Wired body mic to a camera??

Power Girl

Power Girl

Member
Hello, just some questions. What one of these body mics is the best? If I buy a male and female xlr cord can I plug the mic straight into the dvx or do I need some other gizmo to make it work. Will one of these give the same results indoors and outdoors or do I need two different mics for that?


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=96385&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=66332&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=68445&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Thanks for your time and help
Power Girl
 
Last edited:
PowerGirl,

As Danny said, any mic that is "Dynamic" doesn't need power and can be plugged directly into the DVX. It is, as Danny said, less sensitive than a condenser mike that requires phantom power.

In audio, you want to get the best signal to noise ratio you can and many times that can mean starting with a mic that is more sensitive - a condenser or electret mic, both require power of some sort. The DVX has the standard 48V phantom power supply built in to it - all you have to do is switch it on when you use a 48v phantom power mic. The electret mics usually require a lower voltage from their own battery supply.

If it was to be my mic for on cam video use I would get the Countryman B3 shown here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=295908&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

or the Countryman B6 shown here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=295945&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Why? They're quite small and can be hidden under or behind clothing (gaffer taped or pinned) , in hair, they come in 4 different colors (for hiding purposes), they are water resistant and won't get damaged if taped to the talent who starts to sweat or gets soaked. Oh, Yeah, they sound great!

If I had to do it on the cheap, I'd probably go with the giant squid shown here: http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/gs/gs-micline1.html and if choosing one of these I would get the mono, cardiod and NOT the omni directional - unless you really need to hide it under clothes, etc.

Have fun!

Ken :)
 
kenackr said:
PowerGirl, I would get the mono, cardiod and NOT the omni directional -
Click to expand...

Cardiod mics are much more sensitive to wind problems, Changing head position and the placement is critical. For general speech video use I would choose omni lavaliers only.
 
PowerGirl,

Danny is correct in saying that the cardioids are more sensitive to wind and are more critical in placement, they must be aimed at the mouth which is normally accomplished with an accessory clip. This is a favorite for indoor use where it is not critical to hide the mic from camera view, like in ENG interviews.

When using them indoors the wind problem goes away (unless there is a fan blowing directly on you). If you look closely at indoor news interviews, many times you'll see a tiny black "tie clip" on someone's tie or lapel. Those are usually cardiod (although omni can be used). So if your indoor shots are interviews and it's not critical to hide the mike, use the cardiod and you'll be glad you did.

In dramatic situations where you do not want the mic to be seen and you must hide the mic, use an omni directional.

It's better to use a condenser mike in either situation, for sensitivity reasons than dynamic UNLESS its going to be a scene where the talent is screaming, yelling and being very loud, then you could go with a dynamic mic which will handle the loud conditions better.

Good luck & have fun!

Ken :)

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