Shotgun Mic

[Edrick]

So I'm looking at K-Tek KEG-88CC Avalon Series Graphite Boompole with KEG-88CC B&H and I also need a mount and shotgun mic to go with it. I'd prefer a mount that isn't some crap plastic clip one. So I'm looking for one that actually suspends the mic with elastics or something of the sort.

Anyone have recommendations, also looking for a starter shotgun mic however I don't want some cheap plastic Rhode. I'm looking at spending about $300 maybe $400 for the Mic / Mount together. Obviously once i get the mount then I can just use other mics in it at that point.

[FMEng]

So I'm looking at K-Tek KEG-88CC Avalon Series Graphite Boompole with KEG-88CC B&H and I also need a mount and shotgun mic to go with it. I'd prefer a mount that isn't some crap plastic clip one. So I'm looking for one that actually suspends the mic with elastics or something of the sort.

Anyone have recommendations, also looking for a starter shotgun mic however I don't want some cheap plastic Rhode. I'm looking at spending about $300 maybe $400 for the Mic / Mount together. Obviously once i get the mount then I can just use other mics in it at that point.

I doubt that you'll find a decent mic and shockmount for $400. You might find a moderate quality mic for that. A shockmount that doesn't fold up under the stresses from a shotgun is hard to come by, and they are expensive. Your question is kind of outside the world of theater and would be better asked on a different forum, like one for cinema sound. That's a whole specialty unto itself.

[gpforet]

What is the application and what device are you feeding from the microphone?

I migrated from live production sound to sound for film about4 years ago. If this is what you are doing then here's a few pointers regarding production sound for film:

1. Dialog is king. Everything we do on set is to capture dialog as cleanly as possible. In film, nearly all other sounds other than dialog are mixed in separately. While I may capture sound effects on set, those are captured separately. The only other sound which we capture which becomes vital to a final soundtrack is room tone. This is the sound of the room with nobody talking or moving.

2. Shotguns are the go-to mic for outdoor dialog recording. Due to way a shotgun cancels off-axis sound, they present phasing problems when used indoor in a booming situation where the talent moves around. Typically, a hyper-cardioid is the go-to mic for indoor dialog recording where early reflections may be present.

3. Both shock mounting and wind protection is vital to recording dialog outdoors. My shock mount (we call it suspension) and wind protection is the Rycote Wind Protection system which consists of a lyre suspension, blimp, and windjammer (dead cat). This system alone is around $700.00 and that's without a microphone.

4. Regardless of the mic being used. Clean dialog is captured when the microphone is positioned within 18" of the talent. This means that typically you'll boom during the close-ups and OTS shots. If the shotlist calls for only medium and wide shots, than wireless lavs are the tool of choice. Hiding lavs while at the same time minimizing clothing rustle is an art in itself.

5. More and more DPs are using DSLRs for capture. The audio circuitry is flakely as best, and mostly unusable which means recording sound separately and syncing in post. The most common tool to assist with this is a slate, however, a software tool, Pluraleyes, can do a really good job by matching the separately recorded audio takes to the scratch audio recorded on camera. Although the zoom H4n has become quite popular as a field recorder, it's lack of adequate gain and noisy preamps are an obstacle to getting proper levels recorded. In the field, we try to get dialog to around -20 with peaks hitting -12 on the meters. We avoid compressors but most of us carry mixers with quality limiters.

Location sound for film is a very specialized area of audio, and as a result, the tools can be somewhat expensive. However, these tools are built to last and it's not unusual to find sound recordists carrying mics which are 30 years old, and mixers 20 years old. The mixer I carry (PSC Alphamix) was built in 2002 and is still going strong (I send it to PSC for cleaning about once a year).

After having worked in live music production, live theatre, and studio recording, I can tell you that location sound recording is the most challenging work I have over done with audio.

So I'm looking at K-Tek KEG-88CC Avalon Series Graphite Boompole with KEG-88CC B&H and I also need a mount and shotgun mic to go with it. I'd prefer a mount that isn't some crap plastic clip one. So I'm looking for one that actually suspends the mic with elastics or something of the sort.

Anyone have recommendations, also looking for a starter shotgun mic however I don't want some cheap plastic Rhode. I'm looking at spending about $300 maybe $400 for the Mic / Mount together. Obviously once i get the mount then I can just use other mics in it at that point.

[Edrick]

Hi,

I'm actually from the film world, although do have some experience in theater sound. So I'm quite familiar motion picture sound. Just trying to find good recommendations on shotgun mic and mount.

[gpforet]

Both the Sanken CS3e and the Schoeps CMIT5 are highly rated but hover around the $2k price range.

$400 will not get you very far for both shock mount and shotgun. However, for that price B&H sells the Rode NTG-2 and shock mount for just under $300 and add a softie for around $75. If you have a portable source for phantom power you can save a few bucks and get the NTG-1. This is assuming you have something with XLR inputs to connect to.

The problem is "good recommendation" and $400 budget just don't go together very well with regards to film sound gear. Most film audio people will suggest a $2,500 budget to get STARTED in film sound, which will provide a shotgun, hyper, wind protection, shock mount, boom pole, 2/3 channel mixer, and 2 channel recorder. It's very common, even on the indie film level, to have production sound mixers carry in excess of $15k of gear for even "simple" shoots.

Here's a good link to get you started:

Location Sound: The Basics and Beyond

Hi,

I'm actually from the film world, although do have some experience in theater sound. So I'm quite familiar motion picture sound. Just trying to find good recommendations on shotgun mic and mount.

[Edrick]

Thanks for the recommendation, I defiantly understand the $400 isn't much to work with. Personally either I hire my sound guy or rent the gear. However I'm just trying to get something that I can have in house in case I need to do something quick. So this wont be used for actual indie projects but more so just a quick interview footage or shoot for a product. Basically anything that's no budget but just get it done. However sounds better than using on camera mic.

[pmolsonmus]

Its not a Schoeps but Beyer makes a quality product (I would argue that Rode does as well) about $400 with a spider mount

Beyerdynamic MCE86S-II
Shotgun Microphone


available here
http://www.fullcompass.com/product/318761.htm

[gpforet]

I don't see many Beyer's on film sets. While Rode makes an affordable mic, I've never cared for their shotguns for dialog as they tend to exhibit a brittleness in 2-4k range that is typical of the chinese capsules. Granted, for $700 their NTG-3 is a decent offering, but nowhere close to the transparency and natural-ness of the Sanken and Schoeps.

Its not a Schoeps but Beyer makes a quality product (I would argue that Rode does as well) about $400 with a spider mount

Beyerdynamic MCE86S-II
Shotgun Microphone


available here
http://www.fullcompass.com/product/318761.htm