Good mic for less than $100

C

craigferriter

Member
Bought a dvx100 for $1000 and have been considering oktava.

We have 2 different needs and need your input.

1. General mic. Something that mounts on to camera and does a fair job picking up what's going on and maybe some "congratulations". Better than what comes on it.

2. Distance miking. We are not going to invest (yet) $1000 to get 3 or 4 mics that are wireless to hook up to camera. We've been doing photography for years and are simply expanding and offering video. So, as far as distance, i see an MP3 player maybe with a $35 mic attached that records in mp3 format.


Would we be better off buying 2 oktavas and using one on an mp3 player and one camera mounted?

Any comments on which mp3 player?

Is this a total dumb move?
 
OH CRAP. RUN. DELETE THIS POST. If you listen closely, you can hear Jeremy Ordan stomping his way to this thread, ready to tell you to read the sticky threads and use the Search feature.

That was a fore-warning... (And Im just kidding, Jeremy Ordan).

But Craig, make sure you read the stickies (threads at the top of the audio forum) and search. This topic has been rehashed a million times.
(One of those threads being posted by myself)
 
there are a few things you must understand about Microphones. 1) the differance between a dynamic mic and a condensor mic. the Dynamic mic uses a larger diaphram and requires no external power to operate. a condensor mic uses a smaller diaphram (the actual thing that moves when air passes over it) and requires a power source outside itself, i.e. Phantom power. phantom power is when there is a slight electrical current running back through the mic cable and powering the mic. the Oktava mk12 mic is a Condensor mic and requires 48v Phantom power to operate. YOUR IPOD WILL NOT SUPPLY PHANTOM POWER TO OPERATE THIS MIC. 2. the differance between Line level and MIC level. someone can probally explain this better but basicly Microphones regardless of Dynamic or Condensor status output at a certian lvl (for basic reasoning ill talk in terms of Volume or Loudness) this output is measured at -20dB. Line lvl is the output of other devices like a CD player this lvl is uasually +4dB. The important thing to remember is that you dont plug a professional mic into a line lvl input (if you do it will sound distorted and your volume controll only makes it worse) and visa versa if you plug a CD player into a mic input it will be extremly quiet and you will not be able to get good sound without alot of NOISE; NOISE being the stuff that you dont want in your recording>

OK now on to your questions. simply put you will not find a better mic than the onboard camera mic for less than 100 bux. and the Oktava mic's from sound room are about 165 before shipping( from sound-room.com) (( there are chineese knockoffs of Oktava mics sold through Gutiar Center and others but would make sure your buying a Russian made one) I would not suggest mounting a Oktava to your camera. for a number of reasons one being that the Oktava MK12 is extremely sensitive to movement and neer by noise ( say for example your camera motor, zoom motor, etc. it does not have enough off angle rejection in my opinion to conpensate for those noises. and did i mention its extremely sensitive to movement. (if you buy an Oktava, I as well as others will recommend the Rycote 20mm Baby Ball Gag (BBG) to go over the mic, its like a mini blimp that protects it from wind noise ( it does not take much to make Oktava unhappy) and that will cost almost as much as the mic itself. And lets not forget the Shock Mount for it thats another 120bux K-tek SSM. That being said.

pretty much all im writing here is mentioned above in the Stickes, you should check them out for more detail.


as for the question of a distance mic. im not entirely sure what you mean. the important thing to remember is that Microphones even Shotguns will not give you a good quality of sound unless your mic is CLOSE to the subject. If your talking about puting a wireless lav on somone vs. a small portable recorder. there is someting you need to think about when you record sound seperate from video ... THE SYNC. meaning how are you going to get the picture and sound back in synch together. Most digital recorders are pretty close to real time, but pretty close wont cut it say if your recording a 30 min wedding ceromony , by 1/4 of the way in or so you can notice the sound and the video getting out of synch and it will get worse and worse as time goes on. Professionals can spot this error uasually when its only out of synch 1 or 2 frames. thats not alot of room for error. \

my advice. it sounds like you want better sound that you get with your DVX and you want more versitility in recording it. although im not that hyped up on the sound quality of the Sennheiser ME66 it might be up your alley. you should do some research on it. and its buddies. The ME66 can be powered by a battery powersupply that connects to the base of the microphone and is wireless. and it can come in a kit that i think you can get a lav to go with it. ( i forget who said this but " my wired mic will always sound better than your wireless" and its the truth.


anyway this is getting long winded, as there is much to talk about, you shoud read the "NEW to audio" stickie above ...

although i dont remember any talk in there about Mic vs Line lvl and Dynamic vs Condensor, as mabye it should have some content for the people really new to audio recording.
 
