Help with mic choices for EX1: AT897, MKE300, Sony ECM-959A

L

lowep

Well-known member
First a very basic question: roughly what level should the sound bars on the LCD peak at for interview recording? Should the bars run all the way up to just below the red indicator or less?

Another less stupid question I have is about the Audio Techica AT897 that seems to produce a much warmer and more vibrant sound on the EX1 than the Sennheiser MKE300 that I have connected to the EX1 via a Rode XLR adapter that I assume makes no difference to the recording quality? Am I right the AT897 is a better mic in terms of audio quality than the MKE300?


What surprises me is the AT897 shotgun also seems to produce better results when used on a stand close to the speaker for interview recording than my old SonyECM959A (also connected with the Rode XLR adapter) that as far as I understand is designed for voice recording? Furthermore, I have to boost the camcorder audio input trim setting to -59 to get useable audio levels from the Sony ECM959A. Maybe because the Sony ECM959 is an older mic that was not designed to work with this type of camcorder?


So final question, would you reckon the AT897 could be used both as an on-camera shotgun for run and gun and also on stand at a distance of about 2 feet/40cm from the speaker for interviews. Or is this the audio equivalent of trying to use a rifle as a cigarette lighter?
 
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Nobody ever tried using a shotgun microphone like the Audio Techica AT897 for interviews?
 
I think lots of people use mics like this on interviews primarily for the reasons you state - the sound quality is better than most lavs. Unless the person never moves around, you might do better with something not super narrow though. I've used (or seen used) the AT 875r, hypercardioid AT 4053b, and NTG-3 shotgun with good results. I just put it on a traditional mic stand with boom arm and can usually get the mic only about 1 1/2 feet above the mouth.
 
thanks DD for this very useful reply... now I can stop worrying if I am barking up the wrong tree and concentrate on improving how I do it :-)
 
I can't speak for the MKE300 or the sony you mentioned, but I've used the AT897 before and I used it all the times as you described above for sit down interviews (I largely use a Rode NTG3 or AT 4053a now). My normal sit down interview setup (for one person) would be a mic attached to a boom pole, held by a boom pole holder, grip head, and light stand. Place mic an inch out of frame (usually from above) and you are good to go. If you have a interviewee who tends to sway or move around alot, it may be better to hand boom.

I almost always prefer a boom to a lav when I can use one. I would also mention that it's virtually impossible to get too close with the boom. You mention 2 feet, and I would say that would be close to the maximum distance you'd want to be booming from (especially indoor interviews, in reverberant rooms). I often try to get within a foot or less if I can get the camera guy to cooperate with the framing. Luckily, a lot of the time I am my own camera guy so I almost always frame with audio in mind first.
 
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where do you reckon is the best position to position the boom mic in relation to the talent: above and in front of the speaker tilted back at a 45 degree angle towards their head, or straight down or...?
 
First a very basic question: roughly what level should the sound bars on the LCD peak at for interview recording? Should the bars run all the way up to just below the red indicator or less?
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I don't know how the metering on that camera is configured, but peaks should generally be somewhere between -10 and -6, which should put the average level between -20 and -12. Sometimes you want to go lower than that if there might be unexpected loud sounds, but you rarely want to go higher.

Having a mic on a camera should be a last resort, as it's mostly too far away and in a bad angle. Use a boom on a stand or a lav (many use both).

where do you reckon is the best position to position the boom mic in relation to the talent: above and in front of the speaker tilted back at a 45 degree angle towards their head, or straight down or...?
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This would depend on the distance and how much the person moves around. You usually get closer from above than from the side or below (though that is not always the case), and then you have it in front of them aiming at the upper chest (if you aim at their head and they lean forward, you miss them completely). Somewhere around 20 and 45 degrees should be fine - 45 degrees gives more leeway for movement, but doesn't come as close as something more vertical.

If you don't see the floor, try putting down some carpets below/around where they stand/sit to reduce some reflections.
 
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många tack jesper! also for the good suggestion about avoiding reflections... expect only to use the mic on camera for run and gun: moving people, chickens, elephants etc not interviews & hope the AT897 in a shock mount will work for that too. very happy to have a clear idea where the levels should peak that will help a lot to figure out how things should work before it is too late
 
The AT897 is a pretty good mic for what it is, and especially for what you pay, but I agree with ddixon -- it's a pretty narrow mic, so you really need to be mindful of the axis at all times. Run-and-gun is probably NOT the best use for it unless you don't care that much about the sound, like with a news broadcast. When you say "in a shock mount," do you mean on the camera?
 
Varsågod :)

I would go out and test the mic with your chockmount so you'll know what you can get away with (movements as well as noise from the camera and yourself). I should also mention that the peak levels I suggested are what a dedicated audio operator would aim for. If nobody is actively monitoring the sound and adjusting levels - and especially if you don't have any analogue limiters in the audio chain - I would set the peaks on the lower end, something like -12, just for safety.
 
Yes, I have one of these Pearstone DUSM-1 mounts:

universal shock mount.jpg

bit gangly, but better I think than mounting the mic direct on the camera for recording location sound in a one man setup with no assistant, as I have managed to do in the past "ok" with a little Sennheiser MKE300 but am hoping the AT897 that came with my newly acquired preloved EX1 will produce better results if I can figure out how to use it properly.
 
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