Rode video mic Vs Rode Stereo video mic

I think a shotgun will be the best place to start.
I tried the Hi Pass filter at 100hz and it does help, I also tried adding a Low Pass filter at around 5000hz to try to cut the hiss. I also tried another option of reducing the treble to -2 or -3 depending on the shot. Something in this combination is about all I can do, but my client won't care that much as long as they can hear the message.
It was an International conference on global child malnutrition and CSR "Corporate Social Responsibility", the message is still very clear.
Thanks for the advice, more questions pending I'm sure.
 
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ROCKMORE said:
I think a shotgun will be the best place to start.
I tried the Hi Pass filter at 100hz and it does help, I also tried adding a Low Pass filter at around 5000hz to try to cut the hiss. I also tried another option of reducing the treble to -2 or -3 depending on the shot. Something in this combination is about all I can do, but my client won't care that much as long as they can hear the message.
It was an International conference on global child malnutrition and CSR "Corporate Social Responsibility", the message is still very clear.
Thanks for the advice, more questions pending I'm sure.
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I would suggest you reconsider using a shotgun as your one and only mic. I think a hyper would give you more flexibility. 'Guns are actually fairly limited, almost special purpose, mics. The typical 'gun doesn't do well at all in typical interiors while a decent hyper can sound good both inside and out, given adequate wind protection outdoors. The "reach" of a hyper approaches that of a 'gun and is almost as directive in its pattern, for all practical purposes. 'Guns become almost omni at very low and very high frequencies - hypers preserve their directivity over a wider range of frequencies. 'Guns have spikey lobes of increased sensitivity aft of the straight out to the side position at about 120 and 150 degrees off-axis, hypers don't. About the only mic that approaches the one-mic-fits-all that you're looking for is the Sanken CS-3 (looks like a shotgun but really isn't) but it's way, WAY beyond the budget you're looking at.
 
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Steve House said:
I would suggest you reconsider using a shotgun as your one and only mic.

way, WAY beyond the budget you're looking at.
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I'm wide open for suggestions, and most likely will have to wait till I go back to NY in the spring. Thin selection here and a little pricey. Is there a a Hyper closer to my budget?
 
ROCKMORE said:
I'm wide open for suggestions, and most likely will have to wait till I go back to NY in the spring. Thin selection here and a little pricey. Is there a a Hyper closer to my budget?
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AKG Blueline SE300B with a CK93 capsule. Audio Technica AT4053b. B&H price on either about $475.

Oktava M012 - about $275 from The Sound Room
 
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AT4053b is the best out of the above 3 mentioned, and it's alternate capsules all sound good, unlike the CK93's, where only the hyper cap sounds decent.
 
An added advantage of the AT 875r/Canon DSLR combination is that the Canon's (t2i/550D's, at least) mic in port provides enough power to the 875r for it to function (without an external phantom power source). The AT is also very short and light.
 
argo said:
An added advantage of the AT 875r/Canon DSLR combination is that the Canon's (t2i/550D's, at least) mic in port provides enough power to the 875r for it to function (without an external phantom power source). The AT is also very short and light.
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Sounds encouraging, have you tried it?
 
argo said:
Yes, it's a nice option to have for those occasions when proper/better sound recording choices are unavailable.
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The AT875r needs phantom power, something NO DSLR provides on its external mic input. Plug-in power for consumer mics is a totally different wiring scheme as well as a lower voltage. If you've been able to get that mic to work plugged directly into a DSLR's mic input without also using something such as a mixer, a Beachtech, or a Juicedlink that provides a source of phantom, I want to know exectly how you wired the adapter and hear the results you obtained..
 
Steve House said:
The AT875r needs phantom power, something NO DSLR provides on its external mic input. Plug-in power for consumer mics is a totally different wiring scheme as well as a lower voltage. If you've been able to get that mic to work plugged directly into a DSLR's mic input without also using something such as a mixer, a Beachtech, or a Juicedlink that provides a source of phantom, I want to know exectly how you wired the adapter and hear the results you obtained..
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I know that the AT875r needs phantom power, and usually use it with a Fostex recorder with phantom. To connect it to my Canon I use a Hosa XLR-stereo mini-jack adapter.
 
