Short question. Plz guide...

U

USLatin

Panamaniac
I am buying a starting HVX package for myself and might put the money in their hands as early as Friday! I have read Timapter's 'Top Five Shotgun' Thread: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=42674 and other posts. However, am an infant when it comes to audio though. I know I will be ok if I buy one of the two mics I am looking at but I'd apreciate any posts from you guys if u can spare the time:


I have no sound equipment whatsoever and I am now building a personal package, can't spend much now, will expand later. I am looking at an aluminum 4-section 9 ft. boompole for $138, 25ft. XLR fro $30 and those should be ok, but I can't decide on the shotgun because I just don't know period :huh: . I will be recording straing into the HVX. Please pick the one you consider best on these categories (in this order):

a. Versatility
b. Quality
c. Durability
d. Customer Support/warranty (company)

I am looking at:

(1) Audio Tecnica AT897 $286
(2) Rode NTG-2 $250
 
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Jeremy or Wabbit, which ever was keeping track - add one to the count!

A couple of things...

First, as a starter mic, either of the two you are looking at are acceptable (barely). Bump up a couple of hundred dollars and go with the Audio Technica 4073a for exteriors. What are you planning on doing for interiors?

Also, 25 feet of XLR cable will barely get you to the end of your boom pole once you wrap it. I strongly recommend 100 feet or more to start (in various lengths). Also, you need to add a shock mount and some sort of wind protection into your kit.

One of the stickies at the top of the forum as a set of various kits that someone (Jeremy I think) put together to get people started.

Good luck. But remember one thing - you're willing to spend $5000 or more on a camera to get good picture, why do you think that you can get good sound spending anything less?

Phil
 
I don't, I'm trying to get something acceptable so I can goof around myself and with good operating get acceptable sound... I know what I am not doing here... I am sorry that you guys get us coming in here at a rate of one a week. Ignore my audio-illiterate ass please, but if you feel like it, pretty please, pick one. I will have to get one of these Monday... so which? I guess I should have posted this instead:


Please pick one:
(1) Audio Tecnica AT897 $286
(2) Rode NTG-2 $250



A shock mount is in my list, as is a dead cat... but not for a month. I guess you are right about the 25ft. not being enough though. If I have my 9ft. extended and standing more than 10ft. off the camera, cause that gives me only 5ft. of slack which is extremely annoying... guess I'll switch it to a 35 or 40 footer to start with... :beer:
 
ill save you some money - take the ntg -1( the same with out battery compatment) , you really dont need the 2
 
so the NTG-1 is the same?
can it be phantom powered on a oom-pole?

I feel I offended the audio guys, please know that I understand that sound it 50% or EVERYTHING, but I can only afford the "real" camera and tripod, and the software I need, so the rest will have to be upgraded, till then I am stuck with one of these, so please vote for me, now there ate three options

Please pick one:
(1) Audio Tecnica AT897 $286
(2) Rode NTG-2 $250
(3?) Rode NTG-1 $?
 
you not offend anyone , at least not me , these who think they know offend me more :-)
the ntg-1 is the same ,completely the same characteristics mic as the ntg-2 but without battery chamber , its a back electret microphone which can work with external phantom voltage your camera or other equip supply ,
its lighter , shorter and could work very well for you for you budget
remeber you will need wind protection of some sort and suspension mount .
the psc mount , will work quit well -about 55 us
the k-tek softie would do the job in a moderate windy conditions, another 100
so you are looking to spend about 400 incl shipping
about microphone cable - ask MATT STL to make what you need , at least even you wouldn't pay less you will get the best you can get .
 
USLatinContent,

I am in the same boat you are right now. I am looking at getting a complete camera and sound package and basically starting from scratch.

I was going to get an AT4073a shotgun with a boom kit and with everything else I am getting, it pushes my budget to the limit pretty much. Well now I have got a client that wants interior interviews, so for me, I have a change in my plan and wonder if it would apply to you as well if you have no immediate need for outdoor shotgun work.

I am going to get the excellent low cost Oktava MK012 hypercardiod mic (173.00 at the Sound Room) for great quality indoor sound and somewhat capable performance outdoors on a boom if properly wind protected. I will then save to purchase, at a later time, a Sennheiser MKH 416 as a superb quality shotgun mic.

