About to pick an audio solution for my 5D feature

R

Revsta

Well-known member
I've gone over to cinema5d and done a lotta research, as well as here, and the H4N and the Juiced Link cx321 with the new firmware are the two best choices. I've listened to them both and the Juiced sounds better to me, as well as not having to sync the audio, so I'm leaning towards that.

The mics I've seen suggested are the Senn Me80 and Me66. I realize the 80 is no longer in production, but I've read a lot of people love it. The feature is shot a lot in doors, with some things outside, and is mostly dialogue, but I have a lot of variance in the scenes in terms of people going from talking normally to yelling. Does anyone have any input they could suggest having used either devices and mics or just helping me make this decision? Thanks.
 
Have you considered a hypercardioid microphone instead of a short shotgun? All things being equal, hypercardioid mics sound better indoors due to better off axis response. They can also be used successfully outdoors, but don't have quite the reach of a shotgun. After doing ridiculous amounts of research (and being more picky about sound than most independent filmmakers), I settled on the Audix SCX1-HC for my one and only boom mic. So far I think I made the right choice. It's probably cheaper than the Sennheiser mics you mentioned as well.

As for the H4N vs the Juiced Link cx321 choice, both should do an acceptable job of recording dialog with a phantom powered condenser mic. Personally, I went for the Marantz PMD661 recorder as it has better preamps than the H4N, but it also costs roughly twice as much.

One thing to think about is that if you get the H4N, it also comes with a pretty good set of stereo mics for X/Y recording of ambiences. If you plan on adding in more texture into your soundtrack besides just the boom mic, those stereo mics can be a big help. Since I got the Marantz PMD661 (which has stereo mics, but not great ones), I also got a Rode NT4 stereo mic to fill these duties.

Syncing up sound isn't that hard if you have a clapboard. If you're in a hurry you might prefer having sound and picture locked, but I find I prefer the dual system approach.

Best of luck!
 
I hadn't considered a Hypercard, but I suppose maybe I should. I was just worried about it outdoors. I don't have too many long shots where I'll need a long shotgun, but I suppose I could borrow one or rent one for that day or two. I'll look into that Audix, thanks!
 
Ended up with a Juicedlink and a Blueline CK93. Arrives tomorrow, will let you know how it fairs.
 
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