My next mic? For interviews. Mostly indoors.

Y

yoideaman

New member
Hello all,

I am a new radio producer and have the community's input on audio invaluable. I have been analyzing and weighing options for recorders and (based on many of your comments) I went with the dr100-mk2.

Now, I'm onto microphones. I have a Shure SM57, but wanted to expand my toolbox. Based on past experience with the types of topics and people I interview, I imagine most of my interviews will be done indoors. Typically in living rooms, but also potentially in noisier environments like stores and offices. I won't have someone holding a boom; it's just me probably with a fishing pole/boom pole, the recorder and a mic.

I'm trying to decide what my next mic should be. I was thinking about the following, but I'd love your input:
- Rode NTG-2 (I know it's not meant for indoors, but wondering if the quality would be ok for radio?)
- AT4053b (great for indoor dialogue, but how is it outdoors?)
- Beyer-Dynamic M58 (do I want my 2 mics to be dynamic)
- AT897
- AT8035
- Oktava M012 with the 3 capsules (how big of an issue is handling noise, especially if I use a mini mic stand?)

I'd say my budget is $300-$600 (preferably $300, but $600 would be ok) and I see this as an investment and want a mic that I'll still want to use in 2 years after I get more comfortable with radio in general.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
Radio folks really seem to shy away from lavs because the interview subjects are not used to them and you tend to get a lot of rustling noise and such...
 
I just picked up an avantone ck-1, am blown away with the clarity, I'm really suprised as to why more don't use this mic. Im going to do a comparison with my octava. Both hypers, the avantone also came with two other capsules, also has a -10db, and bass roll off switch. So far I can't say enough about it. It is a bit on the bright side, but I like that, it's easy to me to fatten up in post. I'm not an audio guy, so maybe someone can elaborate more.
 
I own two of the mics on your list ( AT4053a and NTG-2 ) and a bunch of recorders, including the Tascam DR-100 Mk2.

I use the AT4053a for indoor work ( along with lav mics as an alternative audio source ), and the NTG-2 for outdoor work.

Most of my shooting is indoors which is why I invested in the AT4053 mic and skimped on the NTG-2 mic. ( if I shot more outdoor work I would have bought the NTG-3 mic instead )

Both mics sound great when used properly, which means buying wind protection when working outside. ( even a Rycote Softie is a good low-cost start for this )
 
For a mic on a stand, the 4053b or MK012 hyper should do well (handling noise is not really a problem as long as you have a shockmount). You shouldn't really have any trouble using any of them outdoors either, as long as you can be close to the speaker. Just invest in a good windshield and shockmount - maybe the rode zeppelin should be a good fit for this as it protects well from wind and can be adjusted to different mic lengths.
 
I do radio as well. The needs are a bit different since seeing the mic isn't an issue. Dynamic hand held mics are your front line mic. I have an Eletro-Voice RE50 and a Sennheiser MD46 but I mostly use the latter mic for much of my work. The problem is that the Tascam DR-100 doesn't have great pre's and you need those for dynamic mics, especially the RE50, which has the sensitivity of a rock. It's durable, though. You can field kick the thing and not hurt it. None of the cheaper Tascams work that well with the NTG1 or 2. I have an NTG3 which is a great mic and i pair it with a Roland R-26 which has no problem driving the RE50 or MD46. I also have some Tram lavs but I seldom use those or the wireless kit for radio unless the interview subject is trying to demonstrate something unhindered by wires or at a distance like on stage or at a podium.

By the way, why are you booming at all if it's just you conducting the interview? Radio is a pretty intimate medium and works best when you're up close and able to have face to face discussions with people. That's why a handheld mic works so well for radio in most cases.
 
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The good news on the recorder front is that it's the newer model Tascam dr100-MK2 which has much better pre-amps...no boom...planning on a tabletop mic stand...or a fishing pole if I need to move around and capture a scene...
 
Jema said:
For a mic on a stand, the 4053b or MK012 hyper should do well (handling noise is not really a problem as long as you have a shockmount). You shouldn't really have any trouble using any of them outdoors either, as long as you can be close to the speaker. Just invest in a good windshield and shockmount - maybe the rode zeppelin should be a good fit for this as it protects well from wind and can be adjusted to different mic lengths.
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A really good shock mount and windscreen for an 012. Despite it's attractive low price, it's not a good mic for the inexperienced and/or w/o a high quality preamp.. Forget about using a 012 outdoors.. period.
For radio-type (audio only) interviews, none of the usual film sound mics would be a good choice.
 