Keep in mind that a good quality mic is worth saving up for and that using the Oktava can work for you outdoors if you don't truly need the shotgun distance that a shotgun mic can afford you and you're not battling high winds.

If you have got nothing pressing you to be able to record from a distance, outside in the wind, then you might want to consider using the Oktava here -- http://sound-room.com/inc/sdetail/474 as your workhorse until you can save for a top notch shotgun mic.

In the end, you'll have great indoor and outdoor sound capabilities with your two quality mics.
 
For my part, no offense taken - just wanting to make sure you understand that good sound does not come cheaply.

One thing you might want to do is look at used equipment - Trew, Coffey and Location all have excellent consignment options - that way you can get the best of all worlds - better equipment for less money. Though I would not consider buying used cables - I agree with Oleg, talk to Matt.

Phil
 
Hey USLatin,
I know you have already narrow it down to 2 mics, but if I remember correctly you are attending the LA meeting this Saturday? If you are, I'll be happy to bring my MK102 (which I just bought) for you to check out and I also have a Sennheiser 64 and a 66. I wasn't planning on bringing all my mics, but I'll be happy to in case you want to test them with the HVX.
 
I'll second John Froton's suggestion.

You can get the Octava and excellent wind protection (Baby Ball Gag and Furry) for about the same price as the Rode with lower level wind protection.

It's a better sounding mic, and as he says, if handled properly will do a lot of stuff outside as well as in.
 
Now (I feel) I TRULY understand the Oktava + Shotgun "combo"...
I was reading about the $173 Oktava and thought to myself that this might be my starting sound kit, but didn't quite get it as well as I do now. That is a great idea! A million thanks! :dankk2: :dankk2: :dankk2: ok, just three (others might complain)
So even though I have to buy the HVX before Dec 31st I should sit down and figure out what my first paid job will be... I was going to make a Hughe mistake, rushing into all possible purchases with my budget when I found out it was coming in a few days ago! Thanks to all responses on this thread and others I recently posted in other sections of the best forum on the web :thumbup: I'll probably begin my self sustained operations with a super cheap commercial for some local restaurant or something. Chances are the audio to be captured on location -- if any -- would be indoors, such as an employee inviting customers in/performing a slogan, and the rest would be voice over work done by yours truly, once again, same deal, indoor recording. I am used to recording VOs with fancy studio mics in sound booths, but it seems the Oktava would be enough for a commercial airing @ 1 am in a latin channel! I have various room sizes and shapes in my apt, including a living-room + kitchen with a loft (double height ceiling) and the ceiling is bare wood... I am just guessing with no official knowledge about the way sound behaves in a room like this, I also have the walk in closet crammed with my girl's clothes bedroom and the unlikely bathroom.
anyway, got 2 hs. of sleep and worked 16hs today so I apologize if I rambled.
 
USLatinContent,

Here's another suggestion,

Make a mount for your Oktava mic, above head level facing down and slightly out toward speaker's mouth, in your walk in closet full of clothes. Make it so you can have the door closed and the mic wired through a drilled hole in the ceiling if you have to, and you will have the best quality voiceover room that money can buy. I would also suggest giving your voice talent some water or a soda to sip on as well, to thin out their saliva, while they are recording :)

This is how I did my sound recording for voiceovers in Oregon --- in my walk in closet with a clipboard hanging on the wall at face level (I made it adjustable to go up or down if needed) for hanging up the written dialog to be read.

It is a good idea to have a mixpre or other mixer/preamp to be able to set good levels and monitor the sound while recording. I will personally be using a Sound Designs Mixpre (dual mic mixer) for my preamp/monitoring setup. You can hang it over your shoulder and plug your headphones into it when you're out in the field shooting. Oleg and others have recommended getting an adapter and plugging into the RCA outputs of the mixpre instead of the mic jack to get a much better sound output to monitor from.

