Boom, Mic combo - under $1200

[Nathan Quattrini]

Whats the difference between the ME 66 and ME 67? One is long, one is short...but I`m not sure what that does?

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Nathan Quattrini

Whats the difference between the ME 66 and ME 67? One is long, one is short...but I`m not sure what that does?

A long shotgun has an even tighter pattern and a bit longer working distance. But it can often be too much of a good thing, requiring much closer attention to aiming on the part of the operator while the size makes it more difficult to keep out of the shot.

[Ty Ford]

Well tighter pattern among shotguns anyway.

The pattern of high frequency directivity is usually a bit better, but longer shotguns also suffer from the same lack of directionality at middle and low frequencies.

When camera mounted, the can also be unweildy and sometimes be seen in the shot when the lens is pulled bacl to a wide angle.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[Mark Sasahara]

Why not hire a sound guy and use some of the money to pay him/her? That way, you'll get a good sound person who has the gear, can run the mixer and maybe have a little money that can be put back into production. If you're a shooter, you may not want to have all this sound gear that you'll have to run, while running the camera too.

I have a basic sound kit, but I don't have a mixer, or any really high end gear. It's easier to get someone else to run the Sound Department. That way, you make a new friend and then maybe they'll help you out on the no budget gigs and you can bring him/her in for the paying gigs as a thank you.

Operating the camera, zooming and pulling focus, I've run out of hands with which to twiddle tiny knobs and both eyes are watching what's in front of the camera, let alone what the sound levels are doing.

I'm not trying to poo-poo getting your own gear, but thought I would throw out an obvious alternative.

Good shooting!

[Nathan Quattrini]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...icrophone.html

I`m thinking to get this package. I do actually have 2 sound people available, neither has equipment which tends to be the case around here. I won`t be doing the sound (though I should learn the basics of it, i`m a believer in understand all aspects of film making) but its good to have the equipment so I`m not scrounging now and in the future, and if i`m lucky I can rent it out to make some money back since no one around here ever has decent audio equipment of any kind.

I`m also picking up a Sennheiser G2 100 series wireless lav. Going about $150 over audio budget...hope it pays off in the end.

Every journey starts with a single footstep....some steps are just larger than others heh

[Ty Ford]

Hello Nathan,

Sound people with no gear? Location sound people?

If someone tells you they are a location sound person but have no gear, RUN!

Regards,

Ty Ford

[Nathan Quattrini]

Nope, just an area where everyone wants to get into film but no one has the equipment to do so. 1 works for a freelance multimedia company, but the companies equipment is tied up months in advance so he can`t take it out. The other just graduated college for sound stuff and again has no gear of his own.

Does that boom package come with everything I need? I don`t need extra wires or anything do I? I need it to plug in to the back of a Canon A1.

[Ty Ford]

Hello Nathan,

Someone trying to get into film production with no sound gear is, repeat, NOT a location sound person.

Be very, very afraid.


Regards,

Ty Ford

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Nathan Quattrini

Nope, just an area where everyone wants to get into film but no one has the equipment to do so. 1 works for a freelance multimedia company, but the companies equipment is tied up months in advance so he can`t take it out. The other just graduated college for sound stuff and again has no gear of his own.

Does that boom package come with everything I need? I don`t need extra wires or anything do I? I need it to plug in to the back of a Canon A1.

You'd probably want to get some additional XLR cables but that's no big expense. That kit would be the bare bones minimum but it does have everything you need to get a mic off the camera and onto a boom, recording through it. Whether it's enough to cover all the conditions you'll be encountering is anyone's guess - a pro field production kit would add a number of other elements and there are number of pieces to the puzzle still needed for BEST sound. But in answer to the question, does it have all I need to record some sound (in addition to the camera, of course), yes, it does.

[Nathan Quattrini]

Ok thanks guys. I know there will always be something bigger, better, more out there but for no I just need to be able to get better sound than the on camera mic. Hoping this all works out ok. For now i`ll just be recording in a field, and in the woods, some dialogue (with the lav) as well as fight scenes with the boom. Again I`m just looking for better audio than the on camera mic for now. Its all funded from my $9.50 an hour job, and by how many months of debt I can deal with.

Ty, I`m a little confused. I am just getting my filming equipment, so should everyone working with me be very afraid that I will produce trash because previously I had no equipment? I want to get into film and this is my first project to head up, its no reason for people to run screaming. everyone starts somewhere. I`d rather have help from someone with experience and no personal equipment than someone with no experience saying "I held a boom once" and no equipment.

[Steve House]

The additional tools you might find useful that are not included in that kit woukld include such things as improved wind protection, a headphone amplifier/ mic preamp for the boom operator and a mixer to interpose between the mic(s) and the camera, and a breakaway cable to connect mixer to camera.

As for equipment ownership, it depends on the craft and the area of speciality. Most feature directors and directors of photography don't own the cameras but some documentary and indie DPs do - for instance, I believe the videographer on the PBS series "R. Steve's Europe" owns his own FW900, I think it is, because at one point in their "...making of" program Steves refers to him as "protecting his $80,000 baby like a mother hen with her chicks." Professional location sound mixers typically own their own kit of mixers, recorders, microphones, booms, etc (but boom operators usually do not) and when you hire one of them for a gig you also rent the kit as well as cover their salary. OTOH, someone on a network crew, say CBS Sports or some such, may be an employee using company owned equipment. You could say as a rule, freelancers own their own gear while regular employees don't.

[Nathan Quattrini]

Thanks for the clarity. I`d really like to get a mixer but can`t afford the extra $500. I am hoping the wind will be minimal and the softie will be good enough for now since they don`t allow substitutions. I will however probably pick up a nice set of headphones tonight as well.

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Nathan Quattrini

Thanks for the clarity. I`d really like to get a mixer but can`t afford the extra $500. I am hoping the wind will be minimal and the softie will be good enough for now since they don`t allow substitutions. I will however probably pick up a nice set of headphones tonight as well.

Phones absolutely! Didn't mention them cause I just assumed you would already have them. The industry standard is Sony MDR7506, not cheap, not the most expensive either, but lesser cans really won't cut it.

[Nathan Quattrini]

B and H has a $100 set of that, and $285...i`d assume you meant the higher price? Aslo what do they plug into if there is no mixer...the camera i`d assume?

[Dennis Stevens]

Originally Posted by Nathan Quattrini

Nope, just an area where everyone wants to get into film but no one has the equipment to do so. 1 works for a freelance multimedia company, but the companies equipment is tied up months in advance so he can`t take it out. The other just graduated college for sound stuff and again has no gear of his own.

Does that boom package come with everything I need? I don`t need extra wires or anything do I? I need it to plug in to the back of a Canon A1.

I wonder if you're in the same situation I am - I don't have sound people, I have people who are willing to do sound. Using my equipment.

This is why I find myself turning into a location recording person - I find I do enjoy it, but it's also out of a desire to get good sound.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread!