Best onboard Mic

J

Jon Neely

New member
Hey everyone, this is a shout out looking at what people are using. Currently I am slinging a Rode NTG3 with the rode wind jammer to get random sound bites and sound effects on the run. I just doesn't seem directional enough or have the right cut/pass filters to pick up voices vs background. I am curious if anyone slings a silver bullet mic that give them better results the the Rode. Just a feeler.

Thanks
 
I use an NTG1 - smaller and less obtrusive. I don't think I've ever used an onboard mic that has been noticeably good, so the NTG1 does me fine. I boom anything important.
 
I use a Sanken CS-3e on a Rycote shock mount, but that is only for the most general background ambience. I pop it off the camera and get it closer to the subject (on a boom or handheld, depending on circumstances) if there is a particular voice or other sound I'm trying to record. I also carry a dynamic cardioid interview mic (Sennheiser MD46) and two Rode lavs with me at all times for off-camera use.

- Greg
 
Do you guys think that the Audio Technica AT875 would work alright? I already have the AT875. And my AF100 gets here Monday (yay!). I got the AT to use as a boom, but I honestly haven't had much reason to use the boom since buying it. It's a good quality mic and it's short for a boom at 6.89". In the reviews, people said that they use it for both on camera mic and on a boom.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ica_AT875R_AT875_Short_Condenser_Shotgun.html

Now will I need some kind of rubber padding to go between the mic and the mount that clamps on it? My Sony V1U has that and it is removable. I hope maybe there is something built in to the screw clamp mount for the padding. Also, from looking at pictures of the AF100, it looks like you can mount the mic holder at the front end OR the back end of the top handle. Is that correct?

Edit: to come back and kind of answer my own question, and maybe yours, I think that my AT875 will work well. Here's a thread where the poster is using it with a C100 with a 10mm lens and it doesn't appear in frame.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-c...-ws7-plus-canon-10-22mm-lens.html#post1773715

I have a Deadcat on it. I actually have to put the black windscreen that it came with on first, then the Deadcat on top of it, otherwise it's too loose. It works, though. I like the attention that the little gray haired fuzzy on the mic gets, any way. Ladies seem to think it's cute. lol. This is the one I bought.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=orderHistory&A=details&Q=&sku=392861&is=REG
 
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Hi Jon.

For me, it sounds like your issue is in the thread title - "on board" mic.

I have an NTG3, after using a 416 for years - it's perhaps a tad more sibilant and the pattern isn't quite as tight, but nothing you'd spot unless you're doing a critical A/B test. It's a very nice bit of kit.

The only way you will take advantage of the tight pattern of a regular shotgun - or interference - mic is to employ someone else (or a microphone stand) to hold it in place close to your subject. Boom it just above or below the edge of shot. There are all sorts of solutions out there to support your boom pole - I use a Manfrotto magic arm kit when I'm tight on space.

If you're only going to shoot solo, a good quality lapel mic (I use a TRAM TR50) would be my recommendation - you'll need a few more seconds to clip it on and conceal it, but the results will be vastly superior for vox pops.

For sound FX, the NTG3 should suffice for most situations - but, as with all the talk of painting your AF100 pictures properly with light in the other threads, getting close to your subject with your mic and optimising your signal to noise ratio will yield the results you're after.

You have a very high quality mic there - a proper long term all round "keeper" like a Sennheiser 416 - I plan to keep mine for the rest of my career.

I'm confident to say you won't find a "magic bullet" out there to improve your sound - just the proper application of what you've already got. A high pass filter will just take out rumble (usually below 80 Hz) such as wind etc which can otherwise overload your pre-amps but it won't get more detail out of voices - that's a placement/presence issue.

Ben.
 
I rarely put a mic on cam but if I do it is the AT BP4029 with a Rycote softie, its an MS stereo shotgun but I can take just the M channel if I don't want MS.
 
BrandonT said:
Do you guys think that the Audio Technica AT875 would work alright? I already have the AT875. And my AF100 gets here Monday (yay!). I got the AT to use as a boom, but I honestly haven't had much reason to use the boom since buying it. It's a good quality mic and it's short for a boom at 6.89".
Click to expand...

We use the AT875R on our AF100s.

Love it's compact size. I mount the mic holder upside-down so the camera is more compact & the mic is still out-of-frame with the 7-14mm lens (but I'm not using a deadcat).

The AF100's audio is a bit odd, & Jan suggested using a pad with this mic. For awhile I used a AT8202 Line Attenuator (I think it was this model), but I always have a SoundPerson on hand, & only use the on-board mic for scratch, so stopped using the pad & just keep my pots below the 1/2 way mark.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/68085-REG/Audio_Technica_AT8202_AT8202_In_Line_Attenuator.html
 
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