There are many great minds to tap into and learn from here on this forum. MattinSTL, Wabbit, Oleg, Jeremy and many others offer better hands on advice than any of us could ever hope to get through vocational schooling. I am very thankful for the people here :beer:


EDIT -- If you want to hear some samples, download the video clips here..

http://www.stickypod.com/videos/data/1/Volcanic_Legacy_1.mov

http://www.stickypod.com/videos/data/1/Volcanic_Legacy_2.mov

... and listen to the voicework when I had Bill Garrard, Oregon State Representative and prior radio DJ veteran that used to own his station, standing in my closet and reading the dialog I had written. He knew sound well and commended me on the closet setup. This was recorded with an AKG C1000 mic.

John
 
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John Froton said:
USLatinContent,

when you're out in the field shooting. Oleg and others have recommended getting an adapter and plugging into the RCA outputs of the mixpre instead of the mic jack to get a much better sound output to monitor from.


John
Click to expand...
never recomended it and it even not possible :-)
 
Oleg 2 said:
never recomended it and it even not possible :-)
Click to expand...

Oleg,

I realize now that I have misunderstood. You had mentioned using the RCA's out of the camera's instead of headphone jack for monitoring from camera.

I thought you meant from the mixpre. I reread and figured it out.

I feel foolish. :)
 
wow! ok, so get sound out of the RCAs of the HVX instead of headphones in the headphone jack and the sound signal coming from the RCA would still be better than no adapter on the phono output... And an adapter bought at a pro store would be just $10 (guessing, but it cant be more than $30)!

If I understood well that sounds like a great little must-do!!! Thank you John so much for relaying it to me here, and of course thanks to you Oleg... I hope to begin reading yours as well as the rest of you guys posting here more and more now that I will be becoming a hands on guy!
 
Yeah .. headphones plugged into the camera via RCA connection will get a better quality sound to monitor than headphones plugged into the mini-jack of the camcorder.

Just get a phono jack to 2 RCA cable (Y cable) if you are using quality headphones like the Sony MDR-7506

The main benefit of the preamp/mixer in between the mic and camera is that they are generally superior to the built in preamps in the camcorder and in addition they give you the ability to mix and match levels from more than one source into the audio track.
 
Yes, that I understand from my musician friends, so you can set the levels at the middle and make the signal hotter with pre-amps that can handle it better, right?
Unfortunately I will probably be spending just about $500 now on my audio. I will be getting $20 senheisers, they can't be great, but they are big and wrap around my ear unlime my little cheap in-ear headphones but I might still get better quality from it...?
Purchasing just the Oktava ($193.8) for good VO capability + boom pole ($138) leaves me $160 wich won't be enough for the wind protection I'll need to use the Oktava as a temporary shotgun alternate, please prove me wrong :crossing fingers: so I might as well get a shockmount and start saving for a shotgun and wind protection. Till then I'll be able to do capture good indoor stuff... only.
Or should I get one of either the Rode NTG-2 ($249) or the AT897 ($286) the boom ($138) and hope to get some wind protection with only $113 or $79 I'll have left?

I'm checking B&H and those other sites you guys mentioned so far. Thank you John!


(I am not considering the NTG-1 because the NTG-2 is only $20 more)
(The prices I posted include shipping)
 
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hey Joe,
Where do you suggest getting these baby ball gag and furry and which models.
Click to expand...

Octava mic (you can get either black or silver):

http://www.sound-room.com/oktava?b=1

you used to be able to enter the code "DV" on checkout for an additional discount. Don't know if that still applies.

Baby ball gag:
I don't personally own this mic, but according to this thread

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=70204&highlight=octava+baby+ball+size

you need the 20mm gag, which sounds right to me. If you want to double check, I would suggest PM'ing MattinSTL. He'll tell you what size he has. You can get it from B and H here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...s&Q=&sku=322363&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Windjammer (also B and H):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...s&Q=&sku=322367&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
 
Well if it helps, I am going to go with the Oktava along with the shockmount on the same site (Sound Room) for $50.
http://www.sound-room.com/inc/sdetail/284

I will probably only be using it with the small windscreen that comes with it for $7.

For now, this mic with a boom pole and telescoping light/mic stand is all I will have (aside from my AKG C 1000 mic from years ago)

I will eventually get the wind protection gear and a decent shotgun mic later on :)
 
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