ROCKMORE said:
You the man. I'll have to give that a try.
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By all means try it but I'll be VERY surprised if it works properly. Plug-in power is NOT wired the same as phantom and it is usually only 5 volts or less. The specs for the 875r call for a minimum of 11 volts phantom power so the camera is only providing half of what AT says the mic requires to operate on spec, assuming it makes it to the mic on the right pins at all.
 
Steve House said:
By all means try it but I'll be VERY surprised if it works properly.
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What is the most compact and best value for a preamp? I looked at a few and they seem to be up there in price. Once you add up the costs it may be better to start with a good quality powered mic like the NGT-3. for about $700 it will work OK with my 60D when I can't carry a lot of extra gear. Like you said later with a quality mixer the possibilities open up, but at least to start you can just plug it in and it works..
 
ROCKMORE said:
What is the most compact and best value for a preamp? I looked at a few and they seem to be up there in price. Once you add up the costs it may be better to start with a good quality powered mic like the NGT-3. for about $700 it will work OK with my 60D when I can't carry a lot of extra gear. Like you said later with a quality mixer the possibilities open up, but at least to start you can just plug it in and it works..
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The NTG-3 is NOT a self-powered mic and needs an external source of full 48v phantom to operate. I know that for a fact, I own one. I keep suggesting a Juicedlink because I think that gives you the best bang for the buck in a budget-priced entry-level device where you need to feed an XLR mic to a mic level stereo minijack input. Either the 2-channel w/ phantom power CX231 or the 4-channel w/ phantom CX431. I personally own the 431 and recommend it as a well-built quality product. You can save some money by going with the CX211 but I don't recomend that approach as you give up phantom power and that limits your choice of mics. Either one is compact and lightweight, roughly the size of a pocket paperback book. One of those gets you a) a good quiet preamp; b) independent level control on each channel; c) routing choice for each mic to left, right, or centred; d) phantom power when needed; e) and a proper stereo 1/8 mic level output. Or the DT454 with 4-channels and adding meters and a headphone amp for monitoring while shooting. They all fasten to the botton of your camera via the tripod socket. I've used mine with a variety of mics (Rode NTG-3, Schoeps CMC641, AT 3031, AT804, Sennheiser MD46) and it's worked well with all of them.

Next step up would be a Sound Devices MixPre - the quality is superb but for your case it has the drawback of only outputting line level so you'd need to pad it down to mic level to properly feed your camera.
 
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+1 to what Steve has said.

Seriously... stop trying to cheap out on audio. You're getting into some shooting scenarios, based on what I've read, where cutting corners on sound is going to cause you too many problems both in the field and in post. But then, cutting corners on audio usually does that... as you have discovered through your shoot at the hotel.

There are ways to get quite impressive sound on a tight budget, but everything has its limit. And as with everything else in this industry, knowledge/skill can compensate for a lack of equipment. It might be time to invest in something tutorials on production sound.

And your client may "not care" about quality "as long as it can be heard," but they will notice the difference if the audio is clean and polished. Client apathy should never be a reason to cut corners. Treat each job like your career depends on it and produce the absolute best product that you know how to produce. And that is how you continue to get more work, as clients talk to colleagues and word-of-mouth references start to flow.
 
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C2V said:
Seriously... stop trying to cheap out on audio.
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I agree completely, but I do have other expenses.

I just sold my 550D + 18-55 and bought a 60D body + batt etc. I have a set of Canon primes 24mm and longer,
but now I need to replace the wide lens with an 11-16 Tokina $650.
Total equipment expense this week. $1,000

Last weeks equipment expenses.
HP Pavalion Laptop, $600, X2 1TB HD $150,
Total $750

New equipment want list/
NTG-3 kit B&H $1,000 + 2 channel Jucedlink $300. +tax Total $1,300. +
Canon 70-200 2.8L non IS $1,250
Canon 5D Mark II body $2,200

Audio I have already / Sony EMC 55 kit / Sony EMC 66 kit / Sony EMC 77 kit

Clients paying for HD picture this month / All
Clients paying for audio this month / None

It's still a business so everything has to be paid for in order of priority.
 
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