Audio Technica Mics (under $100)... Are they worth it for "decent" sound

G

gundar

Well-known member
I am new to audio and looking for some direction.

The rode is great but pricey and the polaroid shotgun mic is nicely priced but junky (imho).

I have heard mixed things about the Audio Technica shotguns mics like this one (ATR 6550: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GYPS3M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER).

I am not going to be doing any orchestra or super high quality recording but will be plugging into a H4n to try and "help" with the audio.

Will this mic suffice for decent, better than onboard GH2 or Polaroid quality? Or am I looking at a prettied up model of the polaroid and nothing short of the Rode will sound decent?

Thanks so much!
 
Don't mean to offend but you really do need a reality check on just what is involved in recording quality sound. The NTG-2 is not pricey if you're looking at tools for serious audio - in fact, it's one of the cheapest mic's on the market that's deserving of serious consideration. Bargain basement mic's like the Audio Technica you're looking at are fine if you're a hobbyist interested in shooting casual family videos - kid's birthdays, that sort of thing - but if you're looking to get your feet wet in real filmmaking, especially if you expect to be paid for it, you need to set your sights higher. So the first question to deal with is what are you gearing up to do? You say "help with audio" but what does that mean, who are you helping and what is the objective of the shoot?
 
"I am not going to be doing any orchestra or super high quality recording but will be plugging into a H4n"
+1 on what Steve said.
Furthermore "super high quality" and the equipment you mention is an oxymoron.
 
Rick and Steve,

Thanks for replying but I think the main subject was missed. I am looking for a the best beginners shotgun mic available. I've burnt through the Polaroid POS (imo) and want to try something less expensive than the Rode.

I understand that the community is full of "go pro or go home" thinking but I am looking for better than average beginning hardware. Some people might get porsches when they are beginning to drive, other people get used or low end cars. I'm one of the others.

Any suggestions?
 
What they're saying, is that you're going to 'burn through' several other of these 'inexpensive' mics before you realize you could've spent that money on the rode.

The rode is certainly not the porsche of shotgun mics, it's not even a sports car. It's like, a ford.

Buy used, get it cheap, it's worth it.

I bought my ntg-2 for a steal (40 bucks used)

Deals are out there, you just need to be patient and hunt them out.
 
homestar_kevin said:
What they're saying, is that you're going to 'burn through' several other of these 'inexpensive' mics before you realize you could've spent that money on the rode.

The rode is certainly not the porsche of shotgun mics, it's not even a sports car. It's like, a ford.

Buy used, get it cheap, it's worth it.

I bought my ntg-2 for a steal (40 bucks used)

Deals are out there, you just need to be patient and hunt them out.
Click to expand...

+1 on this answer. Thanks Kevin for this reply. This spells it out nicely.

Is the rode acceptable for both cage use and possibly on a boom?
 
Last edited:
Warning Will Robinson. While I have a number of AT mics and they are really good, this mic is NOT an AT. It's a cheap OEM product with their name on and frankly, lets the AT side down badly.

Internally, it has two electret elements that are phased together to produce a cardioid/supercardioid response. It sounds really thin and nasty. I have 4, bought for a project, and has been around to my knowledge since the early 90s. It's also sold under the ATR-55 model number - here's an amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATR-55-Condenser-Shotgun-Microphone/dp/B00006J04Z

If you want to hear it compared to a Sennheiser 416 - then this 2 yr old video is still on-line.


The old audio files are missing at the moment - I've found the video files, but the audio files appear to be missing - I have found the unedited versions, so when I get a chance, I'll make them available and add the link to the text on Vimeo - in the meantime - if you're very keen, download the video file and pull the audio off. I've also noted one clip seems tp have the sound displaced. Forgive me for that, but I'm not going to have time to fix it!
 
Last edited:
Yes, and you will get much better results with the mic mounted to a boom close to the subject, as opposed to mounted to a cage where it will pickup as much camera noise as subject matter.

Good Luck!

Dave
 
Nice work on that "shootout" video, Paul. The cheap A-T sounded pretty dreadful. Actually, I didn't like the headset mic much either, although it controlled the room noise very well. The only one of those specific microphones I actually own is a pair of KSM32s, which don't get much use on camera but are good for narration and studio music recording.

Thanks again for the effort. Your personality comes through well in that video!

- Greg
 
gundar said:
Rick and Steve,

Thanks for replying but I think the main subject was missed. I am looking for a the best beginners shotgun mic available. I've burnt through the Polaroid POS (imo) and want to try something less expensive than the Rode.

I understand that the community is full of "go pro or go home" thinking but I am looking for better than average beginning hardware. Some people might get porsches when they are beginning to drive, other people get used or low end cars. I'm one of the others.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Not suggesting you ought to go pro level but even a beginner needs to use tools that are capable of decent work if he ever hopes to gain the skills to rise from a "beginner" to a "journeyman" level of competence. As Kevin points out, the Rode would be the Ford of the mic world, a good quality entry-level mic capable of excellent results when used properly but not really an audio Porsche. The Porsche-level mics found in the kits of Hollywood feature film or network television sound mixers can easily run 5 to 10 times the price of the Rode.
 
Steve House said:
Not suggesting you ought to go pro level but even a beginner needs to use tools that are capable of decent work if he ever hopes to gain the skills to rise from a "beginner" to a "journeyman" level of competence. As Kevin points out, the Rode would be the Ford of the mic world, a good quality entry-level mic capable of excellent results when used properly but not really an audio Porsche. The Porsche-level mics found in the kits of Hollywood feature film or network television sound mixers can easily run 5 to 10 times the price of the Rode.
Click to expand...

Steve,

Thanks for the understanding and the futher information.

Looks like the rode it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top