Basic Question: Shotgun vs Stereo Microphone for race car Events

D

Denniscasey

Well-known member
Most "affordable" (non-XLR, around $300) external microphones suggested to improve sound recorded with HMC40 have been shotgun type. My understanding is shotgun type reduces surrounding sounds capturing primarily sound from what camera is aimed at. However, for race car events I film I am thinking a stereo mic might better capture ambience of the event ( built in mic on HMC40 I believe is stereo). Tradeoff I can imagine with stereo mic would be I would pick up more noise from surrounding spectators vs shotgun mic aimed at race cars. Also I can imagine a shotgun mic could be a more versatile mic (i.e. for weddings and other similar events) where you want to focus on point source sound rather than a stereo effect.

Given I still have much to learn, am I missing some obvious issues if I opt for a stereo mic (besides crowd noise) instead of shotgun mic. Also, I am considering the Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro--any thoughts about that mic? Thank you, Dennis
 
I'm not one of the people who always say NO ON CAMERA MICS - but in this case, a stereo mic would be advantage, but it needs a static mount. A panned stereo mic sound extremely strange - on a following a car scenario, you get a mono car, but a moving crowd in stereo, and on speakers it is very confusing, and on headphones even a bit nausiating! Once you start to record real stereo rather than two channel, you have real editing issues. In a busy environment if you cut from a left facing shot to a right, zoomed in shot - what should the sound do? An on camera mic would mean the audio perspective would suddenly shift?

My own method would be for this type of shoot, shotgun probably on the camera, to maintain the audio of what the camera sees, and a separate fixed stereo mic, or perhaps even two spaced mics for more separation. The combination of the two would work pretty well, while either on their own would not, to me, work well. Depending on the position the camera is placed, fixing a stereo mic to the tripod, or a separate stand would be how I would work. Crowd noise, in particular those annoying people who whistle, mean crowd noise is far more 'stereo' than we think, and moving noise sources like cars can be really impressive. Moving the stereo mic wrecks this.
 
Felipe Henao said:
Hold Dennis, there is a new king on the block, 1- Shure, 2- Better shock mount not rubber bands, 3 better cable not the tinny one from Rode, 4- Metal construction
Despite I hate to preorder I did it this time, this is the link
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/966007-REG/shure_vp83_condenser_shotgun_microphone.html
Click to expand...

Thank you for link, Felipe. Shure looks good and I will probably be able to delay a while yet---please let me know what you think once you try it in the real world.
Dennis
 
Greetings Paulears, very informative real world feedback which is what I really appreciate from forum members. And you are right, a good bit of my filming is panning with the car so "stereo" could get disruptive. Dennis
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top