Hi. I am new to the entire indie film making scene and just purchased the DVX100A. I know the built in mic will not be good enough for my feature film. I am seeking advise on what mic(s) I should purchase. I have both indoor and outdoor scenes with generally 1 - 2 characters in frame. I'm not too keen on the lav mics and prefer a boom (1 or 2?). I have a very tight budget and need an econo version with as little sacrifice on quality as possible. Your knowledge is appreciated.
Best Mic for feature film
- Thread starter dvxnewbie
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dustino
Well-known member
I've got an at897 shotgun and Countryman EMW lav and I'm very happy with each of them. The 897 was around $275 from EVS with shockmount included and the EMW was $146 (shipping included) from Northern Sound and Light. That puts you easily under your $500 budget for what I think are two quality mics for entry-level "professional" work. The EMW is a spectacular deal for the price and could probably be used for two characters simultaneously in certain (limited) situations.
Derrick_SA
Veteran
man the 416 is awesome in the right hands, someone like Nick Louw (South African PRO !!) worked on a few international films eg. "Ask The Dust", "The Interpreter", "Racing Stripes" etc.. (Link http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0522194/ )
He loves to use the 416. (he's got an 8-track)
I have not yet met him, but am trying my best to get into a situation were I can work with him.
He loves to use the 416. (he's got an 8-track)
I have not yet met him, but am trying my best to get into a situation were I can work with him.
HorseFilms
Look ma no hands
Thanks for posting that video, Ty. That was fantastic! You should produce an instructional DVD.
Barry_Green
Moderator
The best microphone you can use for a feature...
... would be the one that is owned and selected by the professional sound mixer you hire to work on the picture. A good sound person will do infinitely more for your film than spending money on a mic would. And good sound professionals come with their own gear.
If you want great sound, spend your money on hiring a sound professional rather than on buying gear.
... would be the one that is owned and selected by the professional sound mixer you hire to work on the picture. A good sound person will do infinitely more for your film than spending money on a mic would. And good sound professionals come with their own gear.
If you want great sound, spend your money on hiring a sound professional rather than on buying gear.
good answer Barry.
wabbit
Evil has Ears
What Barry said. 
If you are trying to put together a serious indie feature you will need a professional who knows how to get good location sound.
If you are a hobbiest then one of the "bargin" shotguns, hypers, and some wireless are what you will need. You will still need someone who is dedicated to getting your sound.
It's a cliche but sound is at least half the movie and needs just as much attention as your picture. If you ignore this fact, it will bite you in the ass.
Best
If you are trying to put together a serious indie feature you will need a professional who knows how to get good location sound.
If you are a hobbiest then one of the "bargin" shotguns, hypers, and some wireless are what you will need. You will still need someone who is dedicated to getting your sound.
It's a cliche but sound is at least half the movie and needs just as much attention as your picture. If you ignore this fact, it will bite you in the ass.
Best
TyFord
Well-known member
wabbit said:What Barry said.
If you are trying to put together a serious indie feature you will need a professional who knows how to get good location sound.
If you are a hobbiest then one of the "bargin" shotguns, hypers, and some wireless are what you will need. You will still need someone who is dedicated to getting your sound.
It's a cliche but sound is at least half the movie and needs just as much attention as your picture. If you ignore this fact, it will bite you in the ass.
Best
Couldn't have said it better. (I do sound for a living, but am scarily close to getting an XL2 with 40GB drive.) Like a plumber, I get paid for my tools, but more importantly for how I use them.
When you're looking through the viewfinder, I'm listening to and for all kinds of things in the headphones. I'm chosing mics and where to put them based on what my experience. Since every scene is diffferent. (and if time permits) I may try more than one approach.
::story:: I'm told its a simple setup... two Baltimore Orioles talking a few folk from the American Red Cross standing around. Never mind it's 95 degrees in downtown Baltimore and one sign in the stadium says 115!
I rig a boom and a 416. Looks good, sounds good. The Oriole guys come in. We see how that looks and works. Fine. Then the other people come in and are placed. Now I have a boom shadow problem. We move the folks around a bit, but the sun's not working with us.
I go to hardwired lavs. Setting them so they look really nice on the uniforms. (I brought 5, we need 2). Turns out one doesn't like working in 95+ weather. We swap that out, do the bit and go home.::
Moral to the story; Shotgun would have given better sound. Lavs win because of boom shadow.
2nd moral to story; always bring more than you need.
Regards,
Ty Ford
RaspyBunk
Member
No such thing as one magical mic that is best for everything... each scene and feeling has it's own setup, presence, ambience, etc. Otherwise there would only be one mic on the market. I'd go to www.musiciansfriend.com and grab one of their very well priced video mics great for beginers, then buy 2 radioshack mic stands, screw off the top and take out the second bar (the one that slides up for more height) and knock off the plastic ring that the cylinder that tightens and locks the bar in place off, carefull not to break it. then slide the base off the mic stand, put the plastic ring back on, the second pole, and the locking cylinder, and you have 2 expandable booms with wire clamps for 20 bucks each. It's only 5'4 expanded, but I've put in another pole to extend it from Home depot, and it was the easiest way to grab one the day I needed it, and i liked it so much i never bothered to upgrade so far. If not that poor ignore that advice and get a real boom... the mics are well priced and good enough quality though.
