Does anyone use this for a mic?

D

DVXnNYC

Active member
Hi,

Just getting into video - being a musician, I have dabbled in recording and I have a collection of decent mics, but I wonder if I can use any of them for video recording. More specifically, I have a Neumann u87ai and I wonder if anyone uses this for recording interviews?

I would like to get the best possible sound for interviews, indoors, for a documentary.

Should I just sell this and get a more specific Schoeps or Neumann shotgun?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
:thumbsup:
 
The u87 is a fabulous classic studio mic, definitely a keeper. Hang on to it for recording narration and voice-over. Unfortunately for an interview situation it's too big and heavy to put on a fishpole boom overhead and both its size and its close normal working distance would make it obtrusive if positioned in-frame in front of the subject.

For interior dialog, a hyper is usually preferred over a shotgun. Hypers in the same class as your U87 but more suitable for booming would include the Neumann KM150 and the Schoeps CMC641. Also consider the Sanken CS3e.
 
Yes, a Gorilla! I can get them at B&H right??

I would like to keep the u87 - I really like the sound of it, but it all comes back to $$. But I will look into the models you mentioned Steve, thanks!

Any others?
 
DVXnNYC said:
Yes, a Gorilla! I can get them at B&H right??

I would like to keep the u87 - I really like the sound of it, but it all comes back to $$. But I will look into the models you mentioned Steve, thanks!

Any others?
Click to expand...

If money is tight and you'd have to sell the Neumann to get one of the others, take a look at the AKG ULS series C480B/CK63, the AudioTechnica 4053a, or the AKG Blueline SE300B/CK93. You might be able to swing one of them without having to sell the u87. The Oktava M012 comes well recommended by users here but it's not in the same class as Neumann and I've heaard nice things said about Audix as well.
 
you can use the 87 for sit down interviews .
for small mics look for mbho 603 , audix sxi and gefefl mv210, no really need waist money on schopses if you not intend continue record classical music
for outside look for sanken cs-3 , the best shotgun imo for real lfe
 
I have a U-87. I've used it for studio vocals, etc... for years. I also have a bunch of other big condensors. There might be a better one, say a U47/ U48, :) but they don't travel too well and they're $.

The U87 is prone to moisture/ buildup distortion as you know, so it needs distance &/or a pop filter.

I've had the Oktava MK102 sound really good also ... but it's fragile.

The best large diaphram mc for the price ($1,000) is the AKG 414. I've put these next to all sorts of mics and they do the job every time. They sound a little sterile compared to the round Neumann but with a little EQ, no one knows!

Shotguns IMHO don't come close to a 2" diaphram mic for richness. Maybe the Sanken & Schoeps are exceptions.

If your filming you need distance, and that's where the shotgun comes into play. Also, a Shotgun excels at off axis rejection so it's good for location recording, unless you want to capture more than the speaker. But those big diaphrams have the full richness I like.
 
Last edited:
Thanks again for the helpful info.

Oleg, 10s - are you saying that I should try to use the u87 for interviews? I agree that the sound quality is terrific, but I'm worried about how close I can get the mic without getting it in the shot, or changing the sound.

It looks like the consensus on here is to go with a high quality boom when possible instead of a lav. So, that's why I started wondering about the u87. I'm sure I could boom it (on a stand, not held) about 3-4 feet away, but I'm not sure if it would sound too "roomy" at that distance. Watching a lot of interview footage, seems like the pros get a mic that does both distance AND clarity. That's what I'm hoping to get...of course, all the while saving as much money as possible! Impossible??

Thanks!
 
10s said:
The best large diaphram mc for the price ($1,000) is the AKG 414. I've put these next to all sorts of mics and they do the job every time.
Click to expand...

414s are great LDCs as are 87s and 47s (got 'em all), but have you heard the M-Audio Sputnik? A real eye opener. In spite of a recent price increase (about $800 street) it's still a ridiculous bargain.

None of these is what the original poster really needs though. They're mainly suited for VO/Narr/Foley where film is concerned, and they are great for that...
 
No one has mentioned THE VO mic? ...Sennheiser 416. This is the best choice for you (in my opinion). You can add it to your collection used for around $400-$500. I just picked up another one on eBay for $420 w/ case, power supply & clip! GREAT mic that is the standard for studio VO's...GREAT in the field...small, light & has a wonderful full signal response.

Granted, you'll get great tone out of a Neumann (I LOVE my 1960's U47 long body), but to get that sound you need to be tight to the mic...and it will be in the frame unless you're really tight. Find a nice dead room or set-up some gobos & try a Sennheiser 416 on a boom from the front, below the subject....you might be surprized at what you can get.
 
