Windshield for AT857R?

[Terry Lee]

For the first time I am going to purchase a professional grade microphone so I don't entirely know what all comes with the AT857R.

The Audio-Technica website says: ACCESSORIES FURNISHED AT8405a stand clamp for 5/8"-27 threaded stands; 5/8"-27 to 3/8"-16 threaded adapter; windscreen; soft protective pouch.

But does these same accessories come with a purchase from B&H or do I have to purchase my own windscreen and stand clamp?

Thanks
Terry.

[Battle Vaughan]

Go to the item page on the bhphotovideo site, look for "more info" link, look for "item includes" tab. In my experience B&H furnishes everything that normally comes with whatever item we have bought from them, which is a considerable amount. I did not find an at857r on their site, only the AT U857, which is a gooseneck podium mike...but imho B&H are an excellent vendor and have always been totally straight with us, unlike a lot of on-line joints who try to sell you standard accessories that come with the item...../Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

[Dan Brockett]

Are you talking about the AT-875r?

Originally Posted by Terry Lee

For the first time I am going to purchase a professional grade microphone so I don't entirely know what all comes with the AT857R.

The Audio-Technica website says: ACCESSORIES FURNISHED AT8405a stand clamp for 5/8"-27 threaded stands; 5/8"-27 to 3/8"-16 threaded adapter; windscreen; soft protective pouch.

But does these same accessories come with a purchase from B&H or do I have to purchase my own windscreen and stand clamp?

Thanks
Terry.

[Terry Lee]

AT875R!!

Sorry haha. wrote the numbers backwards.

I went back to B&H and found my answers. Its under the "Item Includes tab." It does have the stand clip and the windscreen.

Do you think these standard windscreens do a good job? and the stand clip is the same as a microphone clip? My intentions are to use it for a DIY boom pole.

Thanks for your replies!

[Battle Vaughan]

Suggest you get a shock mount as the stand clamp is a hard connection that will transmit any handling noise to the mike. I made such a pole for our studio and cobbled an Audio-Technica shock mount (about $65, iirc, at B&H) to the end of it..../B. Vaughan

[Terry Lee]

Originally Posted by Battle Vaughan

Suggest you get a shock mount as the stand clamp is a hard connection that will transmit any handling noise to the mike. I made such a pole for our studio and cobbled an Audio-Technica shock mount (about $65, iirc, at B&H) to the end of it..../B. Vaughan

You are completely right about the shock mount. I plan on constructing my own shock mount out of PVC pipe using the stand clamp and rubber bands. If I'm going to go DIY on the boom pole, might as well go all the way :)

I have in my cart for B&H 50' of ballanced XLR cable.. the price for 25' is like 3 dollars less so I figured why not go with double the cable? But will all that cable get in my way? Nothing I can't zip tie right?

[Jay Massengill]

If you really need 50-feet, then it is more economical to buy it as one. But two x 25-feet cables are much more convenient to deal with routinely. Plus it gives you two cables if one fails or you suddenly need two separate connections.
It's much more convenient if you're making an externally cabled pole to have one cable on the pole that can reach to the boom operator's belt with some slack, then connect a second cable to the final destination.
There are good online companies that will make your cables to certain lengths and you can also choose different colors (Canare brand) and/or standard lengths and the cost isn't bad considering the quality of the cable, connectors, color choice and workmanship.

The foam windscreens that come with mics are only sufficient for indoor drafts, maybe even for moving the boom around, but for outdoors you need either a furry cover or some form of zeppelin or half-zeppelin.

[Battle Vaughan]

If you are going to have a boom operator 50 feet away from you, s/he will need to be able to monitor the audio in order to know what s/he's doing. Suggest the Rolls Personal Amp + (PM50sOB) as an economical monitor, it passes the audio through without diminishing the signal but taps it with a high-inpedance amp that gives a headphone signal to the operator. We got ours at B&H.../B. Vaughan

[Terry Lee]

Originally Posted by Battle Vaughan

If you are going to have a boom operator 50 feet away from you, s/he will need to be able to monitor the audio in order to know what s/he's doing. Suggest the Rolls Personal Amp + (PM50sOB) as an economical monitor, it passes the audio through without diminishing the signal but taps it with a high-inpedance amp that gives a headphone signal to the operator. We got ours at B&H.../B. Vaughan

So what this Rolls Personal Amp does is allow you to plug your headphones into a portable amp so you can be 50' away if you needed to be and still be able to control signals. Otherwise you could only go as far as the cord of your headphones...?

[Chris Swanberg]

Not sure if I understand you, but here's my explanation. Assuming you will not be using a mixer in your audio chain, the boom operator has no way to hear what he is recording, unless you run a cable from the camera headphone output back to him.

The Rolls is just a plug in along the chain that you plug the boom mic into, and then output that signal through another cable on to the camera or whatever recording device you are using. So far, nothing has changed...BUT, the boom op NOW has a place to plug in his/her headphones and listen to what he or she is getting thru the boomed mic without having to try and steal a signal on yet ANOTHER cable from the recording device some distance away.

Make sense?

[Terry Lee]

True, I won't have a mixer or a sound recording device unfortunately so this will all be single system.

So with the Rolls, my boom operator will have a place to plug his head phones into and be able to monitor the sound as far away as the XLR cable will allow him correct? So now the camera operator and the boom operator can work independently and my boom op doesn't have to follow the cord of the headphones plugged into the camera around..? He can just take that Rolls amp with him and stay the hell outa my way?

[Cole McDonald]

I have just added the paint pole and the thread adaptor to the mix, but the head part is the same, I was just using a microphone boom stand from my singing days for a boom pole (painfully heavy and only 8'). The microphone blimp is constructed from:

plastic or metal (metal lets you bend over the sharp edges) gutter screen (for keeping leaves out of gutters - $1.50 home depot - way more than you'll need)

2 equal lengths wired or zip tied together to make a tube

cut little triangles out around the nose end to round it slightly

rubber bands shot through and held on the outside with chopstix ( - | - | alternating directions on the rubber bands to slide the shotgun mike through)

Cover with costume fur sock (some sewing required) for wind diffusion

attach (I used wire) to a mike holder base (they're cheap at radio shack)

3/8" male flare to 1/2" female pipe adaptor ($1.50 Home depot) forced onto

16' extendable boom pole ($15 Home depot) The aluminum is light and can hold my 8 lb cat up off the ground (they loved when I was testing it).

http://www.yafiunderground.com/Images/blimp/mike1.jpg
http://www.yafiunderground.com/Images/blimp/mike2.jpg
http://www.yafiunderground.com/Images/blimp/mike3.jpg
http://www.yafiunderground.com/Images/blimp/mike4.jpg

[Terry Lee]

That is awesome Cole!

It looks so big though! Like this big monsterious hair metal wig hanging over your actors haha.

But it beats paying out the ass for something that essentially does the same thing.

[Cole McDonald]

It's about the same size as the professional blimps I've used.

[Terry Lee]

Originally Posted by Cole McDonald

It's about the same size as the professional blimps I've used.

well that makes it obvious that I've never even seen one in person lol.