AT3031 or the AT897

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BigWilly1231

Active member
I am starting out shooting short independents. And I was wondering which mic I would be happier with...i know that the AT897 is more expensive, but I was wondering what the difference would sound like...I also know that the 3031 is a cardiod....So please help me out, what mic would be better and more versitale, for short films...hopefully feature length at some point....
 
Re: AT3031 or the AT897

The AT897 is a short shotgun mic, so it would be a good compromise for recording interior and exterior scenes.  A cardioid condenser mic like the AT3031 would probably be fine for interiors, but it isn't going to have the "reach" of the AT897.  Short shotguns usually have broad enough coverage to record the dialogue between two actors, and enough sensitivity to leave some headroom--while attenuating a fair amount of off-axis noise.

A cardioid is usually going to sacrifice some sensitivity and not be as effective at rejecting off-axis noise.  On a controlled interior set, this may be ok, but outside, you'll be fighting to get the mic close enough to the talent to balance the extra ambient noise you're picking up.
 
Re: AT3031 or the AT897

That was a perfect summary.

I endorse both of these mics. When I push the 3031 it's usually to somebody who is getting their first mic beyond the built-in cam mic... when you do your first comparison you won't believe the improvement, but if you've got the budget for the 897 then I'd start with that. As I always say, PATTERN is the first or second concern you should have with a new mic. There will be times that it's obvious (after some experience) which pattern will get the results you want, but a nice short shotgun should be a good compromise for your first forray into mics.
 
Re: AT3031 or the AT897

ok well I want to go with a shotgun because it is much more versitle, but what would you sugest the AT897 or the AT835b, that seems to be what it is narrowed down to, please can I get some pros and cons, plus what is everyone using to record their foley of room tone, MiniDisc..????
 
Re: AT3031 or the AT897

I use a couple AT3031s in a stereo pair for recording music. I think they're great. However, they are very sensitive to most any kind of wind. I use a couple of Rycote mini-windjammers that help but they're still easily disrupted by a gust. So I don't think I'd recommend them for general outdoor use.

For those of you who also use 3031s, have you found a better solution to dealing with wind?

-Dan
 
Re: AT3031 or the AT897

The best solution to wind is a BBG/Jammer (Rycote)... if you get that set then you'll be :o at how much wind your cardioids can take! I have a couple of BBG/Jammer sets that I use with Oktavas and those mics are even more sensitive to wind then the 3031s! I can use 'em outdoors with no problems.

Between the 835 and 897 I'd DEFINITELY go with the 897... no doubt. There's several minor reasons that all add up to a really significant difference... and if you want an OBVIOUS reason it's the SIZE too! It's ironic how most of the best DV use mics are small... and their inferior siblings are always larger. When the best choice is also the smallest... don't waste time trying to talk yourself into the lesser choice. The $50 (or so) savings is nothing to even consider.

If you get an 897 you'll be happy. As your experience grows you'll know what other mics you want. The 897 is a good compromise of a lot of good qualities... but it's still a compromise. Even with the very best mics nobody thinks that a particular one will do everything.

For foley I'd probably use a hyper-cardioid or cardioid... for roomtone I'd use the SAME mic that you use to record the dialog of that room/scene... so in some cases you may even want to record your foley with that same mic again... as long as the foley is done in that same room. For soundeffects and other stuff done seperately I'd go back to the hyper or standard cardioid... basically for those instances you want the cleanest recording however you can get it... and that means PATTERN. You don't want room reverb or other sounds leaking into your soundeffect.

The 897 will also work for minidisc since it can be battery powered...
 
Re: AT3031 or the AT897

I have an AT897 and I like it. It rejects sound from behind well and it produces very clear audio. Just get a better boom pole than I have and remember to put blankets around any echo-ey interiors.
 
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