$500 shotgun budget

alfini

alfini

Member
I have $500 I need the most versatile shotgun mic that can be purchased within this budget. Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated!
 
bought a 416t on ebay for less... picked up an adapter (psc) from trews...
just shot a pro football game last night for the network i freelance for and put the 416t on worked great.

t powered mics are clumsy with adapter for sure... and lose that adapter its dead to you.... but works great. Inexpensive and with the adapter the 416t is less than an inch longer than the me66
 
I am sorry but I am new to this. Would I need a adapter (psc) for 416, at-4073, AT897, or ME66/K6 using a DVX?
 
You'd only need a 48v-12v adapter for MKH416t, either by PSC or Sennheiser. "T" stands for T power, 12 volts. DVX has phantom power - 48v, hence the need for adapter. The rest of the mics you mentioned won't need any.
 
never mind i figured out that the 416t is not Phantom Powered. Would there be any benefits to buying a non Phantom Powered mic that i would use with the DVX only?
 
just picked up a kmr81 on ebay for roughly 700 or so usd....
i know its above your range... but a tremendous value
its small with a nice sound (i've worked with a couple of sound guys who swear by it)
that said the 416 is great as well...
and if you want cheap but a nice sound me80, i know some veteran sound guru types who say its at least as good as me66 (they actually prefer it), but batteries are an issue.
(you can trick it into using watch batteries... but that isn't in the manual)
 
mattinstl
had a great idea i believe for an akg then in a recent posting... it looked to be a great value (under 400$)
and he seems to be somewhat of a sound hound. try to search that up I think i saw it a couple of days ago... he was comparing to a schoeps (the god like austrian mic)...

he seems like a very nice fellow and most likely would respond directly to you if you were to contact him.

ps have fun and don't get caught up in name brands like me... i find my mind procrastinates here when i should be story boarding.... theres the awful truth...
 
here's his original clip... cheaper than i could ever have remembered...!!! maybe i shouldn't have dropped the 700 hun...hmmmm.

attributed to matt


Oktava mk012 with hyper cap from sound-room.com for $173... click here.

It's the cheapest GOOD mic for interiors... (total bargain at the price).

This next sound clip isn't fair... or scientific... and it doesn't even sound all that great... plus it says nothing about how perfect the pattern is on the Schoeps... and my voice SUCKS so factor that into your assessment... and blah, blah, blah... The Oktava is GOOD ENOUGH for any interiors any of you guys will ever be doing and newer models have incorporated most of the now famous mods anyway. The issues of dramatic wavering in quality control aren't very significant anymore... which is also why you don't see these mics at the prices you used to. $173 for a QUALITY TESTED Oktava hyper from sound-room is a bargain.

Listen for yourself and don't forget about the blah, blah, "not scientific", blah...

Sorry... the zombie thing has got me crabby today... enjoy the clip.
 
im looking at exactly the same question as you and have been doing my research: if $500 is really the ceiling, then either the Audio Technica At897 or the Rode NTG-2. Both use batteries, and are of comparable quality. (The Rode is about 20-30$ cheaper at $260 odd).

BUT

For $550ish, the AT4073a is the best mic in its class, it can actually compete (sort of) with the Sennheiser 416.

At the end of the day, quality is worth waiting for, so Im holding out for the At4073a, but Im assured that the 897 and the NTG-2 are both kick ass mics (and WAY WAY WAY better and cheaper than any mic from the ME series by Sennheiser.

One thing to remember: the mic isnt the only cost. You still need a shockmount and a wind protection system (For me, Rycote rocks, and you're looking at about $220 for a full, new, softy system).

Good luck, and seriously, if you can afford it, get the 4073. but the other mics are also good.
 
Caldwell... so you have a 416 AND a kmr81? I would LOVE to hear those two mics compared to each other. All you have to do is set each mic to each XLR input... get 'em the same distance from mic tip to your mouth... and then record. It would be great to get a couple distances too... like one at 2' and one at 5' or so. Then all you do is dump that into your NLE (or soundforge or whatever you use) and copy the same stereo clip one right after the other... then in the first clip duplicate left and in the second duplicate right... You now have a split stereo recording which is a fair comparison of the two mics. (at least for natural sound and tonal quality)

Also the comment about the 4073a is correct. I think at $550 it's the best value in any shotgun. It's the cheapest shotgun that I consider to be a totally professional mic. This mic does everything the really good guns do... with an arguably small margin of difference. I sold my 4073a and kept the 416 because for me that margin was significant... but I'd still put the 4073a in the same class as the $1K guns. The $1K+ guns sound better for the extra cash, but I don't consider any of them to be a particularly good value.

We ALWAYS end up going here... but you have figured in a windscreen and shockmount for your budget right? If not then you better look at the Rode or 897 'cause you'll pop the rest on support gear.

Also Caldwell, I appreciate the kind words... but seriously, I'm just a guy who bought and tested a bunch of mics. I've done a little work professionally, but nothing like many of the forum members. I just get a mic... use it for a while... and then report on what I hear. Once I get two mics of the same type... I find out within a month or two which one I think is the better mic... then I sell the loser of that competition. Sometimes I'll have several of a given type of mic for nearly a year... but eventually I have a list of reasons why I keep one and sell another.

The plus side of that is I have no affiliation with any store and personally I don't care what mic you buy. I just tell it like I hear it and post clips that allow you to judge for yourself... if you hear something that makes you think, "nope... that OTHER mic is better"... then so be it. When I test these mics like this I don't go into it trying to make one sound better... it's just two mics under equal conditions and let YOUR ears choose the winner.
 
That's not a shock mount and that foam windscreen won't help when needed. You can't get a good mic and ruin any quality sound it may have produced by putting it on a camera/stand with a clamp... unless you want to record the sound of your hands holding it. So you'll either have to shell out at least 170$ more (say AT8415 shock mount, one of the cheaper ones, and Rycote Softie for a windshield) or get a cheaper mic (Rode NT or AT897) and get a bunch of good accessories.
 
hey matt

i'll give that a whirl... the test that is.
i just bought the kmr81... and yes i was curious to what it would sound like.... i've worked with a few sound guys that simply swear by them.
its also a 48p and sig smaller. i do doc work and small is good.

i have a 416tf (or flat response)... and a 415t my ear may not be tuned that well but i haven't really noticed a difference between the two...
impulse decision on the mic but it seemed like a sound choice for the money.
i will have to dump one of these mics but i'm not is a hurry.
just bought a psc mixer four channel jobby and my funding isn't entirely in place for my next doc... but you have to have faith right.

i'm simply a camera guy that is discovering the third dimension of the picture can be found in sound. Its a real eye opener. and enjoyable.

ps thanks for all of your posts been helpful...

pps
let me know if you run across lectro 100s again. i need a pair to round out the kit which as it stands

is a
psc mixer
415, 416, kmr81
and an old sony wireless.

its a work in progress, need a decent boom. nothing comlex 12ft or so, internally cabled... let me know if you have any suggestions thatnks
 
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