AT 835b vs AT897

[J.D.]

Hey I've been reading all the raves here about about the AT-897. I have the AT 835b and I am shooting a movie this summer, mostly outdoors. is there much of a difference between the mics?

 

[reflex]

I would also like to know this. I just recieved my 835b last week from B&H. I have used my 835 indoors only so far and want to know how it will fend outside.

 

[Dizkoteck]

yea yea, another shotgun question but hey, better to ask than to go out the world blindly. We are grasshoppers after all.

I have the AT 897 I bought recently. I was wondering what situatiion and effect does turning on/ff of the roll-off switch would do and provide?
Also, I noticed the polar is stated as LINE/GRADIENT. How is that different from Cardiod and other polar patterns. Thanks for clearing it up

 

[reflex]

Well i have the low freq roll of on the 835 and I prefer to keep it on. With it off it sounds a little bit 'tinny' maybe, not sure what the right word is, but the sound just doesn't sound as full. I keep it off (roll off OFF) unless the situation really warrants switching it on.

Line/ Gradient would just be another word for directional pickup pattern.

You've got different polar patters such as these:

And a shot gun would be most like the cardioid ( although that is still kind of wide ), but for specialty mics they can have some unique pick up patterns. i.e. they make a mic for picking up room ambience from a hard floor and it's very flat and pics up in a super cardiod pattern but only pics up from that pattern and not above it, just a flat plane across the floor.