. In filmmaking, that would be the desired result. Listen to their suggestions/options, make a decision and then let them do their job.

it's not all that easy to find filmmakers in my area who are willing to collaborate with a beginner

It's a skill filmmakers/directors/producers need to learn. I suggest you do too. If not, you may find out later that you've been throwing money into a never ending pit in an attempt to find solutions that would have been better spent in other ways.

I've met plenty of people who have dumped $1-2k into audio (camera gear too) only to find out what they bought was near on useless. They're happy as a pig in s**t when they find the next sucker to palm it on to at a heavy loss. Those who invest in decent gear usually get a decent sale price when they do decide to sell/upgrade.

Then you'll end up with a similar issue with lights, grip gear and probably camera. Not a fun position when you're cash strapped.

So I should basically just buy a recorder and a boom mic for dialogue, and that's it? And then a quality headset to judge it.

Since you've mentioned all you're doing is recording effects, I wouldn't buy any equipment.
 
I need to know how it all works. Or at least the very basics. How else will I effectively guide people towards creating the thing I need?

Be careful with that. Nothing grates on me more than a director or producer micromanaging how I do my job. There is such a thing as having just enough knowledge to be dangerous, and that is not a place you want to be.

It’s one thing if you assemble a crew of beginners and you’re all figuring things out, but once you get to the point that you’re hiring skilled people for your crew you need to learn to trust that they know how to do their jobs. It’s great to be able to communicate what you want, and to be able to give delivery specs, but annoying to be telling people how to do their jobs.

What I'm planning to buy:

- Tascam DR-40 V2 (€179 = $219)
- Audio Technica AT875R Shotgun (€155 = $190) OR Rode NTG2 (€185 = $226)
- Sony MDR 7506 Headphone (€100 = $122)

Get the AT, not the RØDE. With a recorder like the DR-40, you need a mic that has a little bit higher output. The RØDE has a lower output which means the preamps in the recorder need to make up more gain. That means a higher noise floor.

Haven't looked into accessoires and what I should watch out for. Any tips on would be greatly appreciated.

Specifically looking for a handheld boom pole, a boom stand for 'static' scenes, a shock mount, XLR cable if needed and a windscreen for shooting in the wind for the shotgun mic. Looking to spend around $200 for all, but feel free to convince me that more or less is better.
Are there any decent low budget boom stand/pole kits? Like a 2 in 1 thing?

Are you doing anything with lighting? Do you have a C-stand? The easiest way to park a boom for a locked shot is to clamp a $20 bracket into the grip head to hold the boom. A regular mic stand isn’t going to have the physical reach necessary for anything more than a closely-framed, seated interview.

As for boom poles, Marantz has one that is iternally cabled and runs $89 here in the US. That’s very inexpensive. No idea how good it is, but may be worth a shot for a starter kit. RØDE has one as well for $49, but it extends to just over 6’ while the Marantz extends to 11’.

For a basic shockmount, the Rycote INV-7.
Wind protection, Rycote Softie or Auray WSS-2012.
 
Sweetie
If all you're going to do is learn enough to get yourself into trouble, I'd say correct. have a read of those books Alcove suggested and you'll be in a better position to determine your requirements and best course of action.
Since you've mentioned all you're doing is recording effects, I wouldn't buy any equipment.

Right. I'll buy and read the book. Then once I start my next project, which will include dialogue, I will buy the equipment necessary and be more knowledgeable from the start.

I get what you mean. It's exactly the same as catching a taxi. You need to know how to drive their vehicle and what path they need to drive to be able to catch one... Not to mention, how to maintain the vehicle and the list goes on and on.

I prefer another method. I tell the driver the desired destination and let them do their job. In filmmaking, that would be the desired result. Listen to their suggestions/options, make a decision and then let them do their job.

I don't agree with the analogy. I don't need to be a master, but I need to have at least touched sound design, before asking people for certain results. And I'm 100% on you with the creative input from everyone on crew and cast - very important!

It's a skill filmmakers/directors/producers need to learn. I suggest you do too. If not, you may find out later that you've been throwing money into a never ending pit in an attempt to find solutions that would have been better spent in other ways.

I've met plenty of people who have dumped $1-2k into audio (camera gear too) only to find out what they bought was near on useless. They're happy as a pig in s**t when they find the next sucker to palm it on to at a heavy loss. Those who invest in decent gear usually get a decent sale price when they do decide to sell/upgrade.

Then you'll end up with a similar issue with lights, grip gear and probably camera. Not a fun position when you're cash strapped.

I agree, which is why I said before: I will get collaborators, it's just not easy.

I'm trying to find a piece of gear that sounds good enough and that I can learn from. From these pieces (years on) I can either upgrade or get an audio person. With the stuff I have at that point I will try to create movies that people love. That's the end of the road as far as indie filmmaking goes.

There is no dumping $2k unless you make a rash decision, which by the length of the thread, it clearly isn't. Adding to that, I'll read the book suggested before buying to be even more knowledgeable about my options.

And I don't have to sell my gear, ever. If I had to, I wouldn't buy it in the first place. I'm not strapped for cash or I wouldn't be considering mics above $20. If you're strapped for cash, (or spending it on credit) it is a big risk to spend $2k.


AcousticAI
Be careful with that. Nothing grates on me more than a director or producer micromanaging how I do my job. There is such a thing as having just enough knowledge to be dangerous, and that is not a place you want to be.

It’s one thing if you assemble a crew of beginners and you’re all figuring things out, but once you get to the point that you’re hiring skilled people for your crew you need to learn to trust that they know how to do their jobs. It’s great to be able to communicate what you want, and to be able to give delivery specs, but annoying to be telling people how to do their jobs.

I agree. And my first 'crew members' will very likely be beginners like myself.

Get the AT, not the RØDE. With a recorder like the DR-40, you need a mic that has a little bit higher output. The RØDE has a lower output which means the preamps in the recorder need to make up more gain. That means a higher noise floor.

Thanks. I was wondering about that decision.

Are you doing anything with lighting? Do you have a C-stand? The easiest way to park a boom for a locked shot is to clamp a $20 bracket into the grip head to hold the boom. A regular mic stand isn’t going to have the physical reach necessary for anything more than a closely-framed, seated interview.

As for boom poles, Marantz has one that is iternally cabled and runs $89 here in the US. That’s very inexpensive. No idea how good it is, but may be worth a shot for a starter kit. RØDE has one as well for $49, but it extends to just over 6’ while the Marantz extends to 11’.

For a basic shockmount, the Rycote INV-7.
Wind protection, Rycote Softie or Auray WSS-2012.

I do need to get a few basic lights for indoors, but I'm not at a stage yet where I feel comfortable getting a full setup. I write my scripts with most restrictions in mind.

I don't have a C-stand but I'll look into all of it in the future.

Thanks for the recommendations! :)
 
I don't agree with the analogy. I don't need to be a master, but I need to have at least touched sound design, before asking people for certain results.

You'll get to run your sets the way you want to run them. It'll be your dime.

I'm not strapped for cash
it is a big risk to spend $2k.

You're not getting me. It's a bigger risk to your wallet to buy the wrong gear. Spending twice is never the economical move.

it's just not easy.

Nothing good ever is. If you have the right skills, put the effort into making the right connections, and have the right resources, it's not that hard to put together a team.
 
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