What is the Best Camera Mounted Ambient Mic???

T

Terraform

Active member
I am in Desperate need of some advice (and I need it Quick too!)
I need a Camera mounted solution to picking up the best possible ambient (both room and outdoor sounds) without completely breaking the bank.
I also need to get a good/affordable windscreen and don't know anything about shock absorbers and mounts. and auxiliary power for the mic (or is it not too draining on the camera battery to draw the phantom power from the camera)

From reading a million other posts I think I may need a Stereo Shotgun Mic but really don't know.

The Project that I am working on is a bit of a tricky situation.
I will be abroad in europe alone for a month shooting this project where I am the only constant. 90-95% of the film will be narrated. the narration will be recorded after the scene is shot more than likely during the editing of the project.
however their will be times when interaction, narration and dialog will occur while the scene is being shot and I want it to sound as good as possible. keeping in mind that I will not be able to travel with a boom, or a sound person and will often be in frame while this is all going on while the camera is on a Tripod. also some of the participants may not knowingly assisting me so wiring them all for sound is not a option either.
It is pretty gorillia in technique.

I know that these are not the most ideal of situations for good sound recording. but there has to be some solutions out there that will not only meet my needs but will sound professional enough to the point where it doesn't sound amateurish.

any help would be greatly greatly appreciated.
thank you.
 
Although I'm not a fan of the xl1s's, I used to use them because I had no choice. The most impressive feature on that camera was the quality of the onboard mic. The DVX is quite impressive too, and maybe I've been desensitized by using it so much. But the first time I heard the xl1s's sound, I was really impressed.

Explain your project if you could. That might help us come up with a good solution.
 
OK first off I guess I should have stated that I already own a DVX it is new to me and I have not really done much with sound. but that is the camera I will be using.

The project that I will be working on is hard to describe since it is very open in form and will be motivated and dictated by my surroundings and life's other circumstances. I will be traveling to unfamiliar countries (not to exotic Ireland, italy, and croatia) so I don't know what to expect and what will happen.

What I do know is that it will be me alone for 5 weeks.
I will have my camera, tape, whatever mic I buy (and I need to buy one soon) and a good versatile lightweight tripod and a steady stick. on top of that I will have all the other things necessary for a month long journey. i.e. clothing ect...

So I need a mic that is not going to weigh me down and something that I don't have to think too much about as I will be trying to wear all hats at once and things may come up pretty quick so I may not have time to do tests on location before shooting I basically need to Run and Gun so to speak.

other than that the project is a narrative one in which I will be main character, but I am wanting to not be in front of the camera as much as possible. With that said it will be Narrated or spoken from a first person point of view as it will also be shot from the same first person POV. most of this narration will be done after shooting is completed.
but like I stated before I will have scenes that will have dialog and interaction within the scenes and I do want it to sound as good as possible.

depending on how successfully the project is executed I hope for it to me a 80 min. feature that I would like to enter into film festivals. so I do want the quality to be good enough for the venue. with that being said, I feel like there will be some leniency for the quality do to the fact that the whole point of the film is the character (me) is filming his travels on video and sending the tape back home. Imagine a blair witch kind of knowledge, where the viewer understands that it is a 1st person POV and the format is a small format video. their is no illusion that this was shot on 35 mm. and the viewer is not supposed to forget that it is a movie. all of those normal conventions are nonexistent in this project.

so again any help would be much much appreciated.
 
the sennheiser me-66 would probably be a great all around mic for what you want to do.

it runs off of a AA battery that lasts forever, or you can run it off of the camera's phantom power without killing the battery.

i have both the me-66 and the me-64

my main mic now is the sennheiser 416 but that is way more mic than you need.

matthew
 
so do you think that a stereo Mic is unessasary and that I should just go with a good camera mounted mono mic?
 
and then if that is the case does the whole AT897 and AT4073A debate work for this recomendation or is the ME66 better with ambient sound pick up.

and I have one more stupid question. with shotgun mic's such as these where do they start to pick up the sound.... say I have it mounted on my camera will it start to get a really pick up say 5 ft. out or closer... or further for that matter.
thank again
sorry for the dumb questions.
 
while there are dumb questions there are no dumb questions... i was going to answer this question... but i think now i'll wait for someone else who is better qualified.
however i have used me66 for the past7 years... 3-4 ft is all i really give it for vocals.
of course you hear noise beyond that... and the closer the better, and it varies with the type and nature of the source. looking forward to what others say.
maybe that was a dumb answer?
 
is that just for vocals?
what I am most concerned about is the Ambient sounds. '
so with that said would the 2 AT mic's or the Me66 just get good recordings of ambient sound from 3-4 feet or will it pick up a larger scope of sound.
and if not would a stereo shotgun have the same limitations or does it have a greater scope along with stereo capabilities.
thanks again.
 
go with the me66, it will give a decent range, durable and relatively inexpensive.
it will do well picking up sounds. But there are so many different types of sounds, subtle water dripping to , large vehicles flying past you etc. so how close you have to be is in relation to the nature of the sound (and wind). the me66 is a good standard that many working pros use.
 
