NTG-1 or AT897r with Zoom H4n

M

mhiris

New member
Hi everyone,

I’m relatively new to filmmaking and very new to audio, I’m looking to get a budget shotgun mic to use with my Zoom H4n and am looking for a bit of advice.

I basically can’t decide between the Rode NTG-1 and the Audio Technica at897r, I’ve found some threads where members recommend the AT897r over the NTG-1 but I was hoping to know if anyone had experience with using either mic in conjunction with the H4n and how well they worked together.

I’d mainly be using the shotgun mic for dialogue on low/no budget short films, so the majority of use would take place indoors. I’m also going to be doing some interview work soon so hopefully I could use one of the mics for this purpose too.

I can pick up the AT897r for around £110 whereas the NTG-1 is about £150; I’m not sure how much difference the £40 makes, quality wise.

I’ve also seen videos of each mic being used with the h4n like these below

NTG-1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoMQeAc6EU4
AT897r
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vrm6NbrCN8

To my ear the NTG-1 seems to have a fuller and better quality sound than the AT897r but I’m not sure if this could be to do with each person’s mic setup or post processing.
If anyone could give me some advice or recommendations I’d be really grateful, I’m aware both of these are budget mics but at the moment I can’t afford to upgrade so I’m just looking for the best within my means for now.

Thanks everyone!

Edit - Just realised I've been a massive idiot and mean the AT875r instead of the AT897
 
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Welcome to DVXuser.

This exact topic has been hashed out in numerous threads here, so search is your friend. I have an 897 and it is a very decent cheap shotgun. The 897 and NTG1 are oft compared and the consensus is that they both will get the job done given the right preamps, as in strong enough. But both are known to have somewhat weak output. Most economy recorders have a weakness, and that is the preamps. Combine the weaknesses of the two, and you can end up with recordings that have a lot of noise. If you spend more money on a mic, you can get a hotter output which can make a great improvement. Get a better recorder, and it can minimize the low output weakness of those two shotguns. Some of the newer economy recorders, especially from Tascam might have stronger preamps, and that has been discussed in many recent threads.

Much of this will depend on just how particular you are. But for sure, there will always be compromises with economy equipment.

Grant
 
Hey Grant, thanks for the quick response!

I might be being a bit of a klutz with the search as I could only find a couple directly referencing both mics being used in conjunction with the H4n. Unfortunately I can't spend any more money on a mic at the moment, or a newer recorder, so I'm hoping some owners of the H4n who use the ntg-1 or AT897r could chip in with their opinions on it. If the general consensus is that they're relatively similar, I suppose the cheaper option would be best. Thanks for the info on the info on the weak preamps, I'll bear that in mind for future upgrades!
 
I am an audio engineer with more experience with mics than I wish I had (I spent toooo much time in the studio for 10 years! LOL!)

To my ear the AT897 was much better than the Rode NTG-1 or 2, but I do quite like the Rode NTG-3.

So yeah, I own the AT897 and it has served me VERY well. I would prefer to step up to the Sennheiser MK66's, but those are more than twice the price.
 
Hi DPStewart, thanks for the reply!

I've just noticed I've made a huge mistake and actually meant the AT875r, not the AT897. I don't suppose you've had experience with the AT875r? Sorry for getting confused with the mics!
 
i do own them both. To my ears, they sound similar except that because the 875 is significantly shorter, it has a much wider pattern. You mentioned that much of your shooting will be indoors, so with exceptions, neither of these mics will be optimal and in a room without sound absorbing material on the walls and floors is likely to be simply terrible. Ideally you should to consider a small cardioid condenser for indoors, but most of the small condensers are going to bust your budget. With the money you save purchasing the 875 instead of the 897, you might consider a cheap body worn lavaliere which work well indoors. Oscar sound tech comes to mind.

Not sure where you are at with other audio gear, but for a SCC or shotgun, you will also need a shock mount, pole, likely a fuzzy of some sort, cable and headphones. You didn't mention what camera you are using, but it is entirely possible that if your cam supplies phantom audio power, you might want to skip the Zoom all together. Things get more simple if you can, and most of the newer cams with phantom have stronger preamps than the zoom.

Grant
 
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