external microphone for DVX200

I've been shooting weddings since the early eighties and for the past 20, or so years, I've been using an AT822 Mic on my cameras and Sony WRR/WRT wireless mics. The AT822, is not made any more. They replaced it with the AT8022 model. If you want the exact sound, that you heard at the wedding (music) then i believe this is the mic to use. You will need to make up a custom cable, because the the AT mics, use a 3.5 connector. BTW, you can get AT822 mics off eBay for very low cost and usually work very well.
Bob

AT822 info .. http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/665bdf92967733dc/

AT8022 info .. http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/5c9c0e5adaceb659/
 
Alright, I've just finished my "SOUND FOR FILM AND TELEVISION" 2,5h tutorial. The video is awesome, it covers A LOT of recording/editing/preparing aspects!
However, now I'm more uncertain than I was before :D

Some questions are still bugging me, such as:

1) If I want to record both from a lavaliere & shotgun mic plugged into camera, what's the correct setup on camera? Will it produce 2 audio tracks after I click Rec button?
2) Speaking of shotgun mics, as I understood they're no good for indoor recording? Cardioid mic is more preferable for that purpose?
3) As for the cardioid mics, there are Super & Hyper versions, along with the regular Cardioid. Which one should I buy? I don't think I'd need that extra "tail" hyper & super provide.

P.S. Hiring a boom person is not an option, as weddings & other sport/dance events would require me to move a lot.

4) You guys have previously mentioned that you've been using shotgun mics to shoot weddings. Were you shotgunning indoors? Or you've wired groom and bride with lav mics?
 
1. The camera will do as you tell it to. You can select channel 1 input to be on channel 1 and have your shotgun mic there, as mic input one is situated where your mic connector is, and channel two input can have your lapel mic input which can be switched to channel 2, hence having two separate audio channels. I only used a lapel for the vows in the church, and at the reception if they were using a lectern for the speeches, attach it to there or near a P.A. speaker. But often speeches at weddings are done without even P.A.'s, so the old shotgun-on-camera will save you again. Never heard the one about 'no shotguns inside', because what is a shotgun, except a super cardioid mic anyway. Booms usually have a shotgun in them unless you have a pristine studio setup, which we are not talking about here.
I've used the Senheiser K6/Me66 setup for over twenty years, with spare K6 power modules with short mics for use on front of stage recordings.
You can switch the camera to use the internal mic on one track when you've finished with the lapel, to get more ambience at the reception, or just use the shotgun on both channels, one at a lower volume level, in case you get caught with loud applause.
Sometimes it's very difficult (in a city's heavy traffic), to get to the church and get a park in time to find the groom, mic him up and test it, then get back outside to film the bride arriving. Things go wrong occasionally, and, as I said before, nothing will save you like a good shotgun.

Cheers,

vaughan
 
Vaughan Wood said:
1. The camera will do as you tell it to. You can select channel 1 input to be on channel 1 and have your shotgun mic there, as mic input one is situated where your mic connector is, and channel two input can have your lapel mic input which can be switched to channel 2, hence having two separate audio channels. I only used a lapel for the vows in the church, and at the reception if they were using a lectern for the speeches, attach it to there or near a P.A. speaker. But often speeches at weddings are done without even P.A.'s, so the old shotgun-on-camera will save you again. Never heard the one about 'no shotguns inside', because what is a shotgun, except a super cardioid mic anyway. Booms usually have a shotgun in them unless you have a pristine studio setup, which we are not talking about here.
I've used the Senheiser K6/Me66 setup for over twenty years, with spare K6 power modules with short mics for use on front of stage recordings.
You can switch the camera to use the internal mic on one track when you've finished with the lapel, to get more ambience at the reception, or just use the shotgun on both channels, one at a lower volume level, in case you get caught with loud applause.
Sometimes it's very difficult (in a city's heavy traffic), to get to the church and get a park in time to find the groom, mic him up and test it, then get back outside to film the bride arriving. Things go wrong occasionally, and, as I said before, nothing will save you like a good shotgun.

Cheers,

vaughan
Click to expand...



Thank you Vaughan for the detailed feedback!
I've googled your mic setup - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...4mQ59MCFYU_Gwod-tINGQ&c3api=2572,113041916107 and there's something unclear to me, would you please clarify this for me:


K6 (Battery/Phantom) Power Supply
Short Shotgun Condenser Capsule


So, shotgun condenser capsule is the shotgun mic right? And K6 power supply is just an add-on if you want to use the battery setup, right?
 
Nicklas said:
would you please clarify this for me:


K6 (Battery/Phantom) Power Supply
Short Shotgun Condenser Capsule


And K6 power supply is just an add-on if you want to use the battery setup, right?
Click to expand...

K6 gives you the option of battery (housed inside the k6 capsule) OR phantom power
K6P is slightly shorter but you ONLY have phantom power as an option

You HAVE to have one or the other PLUS the condenser capsule
 
Why not go for the Aputure Deity instead? As a solid performing on camera microphone for scratch audio.

Or if you want something nice and compact, the Sanken CS1e is quite appealing.
 
Don't forget, you won't be able to use both sides of the stereo mics when you need to plug in your lapel mic. Also not sure about stereo mics for weddings. Speech is usually in the middle, and any music overlay (in stereo obviously), will give you the required effect.

And there will be plenty of times at wedding ceremonies and speeches (the ones without mics or PA's working) where you will be forever grateful that you bought a shotgun with the longest reach that you could possibly get!!!! The ME66 and K6 has worked flawlessly for nearly twenty years. To complement them I use the shorter ME64 capsules on K6 modules as cardioid mics to pick up stage shows.

If I was buying one now I would probably buy the Sanken CS1e, as the results of that mic are better than the Senheiser, (just google shotgun mic comparisons), and it is used by many filmmakers, but it IS more expensive.
Just remember that they will probably last for your whole career!

Good Luck,

Vaughan
 
Thanks for extremely useful info guys! Much appreciated!

P.S. Since I'm still new to mics, which parameters should I look at while comparing mics?

What about these ones? Is that any good?

Frequency Range 50 Hz to 20 kHz
Equivalent Noise Level 15 dB A-Weighted
Maximum SPL 130 dB SPL 1%
Impedance 120 ohms1 kHz
Sensitivity -24 dB, re: 1 V/Pa
 
Nicklas said:
Thanks for extremely useful info guys! Much appreciated!

P.S. Since I'm still new to mics, which parameters should I look at while comparing mics?

What about these ones? Is that any good?


Frequency Range 50 Hz to 20 kHz
Equivalent Noise Level 15 dB A-Weighted
Maximum SPL 130 dB SPL 1%
Impedance 120 ohms1 kHz
Sensitivity -24 dB, re: 1 V/Pa
Click to expand...


Performance and sound quality at the price point you are talking about cannot be determined by looking at technical specs alone. Also people have a tendency to like certain mics even if they are not the best. And best is also many times subjective. It is unlikely that anyone here as done a side by side test of all the mics in your budget range. And even if they did try to test them, do they know what they are doing?

Names like Rode, Sennheiser, etc. make great mics. You will not go wrong buying one of their mics. There is also a whole section on sound and audio under the Filmmaking forum you might want to check out. They also cover shotgun mics. There are some professional sound guys there. There is no specific mic that is made for the DVX200, so the information there is useful. Buy the mic, do your shoot, and upgrade to a better mic in the future. I think you will do well. Let us see your footage!
 
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