Ok
so lets say I bought the Kit that EVS has with a camera mountable shock mount foam windscreen. and the ME66 and K6.

http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=K6ME66KIT1

that should suffice for outside shooting
now would it be smart to also pick up the ME62 modual (that will work with the K6 I beleive)
for indoor shooting.

http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ME62

Or is the ME64 better for indoor and ambient sounds
http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ME64

also is ther a advantage with the K6 unit over the K6P or should I get the "p" to run off the camera's Phantom power. will I run into any problems if I get the normal K6 and still plug it into the camera? (I would prefer not to get the "P" in case I would like to use a recording device that does not have Phantom down the line. any thoughts?)

if so what else do I need other than the 2 mic moduals the one powersource and the shock mount. should I get a better windscreen. and will I need more cables?
again sorry for all the questions but I am sorta under the gun to buy a mic. and I really don't know anything about them so I need to rely on your expertise.
thanks again.
 
i'm sorry i feel this question is asked towards me, and i am unfamiliar with it the panasonic mic,


I have a narrow knowledge admittedly, have used at4073, sennheisers me80, me66, 416 and neumann + schoeps. I actually thought the sound were good from all except a dislike for the at4073 but many others seem to make it work. I think you really have to ride your levels with it and pay attention, it is sensitive however. If operating a camera at the same time, i'm not sure if that is the easiest to do so on the fly.
 
the evs kit looks fine, don't stress about getting a different mic for the indoors, for a shoot like you're doing it'll be no probs. Wind protection would be handy though. a softie or something of the like.
If you feel a need to spend more money on a mic pick up an me80 used (cheap cheap mics ) more than one professional has mentioned they like them better than the me66, I have had one for 7 years. Pain in the ass to find batteries but they sound great and sell for about 250 used, a perfect backup because it will fit all the same gear pretty much (wind sock etc)

I feel i can answer this not because i'm a sound man but because i'm a camera person who has in the past had to rely on the "on camera" mic. with admittedly mixed success.
 
Hi terraform. I just wanted to add a few things to help you out. I own a similar kit, and I can tell you the ME66 is a great directional all around mic, but for interiors the ME64 is superior for: 1) Rear rejection (doesn't pickup as much echo) and 2) Expanded Audio range (the human voice sounds truer and warmer). The ME66 sounds sharper because it modifies the sound waves to make them more directional. The ME64 tube is so much shorter, it doesn't do that, and everything sounds richer.
I would get the K6C (non-phantom) in case you are using a non-phantom generating plug-in transmitter. It future-proofs you and is better in a pinch. K6P sounds exactly the same as the K6C, because it's the same preamp inside.

You will need a softie for outdoor shooting, as Caldwell suggested, and here is the link:
http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=033052

You will not need one for the indoor ME64, unless you have windows open with a strong breeze coming in, or a fan on in the room that is hitting the mic. Ceiling fan or oscillating fan. Believe me it happens, and in run and gun situations, sometimes you don't notice until you get to the editing room. If you do, here it is:
http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=033032

If you have more q's please email me at rush@evsonline.com or post them here.:)
Rush.
 
matthewd5 said:
the sennheiser me-66 would probably be a great all around mic for what you want to do.

it runs off of a AA battery that lasts forever, or you can run it off of the camera's phantom power without killing the battery.

i have both the me-66 and the me-64

my main mic now is the sennheiser 416 but that is way more mic than you need.

matthew
Click to expand...

I just got a dvx100 yesterday and plan to make a film and transfer it to 35mm film. I have a Sennhauser 416 mike, and I was wondering if you know from how far it will pick up speech adequately?

What solution does one need on a set? I know about a mike on a pole - is that necessary? How about giving actors a microport and record sound seperately at the same time?
 
Hello draccan, the MKH 416 is able to pick up sounds up to 5 feet away or more depending on noise level in the room. :thumbsup:

Ideally you want to have the microphone as close to the actors as possible, and have the boom operator swing the microphone back and forth as each person speaks. The mic works best when pointed at the actor that is speaking. Sorry, but what do you mean by Microport? Do you mean lav microphone? If you mean, M.D. recorder or other recorder hidden on the actor, yes that would work very well. You would need one on each actor, and a very good lav mic. Also, you will need to sync both recorders at the beginning of each take by using a clapboard.
 
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