Night of the Living Shotgun Mics

robmyers

robmyers

Active member
How can there be another shotgun mic thread you ask? Criteria, gentlemen & ladies. Criteria. I’ve read the many recommendations and the wonderful tests, but I would appreciate a recommendation on the following criteria.

$500-600 range.
Short length.
Phantom & Battery powered
Durable.

For the most part I grab the DVX out of the bag, shoot a bunch of drunken hooligans in the street or playing music on a tour bus, or waxing philosophic in a bathroom, and then shove it back into the bag. No crew, counting myself. (Although sometimes someone will help carry the camera bag through an airport.) My last DVX had the camera mics snapped off in the first week I had it when someone sat on the camera bag at a party - it was stolen by the 6th week, in Denmark of all places… Which is why I went out and bought a nice PortaBrace bag, which is what probably attracted the thieves in Denmark.

In summation: I want the best (farthest reaching parabola, great mid range) shotgun mic that doesn’t extend too far from the camera.

Also: any shock mount recommendations taking the whole guerilla thing into consideration? Would love it if the mic hung off to the right side as opposed to over the top. Any that do that?

Thanks!
 
The "phantom/battery powered" is the monkey wrench thrown in.

If you have a DVX I don't know why you'd prioritize the battery option... except I guess for wireless booming with a plug-on that doesn't supply phantom.

I don't know of a mic over $500 that has any battery option. If you drop that from the list it's easy. 4073a. The closest thing in that price range which can use a battery is an me66, but the sound is nothing like the AT... and the 4073a is really short/durable to boot.
 
BTW there's no hidden mic choices out there... anything good is right out in the open and recommended over and over. When it comes to mic options you can make the question as long and personal as you want, but you'll still get the same short answers.

But I will throw you a curve... from your post I don't think you WANT a shotgun. If most of your situations involve tight spaces or music, a shotgun is gonna' dissappoint you. Other then those two things they're great.
 
MattinSTL said:
BTW there's no hidden mic choices out there... anything good is right out in the open and recommended over and over. When it comes to mic options you can make the question as long and personal as you want, but you'll still get the same short answers.

But I will throw you a curve... from your post I don't think you WANT a shotgun. If most of your situations involve tight spaces or music, a shotgun is gonna' dissappoint you. Other then those two things they're great.
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thanks for the curve, i'll swing at it and hit it a little foul. that's an excellent point. i think for a lot of situations you're right, i won't want a shotgun. but for straight-up interviews it's a necessity. plus ususally it's only taking one channel, and one of the on-camera mics is doing its standard duty. so the mix can be messed with in post. it beats grabbing a shure sm57-58. (i tell you, of almost all the new features on the HVX, it's the 4 channels of audio that's really going to come in handy! 2 ambient on-camera, a shotgun and a remote lapel? oh yeah!)

seems the 4073 is the consistant winner. i've used the me-66 before, but it was always with a soundman. thanks for answering!
 
No, but if you're absolutely dead set on some form of non camera power supply, you can buy a phantom power generator which can run on batteries.

I highly recommend the at4073a. In the end, its all about the sound, and this mic does it great.
 
tyreeford said:
Why?


Ty Ford
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ty, having been to your web site (ladys & gents, ty is a bonafide celeb! an actor AND a sound guy!) i will defer to your greater wisdom and rephrase accordingly. maybe i don't need a shotgun. what i need is another mic that i can mount on the dvx that won't stick out much beyond the lens, that will give me greater options in post for getting audio that sounds "closer" to the subject than the camera tends to be. with the stereo mics i get a lot of "roominess."

thanks!
 
Just my 2 cents:
Having bought an AT4073a and used it extensively, I'll be glad to recommend it for almost everything that a shotgun might be used for. Especially interviews, out in the streets, 'cause that's what I'm normally doing... Of course, take great care with it when using it in closed space, because of the reflections -but you knew that already, didn't you?
A very good choice, if you ask me...
-s.
 
after reading through mattinSTL's "everything i know" thread. (which is close to being sticky worthy). i've started gravitating to the octava mk012. can always use it in the recording studio. and i can always bump up to the AT4073a later. plus, it's so tiny!
 
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