$5000 for sound

S

samuelreich

Active member
All,

I asked this question about six months ago, but times have changed and I was interested in a follow-up.

I have $5000 to spend on audio for my small production company. I'm interested in one shotgun and three LAVs, but I could be swayed. I'm using the HVX200. Do you recommend an external mixer?

Basically, how would you work with this budget?

I eagerly await your responses. Thanks, guys.

Sam
 
Personally,

Sennheiser 416 and softy/suspension (second hand, $1000)
Oktava MK012 and BBG/suspension ($500 ish)

3 x Countryman B6's Hardwired. ($1000)

Sound Devices 302 with cable and bag ($1500)

Carbon fibre, internal cabled boom of your choice ($500)

Sennheiser HD280pro phones ($80ish?)

Cables and other stuff ($400).



My prices could be a little off. That kit is only 3 channels, and has no radio mic capability, but its all really brilliant stuff. Maybe you should get a cheaper shotgun, and go for the 4 channel 442 mixer by Sound Devices. I think you definately want a mixer.
 
1 4073+wind Shild + fure + Suspention 1100$
1 Oktava hc + Suspention - 300$
1 K-tek Boom 200
1 Mixer -camera Cable 200$
1 Extention mixer/camera Cable - 100$
2 G-2 - 900$
3 Emw Hard Wire + Brake Outs For G-2 -900$
1 Wendt 3 -900$/ Used wendt 4 -1100$/USED ad-260-1000$( the best choice)
1 Eargonizer 1 - 220$
Cables - 300$
HEADPHONES-100$
Thats Around 5 Grand + Shipping
 
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Uh, yeah, personally, my advice, listen to george. he's just too smart for his own good.

the kind of smart thats too smart to outsmart. :)

george: do you prefer sound devices or wendt? what do you reckon is the BEST (regardless of price) 3 or 4 channel mixer that exists at the moment?
 
thats a budget issue , if the guy have 4 mics - why to buy 3 channel mixer ?
the ad is better sounding then wendt which is not bad sounding at all , so ...
and wendt live for ever - sd - they have allot of quality control issues lately , not that the 302 is bad , its excellent mixer but it was never my first choice for anything .
so for the 5 g you have to go for overall package and wendt 3 is quit good and the wendt 4 or AD HAVE MORE INPUTS .SO ITS DEPENDS ON THE PERSON .
For 5 grand - i was buying everything i can used ( of course if i know who is the seller and what is the gear condition ) except the lavalieres .
quantity will be better then quality for the start upper - later you can increase or decrease /change the items .
if you will not survive your loss will be minor .
my 2 shekels
 
Hey Oleg, I know I'm tired (I always do this...posting late at night)...but what brand is AD? Also, is there a way to take a B6 and run it both wired and in a G2? That sounds like the best of both worlds. ;-)

Thanks!

Phil
 
ptalsky said:
Hey Oleg, I know I'm tired (I always do this...posting late at night)...but what brand is AD? Also, is there a way to take a B6 and run it both wired and in a G2? That sounds like the best of both worlds. ;-)

Thanks!

Phil
Click to expand...

AD-Audio Developments - UK based company ( ad-260(the old model, not made anymore but have full service),261 eng , 144,145,146,147,8,9 sliders mixers )
THE B-6 can work with phantom to bias power supply (2 wire configuration)
every lavalier which work one way can work the other , some which could be hooked dyrectly , need 3 to 2 wire setup which change the phase , the b-6 is 2 wire any way so it could be done very simply inside power supply plug .
 
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Neurodancer said:
George, I noticed you specified the 4073. Do you feel that it is a better mic then the 416?
Click to expand...
no , this is price issue to match the 5 G quat - you have to go down in quality on some stuff , but as i stated before , this is excellent microphone for almost every usage
 
thanks george. how about the SD442?

phil - as far as i know, its possible to put a minijack (or whatever plug you use) breaker plug between the b-6 and the wireless, and thus use the mic both ways. thats what im going to do when i get mine.
 
i like the sd 442 - have one for 4 years already .

the ergonomics of that mixer are wonderful , not that i wasn't change part of it to make it even better , but it satisfying me in aver all usage , very good metering and headphones section ,the limiters are also very good .
the preamp quit good mainly for high level output microphones , for more delicate jobs still the SQN have much better ones( BUT ALL THE REST QUIT BAD:-)) .
the pots sucks big time as on all SD products - even wendt have much better ones .
the ms section is also not the best one - but i can live with that one .
so - its another compromise mixer with very good functions , the best headphones selector section and output ability in very very good price .
for 2500 you get much more then from similar products
 
thanks man... good to know this stuff.

you might be interested to know, ive decided to wait for the lectro 401/lm combos, and just get those. then i wont have to moan about my wireless for a long time. and im currently looking around for either a 302, or a 442 (obviously i rather get the 442, but price)...

and im gonna be running senn. 816 long gun, senn. 416 OR AT4073a short gun (depending on prices), and oktava mk012 with hypercap. i think that'll set me up for quite a while to come

(sorry for off topic kind of post)
 
Awww, finish it Tim! You are putting together such a fine kit, top it off with a Schoeps. Oktava's are good for the money but still mediocre overall (already put on my kevlar vest for the blast I will receive for questioning the Oktava route).

