K-tek shockmounts, blimp, bbg...how to know correct one for my mic?

justmarvin

justmarvin

Well-known member
I am trying to figure out a good boom setup to buy now. I have an AKG CK93 and CK91 hyper cardioid and regular cardioid mic + SE300B body. And I also have a CK98 shotgun mic. From what I read, KTEK seems to be the way to go, but can someone point me out how to figure out the optimum size to get for the blimps, bbg, and shockmounts. By the way, does the blimp system already come with a shockmount?

Also, what is the shockmounts that attach direct to the camera and also with a nice looking foam cover much like the RODE on camera mics. I want to also be able to have the option to use my AKG mic as an on camera mic much like RODE but not exactly sure what mount to get for that and also the foam cover.

I also will be needing a Mic Stand if I do interviews as it doesn't seem practical to have a boom person in that scenario, and I'm thinking a mic stand would do just fine in that case, is this right?

And where's the best place to buy these online price-wise?

First time buying a boom + wind protection setup, so thanks in advance for helping point me in the right direction!

Marvin
 
Think about your boom kit in several distinct pieces: the boom itself, the shockmount, and the windscreen.

Boom-wise, KTek is a great brand. Pro's also love Loon Audio poles, but KTek is an established standard. Be sure to know whether or not you want an internally-cabled boom or not; I prefer not, but that means I need to take other precautions for cable-slap against the boom.

In terms of shockmount, that should be driven by the diameters and weights of your mics. Rycote makes these lyre-style shockmounts (Invision) that are the bee's knees, but pricey. There are other options by Rycote that might suffice, and Røde makes a big cross-band mount too. Many manufacturers, though, offer packages that combine shockmounts and windscreens, which brings us to the last leg of our field-audio trifecta.

As far as windscreens go, forget anything made of foam. Worse than useless. Instead, you need to create dead air around the mic, and the key to that is a 2-part system: a windscreen and a fur coat ("dead cat," "windjammer," "dead wombat," et multiple cetera). Rycote is the gold standard. Røde makes a WAY cheaper blimp (which comes with a windjammer) that's pretty solid, but it's big - it's intended for short shotgun mics., and for your mics you could pick up a Rycote Baby Ball Gag windscreen and fuzzy windjammer. They differ from what you might see some pro's use in that they cover just the mic element, not the entire mic and shockmount. But your needs might differ. Rycote commands a high price, but their products are that good. (If you have budget, DPA makes a WindPac windscreen that collapses, a HUGE benefit for on-the-go or traveling productions.)

Price-wise, in these price ranges, things don't vary that much. Troll eBay for deals or purchase at Trew Audio (just saw Mr. Trew is on this forum!), B&H, Location Sound Corp, etc.
 
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Just to add to atomicks post..
when he says "forget anything made of foam"
that would hold true for outdoors.

Indoors its pretty much the standard to use foam,
where the only wind you're trying to cut out is from the physical moving of the mic in the air.
 
For your use I would look at the new Rycote Universal Camera Kit - the patented "Lyre" shockmount is certainly the best there is (at any price) and there will be a mount for side-fire studio microphones coming early next year. :thumbsup:
 
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