h4n + ???? = Happiness

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Danny1280

Well-known member
Okay, so reading the posts about NTG2 and H4n aren't a happy marriage without a mixer/pre-amp. Does anyone know if there is a mic in that price range that will have enough gain for the H4n?

How about the Oktava Mk012 hypercardiod?

Does the Rode VMP solve the issue when using battery power rather than phantom (although I realize there's more noise with battery power).

Are there any other mics in the $2-300 range that will work well with the H4n without a pre-amp/mixer?

Thanks!
 
Danny,

The NTG-2 and Oktava are very different mics for different uses. You didn't state what you are trying to accomplish and that would be helpful. Are you thinking double system because you are a DSLR shooter? Suggest you look through the stickies and then give more info.

Grant
 
I'm fairly well versed n the different micas and usages. Just looking for either a shotgun or hyper aedile that has a hot enough signal for the zoom. Decent quality in that price range.
 
Danny, what ggrantly is alluding too is that the NTG2 is a shotgun mic, and the MK012 is a Pencil SDC. Both great mics. But they are used in different situations, and really don't substitute for each other.

Where you would use a shotgun, you wouldn't want a pencil, and where you would use a pencil, you wouldn't want a shotgun.

So, what are you planning on recording? That would help people to understand what you need and to help us help you.

EDIT: But you need to know...... a mixer will work wonders with interfacing an NTG2 and an H4n. Plugging mics directly into recorders is a recipe for audio disaster. I have the H4n, and though I love what it does as a recorder, I run a mixer in front of it. I have real time control over what it captures because of it. The H4n alone doees not and will not give you the level of control you really need on set to adjust for a broad dynamic range. You do know what a High/Low mix is, right? Straight into a recorder, and you can't achieve this on the H4n. Give yourself and your audio editor options

The NTG2 is not a bad mic, I have heard way worse mics. But instead of buying another mic, I strongly suggest buying a 2 channel out mixer first. Saying you don't want advice on a mixer or recorder, considering the issue you are having, is like asking for treatment for cardiac arrest, but not wanting CPR, cardiac drugs, or defib. Putting a good mixer in front, even a not so good one, would be better than a single channel of stereo from a mic that may or may not be the right one. Or a mic that the recorder may not be able to handle.
 
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Having a high quality mixer on the front end of the recorder opens you up to a much wider choice in microphones. Using the H4n's input sensitivity as the primary factor in mic selection makes the choices very limited. Granted, there are Senkens and Shoeps which have very high output, but my guess is that is not the price range you are looking at.
 
In terms of sonic excellence, the microphone is the critical link in the chain. If your H4n recorder doesn't play nice with XXX brand microphone and that's otherwise the right mic for the job, don't look for a different mic, look for a different recorder!
 
The Audio Technica AT875R short shotgun works very well with the phantom-powered XLR inputs on the Zoom H4N. These mics are short and light enough to mount just about anywhere.
 
I agree with lpowell on this. I use the AT875R with my H4n and they play well together. But it still brings the issue as to what purpose you want the mic for?

I have been told that a hypercardioid like the Octava MK-012 is a good indoor mic whereas a shotgun like the AT875R makes a good outdoor mic. I could be wrong on that suggestion but that is the advice that I have always gone for.
 
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