Used Audio Gear

cmorrison

cmorrison

Member
Hello all,

I'm new here but I'm looking for a good filmmaking community to get involved in and this one seems pretty great. I recently bought my an HVX - 200 and now I'm looking at buying some audio gear, mainly I need a quality, self powered shotgun mic with some cabling. Just curious if you guys knew of any good sites around that sells used audio equipment?

Thanks,
Craig

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Latest Film: The Hardest Part (Opening Sketch)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GnwCu8LGbbg
 
Hmm... good question, I'm not actually sure why I wrote that, what I meant was condenser... externally powered mic.
 
Hi Craig, welcome!

the american guys are better qualified to know about used gear sites in your area, although off the top of my head you can try gotham sound, coffey sound, and trew audio... all good people.
 
ther are alot of used mics outside - from 1usd to 8grand
be a bit specific with the numbers and what are you intend to do with
by the way look at my signeture , you can post then what do you like and probably will find it cheaper then inplaces above who take 10-15% above and that just increase the price .
 
Thanks for the help guys,

I am using the mic for filmmaking, it will be on a boom and won't be mounted to the camera much at all. Used pretty much exclusively for dialog between characters. I am on a very tight budget with my recent camera purchase so I'm looking to spend probably $200 at the most, which is why I'm looking used. I'm not looking for top of the line perfect sound quality because I honestly don't need it, but I also don't wanna throw my money away on a cheap piece of crap, so I was hoping to pick up a quality shotgun thats used.

So didn't have much luck searching the usuals (Craig's List, Ebay) so thought you might know of some used sites that might exist around the net, I'm not too worried about stuff located in my region, although it would be nice, I am willing to pay the shipping.
 
beside the mic you are looking for suspention and some wind protection - 200 is about third /half what you need to spend at least

2 months without beer will bring you something :-)
 
You can easily build your own boom pole (extendable squeegee poles work great for this), and wind protection may or may not be necessary depending on your shooting environment. So get the mic first, and everything else as it becomes necessary.
 
quit stupid sudjestion as not only it never works as it have to be ,it also look ugly , not to mention people who hire you may know something about what they expect for their money .
if you want be proffesional at least show with normal gear. someone with 6 grand camera and a tree branch doesnt look good:-)
 
$200 is definitely not a third or half of what I need to spend. Most mic's come in packages with a windscreen and as for suspension theres no way I'm gonna lay down a huge chunk just so I can have a carbon fiber pole, not necessary like HBlack said, I've already got a good substitute for the boom in mind.

For example, Azden sells a mic for $300.00 with a windscreen included, located here: http://www.azdencorp.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=93299&cat=22&page=1

Looking for something like this, but used, to save a bit of cash, I don't need brand new.

Thanks again
 
azden is a shity mic , ,the foam which come with mic is worthless if you shoot outside
films are ugly business but made with professional gear , sorry why do you use 200 and not 400 usd consumer camera?,
you can do whatever you like its your money and my opinion ( and sorry iam talking from 20 years experience in film business with few features irecorded which went to Berlin and other fests )
 
cmorrison,

I would take Oleg's advice. I know due to the slight language barrier he seems harsh and abrasive but he's giving good advice. Truthfully for a decent mic package you are looking to spend a little more than $200. You are going to need at least a good Mic , Boom , Shockmount and Wind Protection. Anybody that tells you that a painters pole or anything like that is an equal substitute for a proper boom pole is leading you away from what you should be doing. Yes it may work but that doesn't mean it's the best idea. Kinda like driving with your feet
 
cmorrison said:
I recently bought my an HVX - 200 and now I'm looking at buying some audio gear...
Click to expand...

I never understand how some one can spend $5,000+ on a camera, and expect to get away with a few hundred bucks for audio gear.

I'm also from Toronto, and I would strongly suggest that you rent a good mic package until you can afford to buy something decent.

You are lucky that here in TO we've got Trew Audio in town ( for real pro audio rentals ), as well as Steve's Music / Long and McQuade for cheapie gear rentals.

