Microphones for FS100 - Upgrading my Rode Videomic

G

gianx80

Active member
Hi to all :). In this period I'm upgrading all my equipments so I need your precious advices :). With the old cam I used a Rode Videomic like this one:

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I want to upgrade it. Before I choose the new one I need to know certain things from all of you (I'm not an expert of the various kinds of microphone).
I noticed that this mic is not good for indoor shooting because it adds a lot of echo due to the sound bouncing on the walls so ... which kind of microphone is good for indoor shooting? Which kind is good for outdoor shooting? What microphones do you use with or would you like to buy for your FS100?

Thanks in advance
 
The easy answer is 'get a sound recordist', but let's move on.

You may want to invest in a mic stand and a longer cable first. This sounds a bit trite, but hear me out.

Inverse square law of light also applies to sound, so there's a natural desire to get the mic as close as possible to the source as possible, which counteracts the external noise, so a highly directional mic over your source that points down to something soft is nice. The Videomic doesn't use XLR cable, which enables you to put some distance between camera and microphone, so if you're looking at budget pro kit, a Rode NTG2 on a boom stand is nice. Okay, so is a Sennheiser 416, but 5x the price.

In keeping with 'put the mic close to the sound source', check out the Rode lavalier.

But, but, but... here's a kind of whacko way of looking at things. You could keep your existing Rode mic, and get a good outboard recorder with reasonable mics (Zoom H1 for example) and use PluralEyes to synch up your on-camera mic's guide track plus your outboard recorder's high quality stuff. Use it like a wireless lav kit. Maybe put a Rode Lav onto the recorder, or if you get one with XLR input and Phantom Power, you're good for any mic in the future.

I'm not being flippant or joking about this. It can work REALLY well. Bit of extra work in post, but audio can be 60% of your perceived picture quality. You could shoot with a Cisco Flip and get good audio on an external recorder and people will prefer it to, say, an EX1 with built-in mics because it's easier to listen to.

Do test this out. Technique is cheaper yet more valuable than kit.
 
Im currently running the Sennheiser G3 112 with a Rode Lavelier, and it actually sounds quite nice. The little Rode box comes with a wind furry and all and takes away noise just fine.
The stock shotgun that comes with the FS100 sound horrible compared to the rode. Especially in living rooms with hard walls etc or situations where you don't have time to dampen the surroundings.

I would, how ever, love to get the NTG-3 kit with boom and blimp and then a decent sound recorder. I'm a geek that way, even though I know it would better to find someone who knows what's he's doing around sound :)
 
Rode NTG 2 is a great mic, but shotguns are not really made for indoors (although many people use them inside perfectly fine). The only reason I say NTG 2 over NTG 3 is because the NTG 3 does require phantom power. Just personal preference there for me though.

If you really want a mic made for indoor recording then look into hyper cardioid mics. Thats what they are made for. Pricey though. Put them on a boom with or with out a stand with a shock mount, external recorder, and a blimp or even just a Rycote Softy (It works great and oddly the producer/director I work for prefers my softy over his blimp set up).
Then just go around and play with it and have fun recording with it. Its really fun once you get a decent beginner audio kit. Just recording all sorts of sounds/voices and hearing them finally sound beautiful is a good feeling.

Oh pick up a pair of monitoring head phones too.

If you are not very familiar with sound, then I recommend Barry Greens DVD :). Its helped me a lot (so has his lighting DVD) and I feel its a must for people uneducated in audio or lighting.

http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/DVXPage/
 
Thanks, I'm considering all these solutions :). However, can you suggest me a good cardioid mic in the price range of the Rode NTG2? Thanks again

P.S.
For the DVD ... I live in Eruope, do they ship here at a reasonable cost?
 
Yeah could you post a good example of the hyper cardioid microphone, first time I've ever heard of them, I use the NTG3 for everything, and while i've never had any trouble, wouldn't mind testing out one of these hyper cardioid mics...
 
I'd like to keep this thread alive... and semi hi jack it ;P

I'm about to buy the NTG-3 and the NT4, blimp, shock mounts and the whole deal. However, one thing I did not consider after have done some work with the FS100 is an external recorder.

Where is the general consensus about the preamps and phantom power of the FS100?
My plan was to feed the camera directly with the mics, either with the mic on an overhead boom, or sitting on the SM-4 on the camera and using the camera as an ambient recorder as well with the NT4. I know it's a bit cumbersome to drag it out and set up for an ambient recording, but if I can avoid tossing money after a recorder that would be nice.
 
2 questions, first one: I'm shooting a short mov'ie and I have always 3 actors in every scene. I'm using 3 Rode Lavalier with, I SUPPOSE, 3 Sennheiser transmitters and receivers. I should also use a mixer to record audio on camera, am I right? But if I use only 2 lavalier I can use the onboard audio ports, am I right?

Second one, any good example of cardioid mics
 
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