Doing another short

S

scottfs

Well-known member
I'm doing another short in cheap and crappy Sacramento. This is with a different crew and I won't be supplying the film the mics and sound equipment, so the cheap and crappy Sennheiser me66 won't offend the world with their mere existence.

I understand the sound guy has an AT4053, don't know if it is an older a or newer b model.

There will be mostly indoor shooting. He has just the bare mic. Do we need a foam mic cover, or a softie, or even a furry faux dead cat (since I'm a cat lover, I hate this term). I have the foam cover that came with the unmentionable me66 (oops, just mentioned it...). Would that work, even if it is really way too big?
 
If the room is dead still and the mic is fixed in position, you can get by with a naked mic. If you are booming, instead of a dead furry friend, think about a Rycote Baby Ball Gag. (That's about as gross as a dead cat. What is it about audio people?) The BBG is like a miniture blimp without suspension, so you still need a good shock mount. If needed, you can add a windjammer (furry) to the BBG for extra protection. IMHO, for a small condenser, this is the way to go.

Grant

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/322363-REG/Rycote_011001_Baby_Ball_Gag_Windshield.html
 
Hey Grant, I wonder if Scott could make his own? I'm not sure what Rycote uses to make the Baby Ball (any special acoustic materials), and I know that that piece is design to specifically fit smaller shotgun mikes, but a replacement grill for an SM58 looks pretty close, and those only go for about $13.00 . Some DIY jury rigging and liberal use of an additional foam windscreen or two?? Maybe there's an "Under $25" solution...

GJ
 
I've heard people say that AT4053 has rear pick-up pattern, if booming indoor, is it neccessary to use a full windshield? this mic is really really short, just 155mm, not compatible with either rycote S-series or full kit.
 
marvinhello said:
I've heard people say that AT4053 has rear pick-up pattern, if booming indoor, is it neccessary to use a full windshield? this mic is really really short, just 155mm, not compatible with either rycote S-series or full kit.
Click to expand...

It's a hypercardioid, so it has a small lobe of response to the rear. Windscreening indoors is important, believe it or not, to protect sudden boom swings. Also helpful if there's a fan running, or some other sort of draft, that may be causing a draft across the mic. Often, a simple foam windscreen is enough, but the BBG is a bit more effective.
 
+1 to what Alex said but there are some cheaper alternatives. There are some better quality foam heads for around $40 that work OK, but they are nothing like a BBG which is essentially like a blimp for a small condensor. I wish I had more time to cobble stuff up, though blimps and the like might be pretty sketchy for a tinkerer.

These Windtech products have some interior structure so they seem a bit better than the most basic slip on foams. There are some similar products out there. Check your diameters.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/298973-REG/WindTech_US_3_US_3_Ultra_Series_Universal.html

Grant
 
48V Phantom Power-eats batteries

48V Phantom Power-eats batteries

I understand the 4093b is powered exclusively by phantom power. On a previous shoot, the main sound guy said that the

batteries in his Zoom H4N were not lasting very long when it powered the mic.
 
The H4n's pre-amps aren't the strongest in the world, and adding phantom on top of that will drain the batteries much faster.
 
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