$700 budget for boom mic... Which one?

V

vimcrony

Member
Hey guys and gals. I'm dipping a little further into my pocket to buy a more decent mic for my films. I ran across the AT-4073a and I really like what I hear.

Check out the middle of this vimeo vid: http://vimeo.com/6259787

I realize that this mic has been discontinued and now they're producing BP models. Does anyone know if there's a difference? Also I see that ebay has BP4071 and BP4071L models for sale. Are these better or worse than the BP4073??? Sooo confusing! I just want crisp sound from a good distance for short/feature films. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!!
 
AT4073ais the same mic as the BP-4073.

http://www.evsonline.com/audio-technica-at4073a.html



QUOTE=vimcrony;2135459]Hey guys and gals. I'm dipping a little further into my pocket to buy a more decent mic for my films. I ran across the AT-4073a and I really like what I hear.

Check out the middle of this vimeo vid: http://vimeo.com/6259787

I realize that this mic has been discontinued and now they're producing BP models. Does anyone know if there's a difference? Also I see that ebay has BP4071 and BP4071L models for sale. Are these better or worse than the BP4073??? Sooo confusing! I just want crisp sound from a good distance for short/feature films. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!![/QUOTE]
 
The BP model should be sonically identical to the 4073a, however, I haven't heard them back to back. The BP model is the same mic, just made with materials to be RoHS complaint. I own both the AT4053a and the newer RoHS complaint AT4053b, and I've A/B'd them (no pun intendo) and they sound exactly alike to my ears. However, I was a bit surprised to see that the physical design of the grill was pretty different on the capsule of the 4053a and 4053b.

The greatest strength of Audio Technica's 4073 is how well it occupies the middle ground between the entry-level shotguns like the Rode NTG2 and the higher end gear like the CS3e and CMIT. The 4073 is still your best bet at $700, no doubt. You can use it for professional jobs and get great audio. Then later when you can afford a better shotgun, you can hang onto the 4073 as a trusty back-up.
 
You might want to take a look at (and listen, of course) to the Rode NTG-3 as well... I've got one and I think it's one of the best short shotguns under $1K.
 
Last edited:
+1 for the Rode NTG-3... I had a Sennheiser MKH-416 & sold it to buy the NTG-3- no regrets! This is a solid performer, and the addition of the 10 year warranty made the choice quite easy.
 
Rode NTG-3.... and if you're looking on the cheap, I just bought (another) NTG-3 on Ebay brand new for $475 and no shipping or sales tax charges. I sold my first NTG-3 cause I had to pay bills and it was the saddest thing I ever did. I'm so happy I got another one.
 
Maybe you have already decided this for sure but... are you sure you want a shotgun mic? Have you considered a hypercardioid mic instead?

To paint things with a broad brush, hypercardioid mics are often better for interiors, and shotgun mics are often better for exteriors.

Just something to keep in mind if you haven't already considered it.
 
robotsound said:
To paint things with a broad brush, hypercardioid mics are often better for interiors, and shotgun mics are often better for exteriors.

Just something to keep in mind if you haven't already considered it.
Click to expand...

Very true; handful of good choices here for around $500 including the Audix SCX1-HC which I use a lot for interiors. The NTG-3 also works pretty well for interiors if there aren't a lot of nearby reflective surfaces like walls, ceilings, etc. in which case the hypers would be a better choice...
 
If you are looking at hypercardioid mics, I'll second Leo's suggestion for the Audix SCX1-HC. That's what I got and I'm very happy with it. It works well on exteriors too, you just don't have quite the range of a shotgun mic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top