Thanks for the responses. Believe it or not, I have spent hours going through previous posts.

You mentioned not to camera mount the mic (Oktava), but suggest a shockmount. What is this for? If it's not camera mounted, how would it be used, other than stationary or on a boom?

Second, as far as the "Distance recording", no, I am not suggesting wireless or any thing other than buying an mp3 player that has a mic in for recording voices, and using that audio.

Keep in mind that $1000 solutions are not happening here, just something better than on camera and something remote for catching vows, etc.

Please keep the responses going.

Thanks
 
A shock-mount is to keep any sound from the mic holder (boom or whatever your using) from interfeiring with your sound. Even the slightest hand re-adjustment on the boom, and youll hear it on the mic. If you have a shockmount, it absorbs the sound.

shockmount.jpg


The elastics hold the mic in place, and dont allow it to catch any unwanted sound.
 
First, where did you get a DVX for $1000?!?:huh:

Second, there's no way you can spend $100 and get decent sound, especially if you're looking into doing professional videography work.

"I am not suggesting wireless or any thing other than buying an mp3 player that has a mic in for recording voices, and using that audio."

I'm still not getting how using an mp3 player will help you get remote sound. Also, the onboard DVX mic is probably better than the recorder on there and the $35 mic you mentioned. Beside, how professional would you look carrying that around? Another thing is that you're going to have a hell of a time matching up the soundtrack after. You'll be far better served by a shotgun mic.

Don't mount the mic on the camera, especially the Oktava because as pto already mentioned it's incredibly sensitive to handling noise. Secondly, camera mounted mic makes it hard to get the mic close to your subject unless the camera is right there. Use a boompole.

Here's a minimum checklist that you'll need for that long distance pickup:

1. Shotgun mic ($250). For the choices I direct you to this thread

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=42674

2. 9-12 feet aluminum boompole ($100)

3. Shockmount ($50)

4. Rycote softie for shotgun wind protection ($110)

Total: $510

If you're talking wireless lav then you're moving into the realm of the Sennheiser G2 ($500) and up.

Even this kit will not guarantee you decent sound as you'll be needing a good boom operator. Bottom line is that you should be ready to invest some serious cash as well as time to learn how to operate and use your equipment. There's really no workaround when it comes to good sound. Good luck!
 
Good posts. Assuming he is talking strictly about wedding videography, I think he can skip the boom pole.

Only thing I will add is this makes number 5 in the last 30 days. Not bad really. :)
 
Me again. Okay, found a PAIR of Oktavas that are 7 years old They're both Cardioid and each of them have a 10db pad. Will this work? How would one use these? It appears that everyone says that they cannot be camera mounted, is this true?

Anyone make a rig that shockmounts well on camera?

The biggest reason for these right now is that we have to do a voice over for a corporate video and need decent sound, these will work, right?

The price is $250 for the pair, good deal or not?


Thanks again, so for the dumb questions.
 
I want to qualify for the Indy 500. I'm not taking about investing $5000 for a real race team I just need to qualify and I have $1000 to spend. So I saw this deal on a Ugo will that guarantee me a slot in the race? I could maybe go to $1500 if I could finish third, what's the best car for that?

Oh does any body know what that third pedal I see in some cars is for and do I really need it?

Thanks, and can I get some answers right away before I change my mind and decide to become a professional astronaut instead.
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Anybody know of a source of cheap booster rockets?
 
yeah, man, im sorry to seem rude but you are asking questions that are showing clearly how uninformed and under-researched you are. PLEASE, do a search on the Oktava MK-012. Do a search on waht polar patterns people use for different recordings (specifically ext and int film dialogue capturing).

sorry, but they ARE dumb questions - you need to do some research into what film sound recording is all about.
 
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