Handheld solutions.

O

olindacat

Well-known member
Looking for suggestions for both indoor and outdoor (windy) hand held wired mics - one that has very directional coverage so I can block out wind, and another for a situation where I need off-axis for four people hunched around a table shoulder-to-shoulder. I gather this is going to take at least two mics, but hoping I can get away with as few as three. My budget is limited, but I don't want to cheap out for the sake of it. I want to give audio as much attention as I can, and am willing to invest in good gear. Some very nice people have helped me here and the direction was wireless lavs, but I'm backing off that idea after having seen Barry's DVD. Thanks!
 
Without good wind treatment (Dead cat, blimp, etc.), no mic will stand up to wind without "blowing out". And just foam slip ons will only protect against extremely mild breezes. This is an area that "cheap-out" will hurt your efforts, unfortunately. Plan on buying at least a Rycote softie with dead cat overlay. Get the right size for your mic.
 
Hi Doc. I was going to blimp it when I can boom, and have seen the small one for is it short shotguns? But which mic to get is where I get lost. I read Ken Stone's article over and over but am still a bit at a loss. Thanks for the help.
 
what do you mean when you say handheld? Are you thinking of something like the ElectroVoice RE50, like you see on the news? That's what I think of when I see "hand held". That's a great mic for handheld use, and you can get furry wind protection for those microphones. They are designed for news/man on the street work and the capsule has a built in shock mount and metal wind screen built in. Of course, on really windy days, that's not enough, so you can get a furry wind cover for it that slips right on if you need.
 
This is going to sound tough, but could you sketch out what you will be facing? I am having a bit of a mental disconnect.
 
Sure. Here is a clip I did on my show with my talent holding a mic (handheld).

http://www.dagameshow.com/episodes/e1n6/

As you can see: no fur, but it wasn't windy so I got away with it. This was a borrowed mic and I didn't get the name of the brand or model number. I have been using whatever my community channel has on loan for a couple of years and frankly want my own gear so I can care for it and improve technique by using the same thing over and over.
 
This is a situation where I have talent moving all over the place. I put the mic on the ground and pointed up upward and adjusted input so I could pick up both people. I thought a wider axis might help in this instance, vs. one that has more rejection for windy situations where we are pointing closely at talent....

http://www.dagameshow.com/episodes/e2n2/
 
Thanks, David. Obviously, this is not for movie making ;-) Just a means of learning the basics before I try something ambitious, like entering the Fests here.
 
olindacat said:
Thanks, David. Obviously, this is not for movie making ;-) Just a means of learning the basics before I try something ambitious, like entering the Fests here.
Click to expand...

In the same class as the RE50, but with a more directional pattern and about $50 less, would be the Shure SM58, an industry standard dynamic that is nearly indestructible.

GJ
 
Thanks. I searched YouTube for shootouts just to do my homework but limited into there. Very helpful everyone!
 
As well as the RE-50, the Sennheiser MD-46 is a handheld reporter's mic with a cardioid pattern. But the problem with any of those in the scenario you outline is that they need to be very close to the talent's mouth, no more than about 6 inches away, for optimum performance.
 
Standard reporter mics are omnis for the same reason lavaliers are omnis: less handling and wind noise. They are used close to the mouth so the lack of directivity does not matter. Replace with cardioid and you need more wind protection, get more handling noise, have to point them, etc etc.
 
I bumped up the input when I laid the handheld on the ground and didn't get any major hiss. So, while it wasn't 6" away it worked. Seems like a cheesy way to do it, but I really don't see any alternative (I certaily can't hire anyone, this is a lone wolf operation....
 
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