Shotgun Mics for Zoom h4n

S

shortnstout

Well-known member
Hi all,
I've been using an AT4073a for on a ZoomH4n for a couple years but had to give up that shotgun (my brother moved and it was his). I have the Oktava hypercardiod and was hoping that would stand in for the AT4073a on my shoot last week, but the signal was much weaker. I had to turn the zoomh4n up to 100 and place the mic right at the mouth and it was still pushing it. I know this is an issue with some mics and I've heard people having trouble with the Rode-NTG2 and also the AT897.
With the AT4073a I could have the Zoom set to 50 and with my countryman lavs I have it set to probably 70-80, which is ok. I'm sad my Oktava doesn't seem to cut it, but my Oktava works great on my hvx200.
Does anyone have any advice?
I think I need to go ahead and buy a new shotgun, but don't want to buy one that will have the same problem. I'm considering another at4073a but am really considering a mic that has phantom and battery options (I'm hoping the battery on a shotgun would help save the sad battery live in my H4n).
Will the Senheisser ME-66 just be disappointing after using the at4073a? I like that it's cheaper. Any other options? I care more about quality than price, in the end, but can't go crazy on it.

The only other solution I've found on forums is this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...R_PLUG_D_PowerPlug_In_Line_Cable_Mounted.html
It gives mics an extra 10-20db of gain and it is cheap. It uses the zoom h4n phantom power but it seems it also requires the mic to have battery power, so this wouldn't solve my Oktava issue.
THANKS!!!!
 
Instead of trying to build your audio system around a flawed recorder, why not consider a recorder with more gain, or using a mixer in front of your recorder. A Zoom recorder probably shouldn't be the key building block for any good audio system since it will forever be a weak link. I went down this road myself. Just my two cents.

Grant
 
Thanks Grant, good advice. I'll look more into this. A key concern is going as light as possible on gear. I do total run and gun doc stuff. If there was another recorder that small and simple that had better gain, I'd be all ears, so to speak.
 
I would stick with the AT4073a. If it works for you, go with it. The ME66 is an inferior sounding mic, and its modular design makes it more vulnerable to damage.

I've never heard a shotgun with a battery slot that sounds as good as a decently built phantom powered shotgun.

You definitely don't want to use that Rode D-PowerPlug. It's designed to boost the signal of a dynamic microphone that's being sent through an excessively long cable. Shotguns are condenser microphones, not dynamics. It's a problem solver for a specific problem, and it won't solve yours.
 
Cool, thanks guys. yeah, i've heard the rode d-powerplug is listed as for dynamic but specifically does work for this issue with condensor microphones. someone was I think using a ntg2 into a zoomh4n and had success with it. but good advice, i was happy with the at4073a, and everyone seems to love that mic, so I should stick with it.
 
Get yourself a NTG-3. Good mic at a reasonable price.

The ME-66 sounds not too bad outdoors but bring it indoors on the sly and it sounds awful!

Or go crazy and treat yourself to a 416

Personally i have never worked with AT mics. Any sound recordists i have worked with never mention them or use them. Either they are overlooked or rubbish.
 
thank for the advice on the ME-66. i do end up shooting indoors and outdoors on the fly with only one mic on me, so that counts that one out.
I'm surprised the at4073a isn't talked about by sound recordists, at least for a non-expensive mic. on forums i've read it is often listed as the best bang for the buck.
I'm a little nervous about the NTG-3 on the zoom because of the NTG-2 issues. I'm very interested in the 416 now- after reading the reviews, wow, maybe I should save up.
 
sjcambell,

Rest assured that AT does build some good equipment. In fact, before the NTG-3 came along, the AT4073 was probably the most popular mid price range shotgun, and is still a decent choice.

Grant
 
As Grant had mentioned earlier, your limiting factor here are the Mic preamps in the Zoom, not your microphones.
Throwing money into new microphones will not solve the issue you have with the built-in Mic-Pres of the Zoom.
 
Although a number of people, including myself, have experienced major differences between mics on the ZoomH4N while in the field. I agree it makes sense to reconsider the Zoom in part of the chain, but until I find a reasonable option (small, simple, not to expensive) that is what I have on me. I know it is the Zoom preamps that are the issue because the mics that aren't loud enough on the zoom are still loud enough on my HVX. But I'm in the market for a shotgun regardless (because I shared one that is now gone--). I know the AT4073a works on the zoom and have heard that there might be better mics out there for the money, but at this time I need to look for one that is both good and works well on my recorder. So I guess I should just go with the AT4073a because I know it works- but am all ears if someone has used another one with success.
Thank all!!!
 
The other day, a AT4073 sold for around $250 in the market place. That was a pretty good deal; I thought about doing that just for a spare, but it was gone quickly.

Shortsnout,

You might consider a mix-pre or the new mix-pre-D. This would solve your gain issues and give you much better control over your incoming audio including top notch limiters. In fact, with a mix-pre in front of your HVX, you might find that recording direct to cam would become a realistic option. I do something similar, hanging a 302 on a shelf mounted on my tripod and it works really well if you don't need mobility. For handheld, there are other mounting options.

Grant
 
I have a H4n and I use the Audio Technica AT875R. The two work well together and I haven't had any problems with them. I think the AT875R is cheaper than the AT4073 as well.
 
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