As several people here have already told you, a shotgun mic + boom-pole + mic-mount + good quality windscreen ( one that actually works outside ) + 50 ft of XLR is going to cost you $800 for good quality cheapie stuff. ( like a Rode NTG-2 mic, Gitzo boom, Rycote Softie, etc... )

Expect to pay 2 times this much for mid-range gear, and 5 times this much for high-end gear.

...And this is without buying a good mic pre-amp and headphones for your boom-op. ( $600 to add a Sound Devices MM-1 + Sony 7506 headphones to your boom package )

As I stated, you are so lucky that you live in a city where all of this gear can be rented.
 
Well said, TheDingo. Also, please note that there is a nice sticky at the top of this forum that recommends full kits at varied budget levels. You can look there to see what the "minimum" setup is.

I also have to echo what Oleg said - the foam "windscreen" that comes with shotgun mics is primarily for protecting it when it is in the case. It isn't good for anything else and certainly does not provide ANY wind protection outdoors.

Again, you are lucky that Trew Audio is nearby. Check out their used equipment. There is no reason to buy new (at least 1/3 of my kit is used, and as a result I was able to purchase high-end mics like Sennheiser 416, Schoeps 641, etc. for a fraction of what they cost new (I probably woudl not have either in my kit if I had to wait to pay the price for new models).

Good luck and welcome to the club. :-)

Phil
 
Alright thanks guys, thats about all the advice I can handle. When I get my mic I'll let you know how much I spent and I'll upload the results.
 
cmorrison, you do yourself a disfavor when you come here seaking advice and then when pros like Oleg and Ptalsky give it you appear to get miffed.

To address your initial question, the best place to get quality used gear is on eBay. Watch what you're doing, but it can be great.

You way wonder why people didnt give you the advice you were wanting, that's because what you were seeking doesn't exist. It is very, very naive to think you can spend $5k+ on a camera then get comparable audio for $200. You need to spend a bare minimum of $1000 on audio. Quite honestly, your sound budget should be at least 25% of the cost of your camera setup, which would put you in the $1250->$2000 range for the HVX, which would be right.

I can also understand not being able to afford it. If $200 is *ALL* you can afford, then stick the money in an account, and shoot music videos and silent films until you can drop the $1000.

Quality audio is not that cheap. Period. Deal with it.
 
Hey I'm not miffed at all sorry if it comes off that way, it seems like the pro's are more miffed at me for asking a simple question, which in hindsight I didn't really even ask. I simply asked if anyone knew of some used gear sites thats all, a few people suggested some places which is great, thats what I was looking for. No hard feelings, I can tell you guys definitely are pro's and know your stuff. I can't say I didn't take a little offense with lines like "I should be so lucky to live in a city where.." and "I never understand how some one can spend $5,000+ on a camera, and expect to get away with a few hundred bucks for audio gear." I mean, is there a need for these types of comments when giving an opinion, I don't think so, but hey, thats just me. I appreciate the help very much but I'm not gonna sit and take a bunch of crap, just not my style. Once again though, thanks to everyone for the help. //no sarcasm, genuinely appreciative.
 
Yep, as usual, we took your question much farther than you asked - I re-read your original post and all you wanted was some recommended good places for used gear. Here's my recommendations:

1. Trew Audio (Canada and US) (http://www.trewaudio.com)
2. Coffey Sound (http://www.coffeysound.com)
3. Location Sound (http://www.locationsound.com)
4. Gotham Sound (http://www.gothamsound.com)
5. eBay (but only once you really have an understanding of the gear you need and what you should expect to pay - sometimes you get great deals on eBay, sometimes gear goes for way too much)

And, if I lived in L.A. or in one of Trew's Canadian cities, I would go in and talk with them and learn as much as you can from them. They are all incredibly helpful (even over the phone). Or if in Israel, stop by and buy Oleg a beer or six. :-)

Hope this helps.

Phil
 
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