Mic on hotshoe??

I picked up the NTG-2 today. It seems very nicely made. I do not think the size is a problem at all. So far far I've mostly recorded into the Zoom H1. Recording at 48/24 is highly addictive. I will do some comparisons recording into the camera and get a sense of the difference.

One observation about the battery for the NTG-2. The manual says that the battery should be removed when not recording because it drains. Honestly, it does not seem designed for frequent removal of the battery. Also, there is no way to tell if the battery is dead or about to go dead.

The shock mount that B+H sells with it is kind of flimsy. I can't believe they sell it separately for $50.

But I am very happy to be recording. Once I've gotten a better of sense of the capabilities of the mic and learned a bit more about placement, I will starting thinking about pre-amps and jamming the AGC.

About levels...sometimes I'll be recording and the bars on the Zoom H1 are peaking at -4, -2 and suddenly there is an unexpected sound and the levels go all the way up. Is this just a fact of life and there is nothing you can do about it? (I have AGC turned off on the Zoom)
 
Cool!

Bummer about the battery, but that's just it. No switch. Just remember to take it out, and have a lot with you. Listen for when the battery starts to go dead. The sound will get distorted, and you will think your recorder is effing up.

That means you are way too loud if random sounds clip your signal. Rememver, at 24 bit you have more headroom, and can turn up a lot in post without adding noise (from the act of turning up). Your subject speaking should be bouncing around -12db, but don't stress if its a little under. If it's over you are setting yourself up for problems. You should do some scream tests. People often talk quiet in tests because they don't know what to say, then when you roll they get 2 x as loud. Practice loud talking with your mic. And go too far also, and clip some. The get loud enough to almost clip - is there distortion happening before it goes into the red(clip)? Just get a feel for the real deal. Then listen back on your computer, hopefully with good monitors, if not then a good pair of Sony 7506 cans.

And have some fun!
 
Stay away from reflective surfaces if possible. The mic doesn't do terribly inside, like say, an ME66, but if you can shoot in a room with carpet it's better. I have a couple moving blankets from U-Haul to throw on hardwood floors. It's good if you have bookcases in the room, couches, plush chairs... Otherwise just try to keep that mic within 18" from the mouth. The further away the mic is from the source the more armature/echoey it sounds.
 
This may merit a separate thread...

I've had pretty good success defeating the AGC by sending a 19Khz waveform into the right channel and the RTG-2 into the left channel.

Here is the odd thing. If I play the movie with Microsoft Media Player before I get rid of the right channel, I can hear a high-pitched humming.

When I play both channels with Premiere Pro or Soundbooth, I don't hear the 19Khz sound at all.

Is Media Player just misinterpreting the data (which by the way has far-reaching implications for anyone producing sound for the internet)?

It seems much less likley that Soundbooth or Premiere would be misinterpreting the data
 
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