Have you used the at 4053b, akg ck93 or audix scx-1 hc outdoors?.....please comment

blake2404

blake2404

Well-known member
I might be in a position to only purchase one boom mic. So i was wondering what users of these mics have experienced outdoors with these mics as that would be in my price range.

Also would love to know what you think about the mics performance mounted on camera in a pinch, is one more suitable than the other?

Thanks

T2i
hmc150
zoom hn4
 
You may be better off getting a good shotgun, like the RøDE NTG-3, if you can get only one mic. That's assuming that you'll be doing a fair amount of both exteriors and interiors.

Any hypercardioid is going to be so-so for outdoor performance. There are times when a hyper may be better outdoors, such as on very reflective surfaces like tennis courts, but on the whole a shotgun is preferable outside. The hypercardioid has a much wider angle of response and cannot isolate distant noise pollution like a shotgun can.

Shotguns are generally poor performers indoors, unless the room is well-treated or otherwise has few reflections. That said, some shotguns are more forgiving indoors than others.

As for on-camera, that's the last place you'd want to put a mic. But if it comes to that, a hypercardioid isn't anywhere close to the first choice. Again, it's response pattern is too wide, and it's going to hear plenty of the sounds from the camera and the person operating the camera.
 
Is the NTG-3 really a shotgun? It is stated as such in their website but it's a supercardioid, while the 4053b is an hyper. Looking at wikipedia, both patterns are almost the same, the super gets more from the front and less from the back. But the pattern is not like the shotgun pattern.
 
Iudex said:
Is the NTG-3 really a shotgun? It is stated as such in their website but it's a supercardioid, while the 4053b is an hyper. Looking at wikipedia, both patterns are almost the same, the super gets more from the front and less from the back. But the pattern is not like the shotgun pattern.
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Yes, it's really a shotgun mic.

Every shotgun mic is based on a type of cardioid response pattern, usually supercardioid. That's the response of the mic element at the base of the tube. What makes it a shotgun (i.e. what creates the narrow response pattern) is the interference tube design that is placed in front of the mic capsule. The interference tube uses phase cancellation to reject sounds coming in from the sides and rear, though there's usually a very small lobe of response at the rear.
 
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Although I personally don't use hyper's outdoors, Jeff Wexler has made a point, fairly often, about the benefits of using his favorite hyper (Schoeps CMC6 + MK41) outdoors as his primary mic. Granted, that's one of, if the not the best, hypers you can buy. Not sure how well the mic's you listed would fair.

But yes, NTG-3 is great.
 
Gohanto said:
Jeff Wexler has made a point, fairly often, about the benefits of using his favorite hyper (Schoeps CMC6 + MK41) outdoors as his primary mic. Granted, that's one of, if the not the best, hypers you can buy.
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Jeff if one of the best out there, so he can pull off what others cannot.
 
ok, i really appreciate the input. I've read through previous threads and heard people having good results with these hyper mics (akg, at4053, audix) outdoors, as well as good results using the ntg3 indoors. But i havent heard any real in the field tests.

Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with these mics in that environment?.......i know its sort of a taboo subject asking for one all purpose mic. Hopefully the funds will be there for both, but then again one mic is better than none......lol
 
I can offer zero experience on this, but some have said the closest thing to a single mic that can do it all is the Sanken CS3e. Of course you can buy a NTG-3 and a 4053b and have a very nice dinner with your wife for the price. I would be curious if anyone uses this approach....MattinStL comes to mind, but he doesn't play here much anymore.

Grant
 
unclebob6958 said:
Jeff if one of the best out there, so he can pull off what others cannot.
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Ah, so you've heard the same rumors as I that he uses a boom fashioned from the remnants of Merlin's wand? :2vrolijk_08:

To the OP, showing field tests of a hyper vs. shotgun wouldn't be a final answer to your question. The reason most location sound guys have a range of mic's is that every situation is different and you need to be as flexible as possible. A hyper may work outdoors if there isn't much exterior noise, and a shotgun may work indoors if there aren't too many reflections. There are many exceptions to both rules though. CS3e has been noted before as being the only "one mic to rule them all" solution, but that's obviously beyond the budget you've mentioned.
Personally? I would invest in an NTG-3 + blimp, and be prepared to add sound deadening via lots of moving blankets on stands and/or walls if reflections are a problem while shooting indoors. And add a hyper asap as budget allows.
 
I don't really hear nayone suggesting the audix mic........are the at and akg the only real contenders here?...........if so which one is preferred, i hear the akg is a bit better but the at is more forgiving...and could you reccomend a good budget wireless system, is the g2/g3 the way to go?.....other options?
 
yeah, but after all the accessories needed to deal with the handling noise, its like a 50-100 dollar difference between the oktava and other mics, which are better mics from what i hear. no?
 
blake2404 said:
yeah, but after all the accessories needed to deal with the handling noise, its like a 50-100 dollar difference between the oktava and other mics, which are better mics from what i hear. no?
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You still need shockmounting and a windscreen on more expensive mics.
 
oh for sure, but it just seems a lil more iffy with the oktava's handling noise. Am i wrong in assuming the audio quality will noticably improve for an extra 100-150 bucks?
 
blake2404 said:
I don't really hear nayone suggesting the audix mic........are the at and akg the only real contenders here?...........if so which one is preferred, i hear the akg is a bit better but the at is more forgiving...and could you reccomend a good budget wireless system, is the g2/g3 the way to go?.....other options?
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I have the Audix mic and it sounds good! I mainly bought it for its very short length for tight areas. I also have the cardiod capsule for it, but I don't use it much at all. I bought it for indoors only so I only have a foam windscreen on it. The shock mount is the Rycote Invision.
 
berniebeaudry said:
I have the Audix mic and it sounds good! I mainly bought it for its very short length for tight areas. I also have the cardiod capsule for it, but I don't use it much at all. I bought it for indoors only so I only have a foam windscreen on it. The shock mount is the Rycote Invision.
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so you don't find any issues with handling noise and the foam screen is enough indoors?
 
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