DVXnNYC said:
...It looks like the consensus on here is to go with a high quality boom when possible instead of a lav. So, that's why I started wondering about the u87. I'm sure I could boom it (on a stand, not held) about 3-4 feet away, but I'm not sure if it would sound too "roomy" at that distance. Watching a lot of interview footage, seems like the pros get a mic that does both distance AND clarity. That's what I'm hoping to get...of course, all the while saving as much money as possible! Impossible??

Thanks!
Click to expand...

3 or 4 feet away from the subject is really pushing past the limit for almost any mic when recording dialog, well past the limit for a studio mic! The rule of thumb is that the mic should be close enough to the talent that they can reach up comfortably and touch the 'business end' on the mic. Studio mics such as your Neumann typically need to be about 8 to 12 inches from the souce for dialog recording. A hyper will work well from about 12 out to about 24 inches, a short 'gun from 20 out to 36 inches or a tad more if you're in a quiet space, the shorter side of the range in more normal spaces.
 
Yes the M-Audio Sputnik is fantastic new mic. It's a new and inexpensive U47! The only difference I heard was a touch less high end sparkle, nothing an exciter can't fix.

If a compressor is used during capture it's possible to get hot signals from a distance. This takes some tweaking, but unfortunately you'll capture everything within a city block also.

For interviews, don't forget lavs. They are standard for this type of work, because they work. A mix of lav and shotgun seem to keep me happy.

Don't boom a U87 unless you've got your local muscleman booming. In NY you'll need a hard wired lav and a shotgun, IMO.
 
10s said:
...
If a compressor is used during capture it's possible to get hot signals from a distance. This takes some tweaking, but unfortunately you'll capture everything within a city block also.

....
Click to expand...

There's more getting good, natural-sounding speech than just getting hot levels. Isolating the voice from the ambience so as to mimic the "cocktail-party effect" focussing of attention that's evident in face-to-face conversations is crucial. Plus overuse of compression can tend to reduce the normal dynamic range of the voice while boosting levels, leading to an AM DJ sort of unnatural stridency.
 
You got it , Steve! .... but I thought everyone wanted that Darth Vader breathing fx! :huh:
 
DVXnNYC said:
Thanks again for the helpful info.

Oleg, 10s - are you saying that I should try to use the u87 for interviews? I agree that the sound quality is terrific, but I'm worried about how close I can get the mic without getting it in the shot, or changing the sound.

It looks like the consensus on here is to go with a high quality boom when possible instead of a lav. So, that's why I started wondering about the u87. I'm sure I could boom it (on a stand, not held) about 3-4 feet away, but I'm not sure if it would sound too "roomy" at that distance. Watching a lot of interview footage, seems like the pros get a mic that does both distance AND clarity. That's what I'm hoping to get...of course, all the while saving as much money as possible! Impossible??

Thanks!
Click to expand...

3-4 feet away - for normal sit down interview - you better check your framing - not more then 1.5 feet for medium shot take you out of the frame
my dear the same rules for every microphone you place :-)
 
Yeah, okay, so I was off a bit - 3 to 4 feet would be too much. But you get my meaning: I want to get as close as possible without getting in the shot. And I want to try to get the best sound I can - with the money I have available! (Is that too much to ask?) But I do have a wired 77b, I just assumed that I should get a higher quality shotgun to get the lav/shotgun "one two punch." There is a 416 for sale here - people seem mixed on that one but that seems like a good one for me.

Anyway, thanks for all the help and advice!
Cheers!
 
sanken is always my first choice for shotgun , but the shotgun is not my first choice for anything :-)
good hyper or cardioid would sound way natural then any shotgun .
the directive of the shotguns is in mid and high fq - for low end they acts as any other mic .
usually high output on shotguns come with more self mic noise .
usuallly shot guns would sound bad off axis when you place them permanently over your subject and he run away from the mic by turning the head .
usually:-) they have grater output ( or as people call it reach - what a stupid word by 6-12 db ) but the measurement is from the capsule , so hyper which placed 1 feet over subject or shotgun with total front length of 20 cm will have about 4 db difference in output level
good preamp which not increase noise would give you same output .
usually shotguns cant stand high level spl .
so if you intend work interiors , work with other mics , but if you make films , shotguns a good thing for noisy locations outside and the cs-3 is the best one to use ( also work excellent interiors as reject low end very successfully , not tight as 416 ,don't have proximity effect as 416 or any other ), and sounds very natural
in audio for film as any other thing you need to choose the right tool , as camera person doesn't work with one Lance , so are we .
about recording lavaliere - why , if the overhead mic sounds good why to bother
giving the choice for non educate editor only will bring disaster in editing
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top