Azden SGM-1x should sound better?

K

KyranFord

Well-known member
All videos I've seen that have used the SGM-1x for dialogue have sounded pretty good, but ours, for some reason, isn't sounding as good as I think it should. I'm getting, what seems to be, muffled audio with a lack in bass or low pitch. We're using the SGM-1x and recording straight into a Tascam DR-100. I've heard the results from this setup and it is usually pretty fair, but I am just unhappy with our results. If anyone has any input or recommendations as to how I can get better sound from this setup, I would appreciate them.

Maybe there are settings I need to adjust or something.. I'm not entirely familiar with in-depth audio.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
 
It's hard to say since you have'nt said exactly where and how you are using your equipment, advice is going to be based on speculation. While Azden doesn't have the strongest reputation, if you use it correctly you still should be able to get acceptable results. A common error is to expect a shotgun to pick up well from some distance away from the subject. This won't work, they are not "telephotos for sound." A short shotgun needs to be positioned roughly 18-22 inches away from the person speakng for optimum results. Muffled sound can be the result of the subject being off-mic due to the mic not being aimed properly. Shotguns are very directional and the mic's axis needs to be kept pointed directly into a circle about 8 inches in diameter centred on the subject's throat, let it point outside that circle and the sound qualiity rapidly falls off. As the subject moves about in the scene it is the boom operators job to keep the mic aimed exactly at his mouth., following precisely the subject's every movement. Shotguns don't behave particularly well in a reflective environment such as many typical interiors - comb filtering effects caused by the direct and indiirect portions of the sound wave interacting in the mic's interference tube can cause a hollow, muffled, sometime metallic ringing distortion in the sound. The solution there is to control the reflections better or switch to a different type of microphone.
 
Thanks for the reply, Steve.

Just in general; no matter where we use it, the audio quality seems rather poor.

We're following each of those rules, so that can't be the problem.
 
Without seeing or hearing what you are complaining about, we are reduced to little more than generic Azden-bashing and basic audio advice. It could literally be any of a dozen very different things that are causing your symptoms. You can't really expect any specific, useful response without offering up a sample for us to hear. And video (or still photos) of the setup would likely be in order, as well.
 
Sorry for the late reply; been busy. I'll get some sample as soon as possible.Not really sure why pictures of the setup would be needed. It's simply an Azden SGM-1x running straight into a Tascam DR-100.
 
If you believe you have followed all the "rules", then how about trying to record your own voice as if it were a speaker phone (meaning: near your mouth) and see how you like the result?
 
Of course the setup is important, but overall, as a former SGM-1x owner, if I'd compare it with my NTG-2, it's a day and night comparison. They're not in the same league.
Here's two videos I've done recording with both the SGM-1x and the NTG-2, not in the same conditions, but it gives a good idea how it can sound though:
And this one for the NTG-2:
 
Now this may sound a really silly question but do you have the mic in a blimp and is it pointing in the right direction?

You would be amazed how many boom op's have the mic pointed at the ceiling!

Also have you tried a new battery in it?

Although listening to this clip the mic does not sound very good to me anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpiB_RKHdfc

his camera mic seems to be doing a better job!
 
Last edited:
julyaric720 said:
It doesn't make sense
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Click to expand...
What doesn't make sense?
 
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