Oktava is a $150 mic that sounds like a $600 mic. Shoeps is a $1300 mic that sounds like.....like heaven.

For people trying to put together a budget DV audio kit, get the Oktava. But if you are serious obout quality audio (as you appear to be Timapter) you gotta have a Schoeps in your arsenal.

Satisfaction guaranteed!!!
 
wabbit said:
Oktava is a $150 mic that sounds like a $600 mic. Shoeps is a $1300 mic that sounds like.....like heaven.


Satisfaction guaranteed!!!
Click to expand...

Neumann 185 is 600$ mic - does it sounds like Neumann? -no :-)
About 70/80 %of all the mixers dont use schoepses( i am in the 20-30% who does:-)) and still they bring good sound .
before you start collect the better microphones and talk about heaven work with these which not burn your pockets , invest as much as possible in versatility of many mics to bring usable sound then in best sounding exemplar which will be unused because you dont have the right tool .
 
Ummmm, my comment was for Timapter, NOT the original poster with the $5000 budget (hence my calling him by name, "Finish it, Tim").

"Neumann 185 is 600$ mic - does it sounds like Neumann? -no :-)"

For someone who peppers their posts with smilie faces, you clearly didn't get the lack of "scientific accuracy" contained within my comment intended for light-hearted purposes. I will start putting :-) after everything I say that should not be taken literallly. :-) <<<<first one here since I have no intention of following thru on previous statement. :)


Cheers
 
uhhhh. ok guys {insert smiley face} :)

no wabbit, i agree with you completely. its just that i say i'm getting this stuff, but i still actually have to BUY a lot of it. Im completely CONVINCED the 401's are the hottest wireless for people that arent in that super high level of pro that george is in, so Im quite convinced on those (and i'll stick countryman b6's on em when i get them!)

Gear I actually own already is: sennheiser 816 (in the post.. just got a great deal on ebay), oktava mk012, 2 sets of sony uwp-c1 wireless (not great), VDB internal cable carbon boom, ultrasone headphones, re50b.

The obvious weak links there are wireless, rifle, mixer. As I dont have that stuff, Im totally used to working with the 416, and either the 302 or the 442 - thats the only gear i ever rent, and i rent it a lot. I make do with my sonys, even though i hate them.

So the reason i have no plans for a schoeps right now is because i dont want to double spend on the hyper just yet, and i think thats what george meant. rather have a mic of each kind (even if they arent top mics) so that you can at least react to every situation in the RIGHT way, rather than forcing one good mic to work in places where it wont sound as good as it is.

So i have a long way to go. I pretty much have the money (all earned from working as a freelance sound man on short narrative films, and tv magazine style shows), but Im inclined to think long and hard before I invest it. I want my gear to last.

Sorry for long post, thats my philosophy, and luckily it actually applies to the topic of this thread! so HA! :)

ps - wabbit.. you're right. ive used cmc shoeps mics, and ultimately, yes, im definately going to buy one.
 
wabbit said:
Ummmm, my comment was for Timapter, NOT the original poster with the $5000 budget (hence my calling him by name, "Finish it, Tim").

"Neumann 185 is 600$ mic - does it sounds like Neumann? -no :-)"

For someone who peppers their posts with smilie faces, you clearly didn't get the lack of "scientific accuracy" contained within my comment intended for light-hearted purposes. I will start putting :-) after everything I say that should not be taken literallly. :-) <<<<first one here since I have no intention of following thru on previous statement. :)


Cheers
Click to expand...

my post was to TIM as well with a reference from your post

i have mantra that says - what not bring me money is not sounds good <<<<
you can put here what aver you like
:D :eek: :(
 
soccerref.gif
 
Tim,

I'm going to pop in to Countryman in a couple of weeks and chat with them about options...their local to me (actually about 10 minutes away), so I will find out and post options here. I'm also going to see if they will re-plug a B3 that I picked up for my shure wireless kit and re-wire it for my G2's. And, ultimately I want to find out how much it will cost to re-wire them for Lectro (if and when, well, really more like when.)

Getting back to the original topic here, my philosophy when it comes to buying sound equipment has been and is that I improve my kit once the current kit is paid for (through work). Since my last kit was paid for 2x+, I upgraded this time to TC equipment, G2's, Countryman lav's and a low-cost cart. Next time around, Lectro, SD 744 and 442 and Schoeps. After that, Sonosax or Cooper, Deva 5, Zaxcom wireless. See, I can dream. ;-)

Phil
 
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