Attaching an ATR-55 to a boompole

M

MJ Butler

New member
Hi. I'm in charge of buying some audio equipment for a high school youth group, and I'm a bit out of my element. Could someone tell me what type of shock mount I'd have to buy to attach an ATR-55 mic...

http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATR-55-Condenser-Shotgun-Microphone/dp/B00006J04Z

... to this Rode boom:

http://www.amazon.com/Rode-Boompole-Microphone-Boom-Arm/dp/B000OE2G54

As you might guess, there's not a lot in the budget for this, so cheaper is better. I'd appreciate any help, thanks.

MJ
 
There's THIS, though with any low-budget mic clip or shockmount such as this, you'll need to get a thread adapter.

That said, the ATR-55 is a piece of rubbish. It's a waste of money, and there's no other way to put it. Anything that claims to be a shotgun yet offers a switchable "normal/tele" function is using consumer ignorance and marketing hype to create a product that doesn't really do what it says it'll do.

What's your overall budget, what are your needs, and what are your primary uses for this equipment?
 
Thanks. The budget is practically nothing, hence the ATR-55. There's enough to go up to $100 for the mic. It'll be used by high school students mostly for shooting PSAs. I picked up a lav mic for them and needed a boom mic to record groups. The audio will go to a Roland R-09HR recorder.
 
Are you going to be primarily indoors? A cardioid mic, as opposed to a shotgun mic, would be a better choice.


Why don't we - you - back up a bit. What is your total budget? Is this for audio only, or will it be use in conjunction with video? If video is a part of the equation, what camera(s) will you be using? You may be able to avoid buying the Roland R-09HR (if it has not already been purchased or it could possibly be returned) and have better equipment choices. There are quite a few very smart, very helpful folks here who may be able to assist you with making the most of your budget.
 
Buy MXL FR300.
This is quite hot (with good sensitivity) and decent mike for the price.
You can get one for about $115 at Amazon.
 
Thanks. All the stuff is bought, but can be returned (though there might be a restocking fee).

Budget is $550. They'll be shooting with a simple flip camera (640x480), no external mic input. I thought the cheapest way to get decent audio and get the mic close to the actors/talent would be to record the audio separately and sync up in post. They'll be shooting primarily indoors.

$500 was eaten up with: the R-09HR recorder, the ATR-55 mic, the Rode boompole, and an Olympus ME 15 lav mic (for recording one speaker).
 
Alternatively, can anyone recommend the best way to bypass the mic altogether and attach the R-09HR to the boom? I've been playing around with it and the internal mic is much better than the ATR-55. Thanks.
 
MJ Butler said:
Alternatively, can anyone recommend the best way to bypass the mic altogether and attach the R-09HR to the boom? I've been playing around with it and the internal mic is much better than the ATR-55. Thanks.
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Not advisable at all. Those handheld recorders are really sensitive to handling noise, which is going to be terrible on the end of a pole. Further, there's no good way to monitor sound, watch meters, and verify recording when the device is that far away. The headphone cable can be extended, but can cause more noise in the recording. Also, there's no point in recording dialog in stereo as it will make for a pretty distracting final mix. You'll have to work to keep one of the mics on-axis (assuming the Roland has cardioid and not omni), which is going to be awkward.

$550 isn't the greatest budget in the world for sound, but looking at what you've bought vs. what you could get...

First, since this is a youth group I'd assume that a lot of what they'll be producing will be shot indoors... and both church and school rooms are terrible environments, either cinder-block or very reflective drywall. Keeping that in mind, as far as the "mock" shotgun mic you have, you may as well record in a bathroom.

Also, you can always do seated interviews/talking heads with the boom. There's no need for a lav.

For $50 less than the Roland, you could have a Zoom H4n with XLR inputs. That $50 difference, along with the $100 you have for the mic, will get you (plus $10) an Audio Technica Pro37 cardioid condenser mic. No, it's not an ideal solution like a hypercardioid would be, but it's certainly better than the ATR-55. I've used them for dialog before, in a pinch, and they work remarkably well (they stay in my mic locker for live stage work, bands and choirs and the like). You'll have to get it in close for recording, both interiors and exteriors, but it'll get you better results than the ATR-55. And, it'll give you a really nice VO mic, too.

You'll still want to try and rig some sound-absorbing blankets (furniture pads from Lowe's will help) and some other furnishings to try and cut down on reflections for interiors.

By the way, have you accounted for decent headphones?
 
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For indoor use I would use a Rycote INV-7 - you won't need any thread adaptor with it.

Use the windshield with the mic.

Or you could use a Rycote Softie and Softie mount - or - an S-series windshield. You won't need a thread adaptor with either of these.

The INV-7 is only £30 in the UK to give an idea of price.
 
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