Which mic to use for interviews in noisy spaces?

H

haloqueen83

New member
First time poster here but hope not to be the last! I'm recording a series of interviews with both presenter and interviewee on-camera at the same time at a very busy and noisy exhibition/trade show soon and wondered what the best audio set up is. I don't have a lot of money and this sort of work won't come along too often. I was told a shotgun mic would work, but having bought and tested a Rode VideoMic it seems to pick up a lot of background noise from behind my subject (e.g. anyone having a loud conversation behind/near the subject). My thoughts just now are that a handheld mic would work best as it is an interview after all, but I can't seem to find one that would plug directly into a Canon EOS 600D (3.5mm jack) and give good enough quality. I don't really want to have to purchase a separate audio recorder (in a lavelier/ shotgun set up) as I don't think I'll need to use it again at all and the client doesn't want any post-production done at all. Any thoughts?
 
Have you read the Audio 101 sticky? Lots of good information there, and answers to your question in particular (specifically HERE).

As for the VideoMic picking up too much noise "behind" the subject... is the mic on the camera in that scenario? Just as important as choosing the right mic, possibly more important, is placement. On-camera is not the place for a mic if you want usable audio, especially for dialog.
 
Thanks for those links. Been looking at some of the microphones mentioned and they all have XLR 3 connectors. If I use an XLR3 -3.5MM jack adapter will there be any sound distortion and will my DSLR be powerful enough to support the microphone? E.g. Sennheiser MD46; ElectroVoice RE50 etc. Sorry if this is so basic - I'm kinda new to audio!
 
There's a post in the Audio 101 sticky on audio for DSLR camera. Also, use the search function to look for "DSLR Audio" and see what comes up. Your questions have been answered dozens of times over.

As for not wanting to purchase anything... you might try instead to rent what you need. It's much less expensive that way, and you can pass rental costs on to the client.
 
Have had a look and while there are some good threads nothing completely answers my question. From the threads I gather I need an XLR mic that doesn't need phantom power plus an XLR-3.5mm (1/8") adaptor for the DSLR.

I do want to purchase a handheld mic - just not an external audio recorder. I find the DSLR can generally handle the audio I usually gather from lavaliers etc. in interview situations.
 
Hmm, to get what you want in this scenario, I think you do need the mic in someones 'hand'. And you do want to output that sound to your on-board camera audio.

RENT WHAT YOU NEED...This is what you do when you need a one-time situational audio setup.

If you aren't going to rent I would suggest attempting to use your Video mic by holding the mic, and extending the 1/8 input to about 20 ft and see what you get. For 2 bucks, you can at least try it, and you already own the video mic (presumably)
http://www.amazon.com/RiteAV-ft-3-5mm-Extension-Cable/dp/B0015ZIS8K

If you don't want to do either of the two above, tell us why, and then we will continue to try and fit your square peg into the round hole with 0$ in budget. ;)
 
Thanks for your feedback.

Don't get me wrong, I do want to buy a handheld mic, probably at a budget of around $200, as I find interview-shooting jobs are coming up quite a bit for me so having this kind of mic in my arsenal would be beneficial in the long-run. However I don't have the budget for an external audio-recording device. So, while renting is an option it's not what I want here.

I could hold the VideoMic out on a boom with an extension (branding on the wind shield and its style prevents it being used as a hand held) but I'm really after a dynamic ENG mic that doesn't require phantom power, for instance the Sennheiser MD46:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/223940-REG/Sennheiser_MD46_MD46_Dynamic_ENG.html

However this mic like so many others has an XLR output while my DSLR only has a 1/8" input. My question is, would mics like this still work with my DSLR if I used an XLR to 1/8" adaptor lead? I could order one with a lead and test it but unfortunately being located in the UK we don't have a great selection here and would need to order one in from the US, which could take some time :)
 
Did you even look at the last two links I posted?

The converter cable is certainly one solution, but not the best. Plus, you need to make sure that you have a cable wired specifically to take a mono mic via balanced XLR and send it to a two-channel (stereo) unbalanced 1/8" TRS connection. If you don't want to get an external recorder, and are satisfied with what you get in-camera, then you ought to get either a mixer (that offers unbalanced, mic-level output) or an XLR converter unit. See the links above.
 
Getting good audio recording with a dslr is going to be difficult regardless of what you do. At the very least, you need a way to get some control and preamps into the mix, so a hardware solution like a Juiced Link box is needed. Even this solution is less than ideal since your cam pretty much sucks for audio. You have a camera with some kind of lens which is worth in excess of a grand, and you want to get good sound on the cheap. Not good. OK, onto some kind of solution.

Assuming you buy some type of preamp box, or some kind of recorder that can support a XLR mic. And, assuming you don't mind having the mic in view, I would recommend a lav for a noisy interview. You don't need a audio person, you can get the mic well placed allowing for good rejection of unwanted noise. Decent lavs can be had for under $200 such as a Countryman EMW. You can usually do a quick and dirty hookup for a medium shot by running the cable out the base of the shirt letting it hang from the waist.

If you can't spend any money on a preamp box, you are better off with your VideoMic.

Grant
 
Hey Ty, just a couple of thoughts about your suggestion.

I have a RE50N/D and it is a great mic, but the output is pretty marginal for direct to any weak recording device. It is a good suggestion, but plugged directly into a dslr might not work out. I almost feel it is a necessity to run the RE50N/D through a mixer to get more gain, regardless of what I am recording to.

And I would reinforce your suggestion about "teaching the presenter" or whoever is holding an interview mic.

Grant
 
gg,

I feel you.

yeah, that's what happens when you don't put good preamps in a DSLR. What a shock! Crappy sound in a DSLR!

Not the fault of the mic, mind you.

The Audio Technica AT4073 is VERY sensitive; -23 dB (70.8 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa, but has been deleted in favor of the

BP4073 which has a -29 dB (35.5 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa, so see if you can find the AT4073.

The Rode ntg-3 and sennheiser mkh 416 are pretty sensitive mics, but you'll have to man up with an external phantom power supply.

-30.0dB and -25.0dB respectively

lower numbers are louder.

Regards,

Ty
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top