What kind of radio are you doing? Talk show with multiple subjects pulling off of the same mic or NPR? I personally find that less formal setups like just sitting on the couch with mic in hand help interview subjects relax and open up.
 
...I know you mentioned that you're not big on UHF mics, but I thought I would mention this Sennheiser G3 handheld mic : Sennheiser EW G3 Hand-held Mic : $599

Here's a sample with an on-camera interviewer where the audio from this mic was recorded directly into my GH2 camera...

Ronnie Burkett Interview

The advantage to using a UHF system like this is that the electronics have been tuned to best support the audio quality of this mic, and the output level is adjustable and can be set extremely strong, so it can compensate for weak pre-amps. ( I had the audio level on my GH2 set to as low as possible, and the output level on the Sennheiser receiver was set to it's mid-range. Lots of room to play with the levels. )
 
I have many of the mics mentioned above and if I were going to purchase only one at the limit of your budget, it would be the ntg3. It has great sound overall and unless you are in an echo chamber, works fine indoors mostly. It is a bit hotter than most of the others mentioned, which will work better with your recorder. For a plan B, I would get a AT-875 and a 4053b. The 4053 hits above its weight as does the bargain priced 875, though this combo is a little above your budget.

Grant
 
A really good shock mount and windscreen for an 012. Despite it's attractive low price, it's not a good mic for the inexperienced and/or w/o a high quality preamp.. Forget about using a 012 outdoors.. period.
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I was thinking about adding a comment about that, but then I thought that for a stand it would probably be fine with a good windshield. I own and have used the MK012 many times, but never outside (with a zep). Have you tried it?
If it was for boom use then I would have given the advice to get the 4053b out of the two, simply because of the sensitivity of the MK012. The latter makes a very good plant and stunt mic though, and is also pretty good for music recording on a budget.

I also realize that I speak purely from a film perspective as I haven't done any radio, so my comment may have been far from the best advice available.
 
I use a Sennheiser EW100G3 system exclusively and find that used with a microcat windcoat I seldom get clothing sounds. I always make a loop on the cable and that helps alot to avoid cable noise.
 
Radio people love long handled omnis (Beyer M58 or equivalents from most popular brands) - mainly because they don't need accurate aiming just getting close to the subject's mouth. A very neutral sound and importunity, no proximity effect.
 
paulears said:
Radio people love long handled omnis (Beyer M58 or equivalents from most popular brands) - mainly because they don't need accurate aiming just getting close to the subject's mouth. A very neutral sound and importunity, no proximity effect.
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I think I need to check out the Beyer M58, the AT4053b and the Rode NTG-2 and see what plays best with the recorder and what feels comfortable in an interview setting...Thank you all for the suggestions thus far. (Keep them coming: I love to hear what people think about mics and I suspect there's a lot of radio people looking for the experience and expertise of film sound pros !)
 
It sounds a little like you're letting the gear get in the way, which is easy to do considering the attractive range of options these days. When I started doing radio, I had a minidisc recorder (hated it) and one mic. That worked pretty well for most stories. The key is to not disconnect with your interview subject. Get in close, try to make a connection and focus on leading the narrative in the right direction. Having a range of mics and gear is nice but that's for later. Forget about the mic stand and moving around during the interview unless that's part of the story. Be a reporter first while keeping in mind that you're also there to get clean, workable audio.
 
paulears said:
Radio people love long handled omnis (Beyer M58 or equivalents from most popular brands) - mainly because they don't need accurate aiming just getting close to the subject's mouth. A very neutral sound and importunity, no proximity effect.
Click to expand...

The X-factor here is that he is recording to a DR100. Maybe the mk2 has more gain, but I have tried to use a RE50N/B (dynamic mic) with my mk1 and it is positively useless. Add a mixer; the DR100 becomes a bit bucket, and it works great! Just beware of dynamic and low output condensor mics with any chaepo recorder. This has been hashed over ad-infinitum here and everywhere else by those looking for an inexpensive solution.

Grant
 
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