pickup width for shotgun

[Ldom]

Hi all,

I need to capture the voice of 2 people that are about 1 or 2m (or 3-6ft) from each other. This will be shot indoor, boomed by an unexperienced operator.

I already own an Oktava but I'll be using it to capture the music (I'm shooting band rehearsals).

Since I was planning to buy a shotgun (namely the Audio Technica 4073) to complement the Oktava, I'm tempted to use it for this application, however I'm worried that the pickup width will be too narrow if the operator doesn't aim well enough. The mic should be at a distance of 1m (3ft) above the people.

Will the 4073 have a pickup range wide enough to get the voice of the characters? Is it better for the mic to face the two people or to get them from an angle?

Is there another comparable mic (same price range, same quality) that would have a wider pickup range if the 4073's not enough? Or should I buy a second cardioid?

Thanks a lot for your help,
Laurent

 

[Huy Vu]

Ideally you should have two mics each covering one person. But only one mic can work if you practice with your boom op to "cue" each line, which is basically learning the lines before hand and rotating the mic so that it faces whoever is talking.

The 4073 is a pretty directional mic so the side rejection might be really obvious.

 

[Ldom]

But only one mic can work if you practice with your boom op to "cue" each line, which is basically learning the lines before hand and rotating the mic so that it faces whoever is talking.

Actually, it's worse than that because it's a documentary so we don't know who's going to talk and when.

Any indication as to how wide the range is? In doubt, I guess I'll get a second cardioid.

Thanks,
Laurent

 

[saneproductions]

The other thing to keep in mind is that you really need to have the mic 18" away from the talent's mouth. 2' is pushing it and 3' will not do. You may want to lav both of your speakers and record them on separate channels for mixdown later in post. Make sure you don't mix them with other mics on the sane channel as you can get phasing issues.