If you are considering a shotgun/cardioid...

Dan, just to thank you for your thread. It was by listening trough your samples that I purchased the Neumann. It is everything i hoped it to be- to the point I used it to record musical instruments with great results.

I initially went for the Schoeps, but had a very big problem due to customs and local representation- its too expensive of a gear to buy grey market.

Anyway, thanks again for the great ressource.
 
SPZ said:
Dan, just to thank you for your thread. It was by listening trough your samples that I purchased the Neumann. It is everything i hoped it to be- to the point I used it to record musical instruments with great results.

I initially went for the Schoeps, but had a very big problem due to customs and local representation- its too expensive of a gear to buy grey market.

Anyway, thanks again for the great ressource.
Click to expand...

Sergio:

I am glad that my article was helpful to you. The Neumann is a really great mic, it impressed the heck out of me. You will be recording some really smooth and detailed sound with it. I own two Neumann mics, a KM-184 and a TLM-103. I love Neumann mics, they are awesome. While the Schoeps seem to be a little more popular on film and TV sets, I do run into sound mixers doing huge features with the Neumanns all of the time. I think that they are just as good, just not as well known on sets as the Schoeps seem to be.

Good luck,

Dan
 
puredrifting said:
...The voice is my own basso profundo car wreck of a voice. Seriously, I hate my voice but I am stuck with it.

Thanks,

Dan
Click to expand...

Dan, I'm looking to buy, and wanted to thank you for the great article. For the record, I also think you have a great voice. That you hate it gives me hope that I'm equally wrong about my own voice, which I too hate.

Anyone have any links explaining the phenomenon of why we hate hearing our own voices in playback?
 
Hi dcn:

I am afraid I don't have any links but I think it has to do with our own ears hearing our own voice through the resonance of our skulls. Makes sense.

Dan
 
If you can only get 1 mic, get the Sanken CS-3e

Trust me. I have had ALL of the mics reviewed here, and while in certain weird circumstances one might have stood out from the other, the CS3e was the only one that by itself could tackle almost any audio situation with shining results.

Everyone likes to ask, "what's the best mic" and then everyone else likes to say, "what are you doing you need the right tool for the right job," and yada yada so it goes but the plain fact is people start out and they can only afford ONE good mic. GET THE Sanken CS3e.. that's it if you are starting with one GOOD mic. You can buy 10 $200-$1000 mics that won't touch it.
 
I have never tried any Rode mic but from what I hear, they are the standard inexpensive mic now, replacing most mics under about $800.00.

Dan
 
Blackout said:
If you can only get 1 mic, get the Sanken CS-3e

Trust me. I have had ALL of the mics reviewed here, and while in certain weird circumstances one might have stood out from the other, the CS3e was the only one that by itself could tackle almost any audio situation with shining results.

Everyone likes to ask, "what's the best mic" and then everyone else likes to say, "what are you doing you need the right tool for the right job," and yada yada so it goes but the plain fact is people start out and they can only afford ONE good mic. GET THE Sanken CS3e.. that's it if you are starting with one GOOD mic. You can buy 10 $200-$1000 mics that won't touch it.
Click to expand...

Well, but also consider that you should have MORE than 1 mic in ANY kit.

Hypers, short guns, long guns, cardiods, boundary, lavs, ect... all have their place. I'm sure there are cases in a smaller room were an Oktava is going to work better than a CS-3e, or some cases were it's simply dangerous (heat vents, gun shots, ect...) and you want a few cheaper mics to use.

And from using the NTG-3, I agree it's pretty much a replacement of the 416. It's got an uphill battle as one of the 416s main benefits is being tested for many years in many different conditions and holding up, while the Rode is still relatively new and unproven in some people's eyes. From a performance standpoint (and what I've seen of it's durability) it's perfect. Plus the price is great.
 
No different than trying to tame a golf course with just one club. Could it be done? I suppose but it is a heck of a lot easier with the right clubs in your bag.

Dan
 
Thank you, Dan. I haven't listened to the samples (yet) but I enjoyed your informative write up. One of the things that was difficult for me in first buying a decent mic was sifting through the plethora of opinions and hearsay. Providing those samples will help many in becoming a little better informed about what might be right for them/their project. I hope the powers that be, sticky this thread as it truly is valuable information in the (still) woefully uncovered area of sound for film/video.
Thanks again...and now I'm in the mood to rush out and start recording stuff :)
Cheers,
Sam.
 
I enjoyed the article as well. I would point out two major shotguns the review omits:

1) the Schoeps CMIT, which is an extremely high-performance (and expensive) short shotgun designed to mimic the sound of the Schoeps 641 hypercardioid. It's a unique, bright blue mike that I'm seeing more and more often on big-budget pictures.

2) the (comparatively-ancient) Sennheiser MKH816, one of the longest shotgun mikes ever made, and still a primo candidate for having the best "reach" of any mike out there. This is one I'd definitely grab under difficult conditions. But you need an experienced boom op to get the most out of it, because of its weight and directionality.

The other important point is the need for good windscreens and covers. I think by nature of their sensitivity, shotguns tend to pick up wind noise readily, and you need a way to protect them from sudden gusts. Rycote's windscreens and shockmounts are expensive, but I think they're tops, particularly the new Invision mounts. Having the ability to cut low-frequency rumble is also important, just to avoid street noise and other unwanted sounds.

--Marc W.
 
I read on the mkh 50 and 40
And im still confused, i would primary use these mic as my indoor mic for corporative, docs, and series

The only difference that i found was the pattern
mkh40
MKH40_polar.jpg


Mkh-50
MKH50_polar.jpg


I just wonder what the 180 pick up pattern gives you on the field... ? Its gonna pick up more ventilation noise ? Im a bit confused by that ... because they are the same price and technicaly theyre is like no difference.
 
jmm said:
I read on the mkh 50 and 40
And im still confused, i would primary use these mic as my indoor mic for corporative, docs, and series

The only difference that i found was the pattern
mkh40
MKH40_polar.jpg


Mkh-50
MKH50_polar.jpg


I just wonder what the 180 pick up pattern gives you on the field... ? Its gonna pick up more ventilation noise ? Im a bit confused by that ... because they are the same price and technicaly theyre is like no difference.
Click to expand...

The '40 is a classic cardioid pattern while the '50 is a hypercardioid. Note the '50 is about 5db further down at the 90 degree marks giving it more directionality.
 
Hey Dan,

Nice articles. Just read both the "Low Cost Shotgun Mic" and the "Overview of popular short shotgun mics" articles. SUPER informative. Loving them. And I know, I'm late to the party on them, but they're great.

So I'm deciding between the Audio-Technica AT875R you've spoken so highly of or the Sennheiser ME66 short shotgun. I like that one as a few of my friends have it and it has the possibility of going to the ME67 when I can afford/need it. But you've spoken so highly, and I've read such good things about the AT875R that I'm leaning towards that. Preference? Suggestions? Those are the two in my price range.

Any thoughts, or other suggestions, would be great.

I know you're probably a super busy guy but if I don't hear from you thanks anyway for the awesome articles.

Much appreciated,

Daniel
 
Just wanted to say a quick thanks for this old article, Dan! It certainly helped me lock in the decision on the AT875R that I ordered for my office to live off and on the C100!
 
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