RaspyBunk
Oh yeah, if you shoot shot reverse shot you can probably get away with the one mic ok. My answers are nearly always the budget answers... never stick a radio shack mic stand boom pole in Jack Nicholson's face.... oh, and the mic stand should be the type with 3 legs, not the metal disk at the bottom, though i am going to check that one out this week some time.
RaspyBunk
Oh yeah, if you shoot shot reverse shot you can probably get away with the one mic ok. My answers are nearly always the budget answers... never stick a radio shack mic stand boom pole in Jack Nicholson's face.... oh, and the mic stand should be the type with 3 legs, not the metal disk at the bottom, though i am going to check that one out this week some time.
TyFord
Well-known member
On the other hand, I really like my 16 foot Ktek carbon fiber pole. How long do you want to hold something like that up with a mic and windbreaker on the other end?
My cheapie answer (you will get weird looks from the camera crew) an expandable paint roller pole.
Ty Ford
My cheapie answer (you will get weird looks from the camera crew) an expandable paint roller pole.
Ty Ford
Ernest_Acosta
Well-known member
What Barry says rings true, but if you are insistent in owning your own equipment, these models are top notch. Sanken CS-3 for exteriors, Schoeps MK41 for interiors. The old trusted reliable is the Sennheiser 416P. I actually own the Sennheiser 416T (t-power) which I purchased on Ebay. I paid $350 for it and I needed to get an adapter to P (Phantom Power 48). It records clean and solidly. When it comes to wireless, nothing beats the Lectrosonics with Countryman lav/mic. But as was previously said, all this equipment in the hands of an amatuer spells disaster. Throw in a fluffy windscreen, shockmount, boom pole, field mixer or recorder and you may easily exceed your budget by 3 fold; even if you purchase them used. Its always good to have equipment though. There are times when you get that call and either the rental house is closed, out of stock with what you need or that friend of yours that you borrowed the equipment from on the last shoot is out of town.
Yeah...
Yeah...
Dave, in all due respect what question posted on this site can't be searched---thus making this site practically irrelevant. I suppose you are aware that new products come out weekly, thus making many "seaches" outdated, etc. I wish to solicit opinions, which include opinions from those who have used these new products (mics), old products (mics), made comparisons, etc. If you feel a post such as mine is a waste of time, please consider the time it took to write your "of no use to no one" response which displays a lack of patience---which is a virtue, my friend.
Yeah...
Dave, in all due respect what question posted on this site can't be searched---thus making this site practically irrelevant. I suppose you are aware that new products come out weekly, thus making many "seaches" outdated, etc. I wish to solicit opinions, which include opinions from those who have used these new products (mics), old products (mics), made comparisons, etc. If you feel a post such as mine is a waste of time, please consider the time it took to write your "of no use to no one" response which displays a lack of patience---which is a virtue, my friend.
TyFord
Well-known member
You said: I have both indoor and outdoor scenes with generally 1 - 2 characters in frame. I'm not too keen on the lav mics and prefer a boom (1 or 2?). I have a very tight budget and need an econo version with as little sacrifice on quality as possible. Your knowledge is appreciated.
Hi,
I don't know your name because you don't give it. Here's the thing. Searching IS very usable because over the last 30 or so years, no mic has come to the market that answers your question.
Instead of telling Dave to be more patient, try being more patient yourself and do the homework required to answer your own question.
To understand why one mic won't do, please look at my mp4 mic tutorial video. It's in the video folder on my online directory at www.tyford.com.
Ty Ford
PS: get keener about lavs. They've been using them in Hollywood for years.
Hi,
I don't know your name because you don't give it. Here's the thing. Searching IS very usable because over the last 30 or so years, no mic has come to the market that answers your question.
Instead of telling Dave to be more patient, try being more patient yourself and do the homework required to answer your own question.
To understand why one mic won't do, please look at my mp4 mic tutorial video. It's in the video folder on my online directory at www.tyford.com.
Ty Ford
PS: get keener about lavs. They've been using them in Hollywood for years.
xilixfilms
Well-known member
Ok, a lot of you guys are experienced right, we are currently shooting a movie and we had to record to the Canon XL2 since we do not want to have any out of sync audio. The mic is an XGM or something like that but I know it is an external mic that requires a boom. We had to use a stand because there will be noise if any one touches the boom. So my question is, are we using the wrong mic since we will have distortion sounds if the boom or stand is touched and is it a good idea recording to the XL2??
Dave_Fisk
Well-known member
dvxnewbie said:
There haven't been any new mics worth looking at come out for the past couple of months that I deal with, and I am pretty well in the know. Regardless of what's new and what isn't, that doesn't mean you shouldn't read up a little first. I'm not trying to be a dick, but a little research goes a long way.
I also agree with everyone else who recommends hiring a competent sound person.
-Dave