$800 budget for sound equipment

dlang

dlang

Well-known member
I know it's not much in terms of sound gear, but if you were to have only $800 to the best and most diverse audio setup, what would it be. I can tell you after doing some research the RODE NTG-3 looks good at $500, I would also need to buy a boom and shock mount. I've also been considering a used Lectrosonics wireless setup (I'll be doing a lot of interviews) but the shotgun route seems to have more adavantages than a single lav setup. Anyhow just some thoughts. What do ya'll think? I'm going on a shoot to India then Senegal and figured rather then renting sound gear I'd just buy it with the money it would cost to rent.
 
Can you be more specific about what you'll be shooting? And what kind of crew will you have there to help (i.e. will you have a recordist or boom op)?

A shotgun and fish pole setup is pretty versatile until you go indoors. That $800 will get you a good shotgun kit with shock-mount, pole, windscreen, and cables. Or you can get that kit with an NTG-2, save some money, and use the leftovers to get an Oktava, which will cover your interior setups.
 
I would DEFINITELY put that new Rode Blimp on your list... no matter what you do... and considering the history on the boards, be sure to get it from DVestore (Guy)... that blimp will give you a shock-mount, windscreen, and interface to the boom pole, as well as hand-holding the mic indoors or out... you can even put an Oktava inside of that same blimp.

Guy has a package deal with the NTG-3... where he will include one of the K-tek internal cabled eng poles... and that puts the NTG-3 UNDER $500...

But even if you can't afford the NTG-3... I'd still get the blimp, no matter what... put that at the top of your list. So the question is how to spend the other $500...

You can do a cheaper mic such as NTG-2 or whatever... and some kind of pole... such as the $300 Gitzo 12.8' pole... but you'll have a hard time with your exact budget (I'm fudging by up to $100)... but you're definitely in the zone.
 
Sorry should have stated more details. The crew is me and one other guy, I figured for interviews I could attach a boom a stand and position the mic statically. I will be shooting indoor as well as outdoor and can have the my assistant boom for those shots, If go I the shotgun route. There is going to be a cross between a controlled environment and ENG work and will have a wide variety of scenarios (something like discovery channel etc...). Hope that helps a bit.
 
I'd really try hard to find just a little more $ for your budget and get that NTG-3 as well... you'll find that to be more versatile then the mics in the $300 range... overall you're so close...
 
Matt,
I was hoping you would chime in on this one. Just wondering if you wouldn't mind elaborating a bit on why you would put the blimp on the top of the list, even if i have to spend less on the mic? If I were to take that route what if I bought the blimp and NTG-3 and scrounged for a cheap boom, after all it seems to have less effect on the overall sound quality. One other thing. will the NTG-3 do Ok with interiors, I know your really not supposed to use a shotgun in those circumstances but considering my situation....
What do you think?





MattinSTL said:
I would DEFINITELY put that new Rode Blimp on your list... no matter what you do... and considering the history on the boards, be sure to get it from DVestore (Guy)... that blimp will give you a shock-mount, windscreen, and interface to the boom pole, as well as hand-holding the mic indoors or out... you can even put an Oktava inside of that same blimp.

Guy has a package deal with the NTG-3... where he will include one of the K-tek internal cabled eng poles... and that puts the NTG-3 UNDER $500...

But even if you can't afford the NTG-3... I'd still get the blimp, no matter what... put that at the top of your list. So the question is how to spend the other $500...

You can do a cheaper mic such as NTG-2 or whatever... and some kind of pole... such as the $300 Gitzo 12.8' pole... but you'll have a hard time with your exact budget (I'm fudging by up to $100)... but you're definitely in the zone.
Click to expand...
 
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The NTG-3 will do at least as many interiors as a 416 will... I haven't had enough time to really test the NTG-3 in that many interiors, but it's definitely sounding good.

The reason I'd put the blimp at the top of your list is because at that price, that thing is a real bargain. A softie system is $229... and it's nowhere near the same league as an actual blimp. Consider a blimp system like a 401k... or new tires... or any other item that makes all the difference in the world to the thing it's attached to. While the blimp isn't a "glamorous" item compared to a new mic... it's a very valuable tool that's a solid investment.

Over the years I've bought one full rycote blimp system, 3 softies, 2 softie grip/mount systems, 3 rycote BBGs, 2 jammers, 2 windtech extreme windscreens, and an assortment of other cheap foams... then on top of that 2 K-Tek mounts, a sabra-som mount, and I think a PSC mount... I don't feel like adding it up... but we gotta' be pushing $2k there... or more.

So... the Rode Blimp... being modular... can work in virtually all cases that any of the above can... that's why I say it's a no-brainer for ANY budget conscious location sound package. It's one of the few items that I'd say at that price is beyond any debate of any kind... it's as solid as a 401k in a company that can't bilk you... because you're holding the investment.

After that you can debate some other stuff... but if it was me... I'd get the Rode blimp system first... then decide how much you really have left to spend.

The first time you use a mic outdoors and there's any breeze... you'll thank your lucky stars for that blimp system... and if you do decide to get one don't forget that the ONLY reason it's $100 cheaper then it would have been... is because of DVXuser and Guy from DVestore... so if you're going to buy one of those blimps get it from him (at the lowest possible price also, I might add).
 
Matt,
Ok you weren't kidding the guys at the DV Estore rock! I went a head and got the blimp and the NTG-3 mic and managed to throw in the k-tek KE79CC boom as well. Thanks for the assistance on this one. Now the hardest part....the dreadful WAITING FOR ARRIVAL(:
 
The only thing I can compare it to right now is a BBG... which is made the same as a regular Rycote... but it would be a lot of trouble to get the rycote full blimp... and that thing is so bashed up that it would hardly be fair anyway.

There are a couple details on the Rycote that I would give the edge to... the fur is more wispy (light?)... and the material fused to the inside of the basket feels more solid on the Rycote... like it was either harder fabric or pre-stretched or something. The inner fused material on the Rode has some play to it... like acoustic cloth... so that you can feel some stretch.

Other then that... they work pretty close to the exact same way... and once Guy (DVestore) and DVXuser got Rode to lower the MSRP... so that it's now only $299... I kind of lost the desire to really break down the differences... only because there's zero comparison on cost... the Rode is literally HALF the price... and that leaves me with thoughts like "so what if the fur is slightly different?" The Rode works great and it's $300 less. $300... man... that's a lot of $ worth of other kit that most guys on these boards need.

Even in our pro kit (all lectro, 442, etc.) I'll be surprised if we don't end up with Rode blimps on the Sankens. I'd rather have two of these, and leave two poles ready to go... then have one Rycote and change out the mic.
 
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