A Good Quality SuperCardoid/Omni Mic for the GL-2?

I've read many posts on this site regarding shotgun mic's for the GL-2.

I'm looking for a good quality SuperCardoid/Omni-Directional Microphone (boom or camera mountable) for a reasonable price.

I'm doing documentary work and need a good portable microphone for a self-contained unit.

I'm comparing the Canon DM-50, Audio-Technica AT897, Azden SGM-2X, and the Schriber 568.

I'd like a microphone which is significantly better than the on-board GL-2 mic.

I'd like to use either the XLR Pro or the BeachTek DXA-4P XLR adaptor with the GL-2.

-Which mic would you recommend?

-Which XLR adaptor would you recommend? Does one have more features than the other?

Thanks for your help,
Dan

[Bryan Beasleigh]

Of all the mics you list the only one that's of pro quality is the AT 897.

Why do you want an Omni? I really don't understand how you meant the question. The terms hyper, super and lobar all get mixed up.
You want to record dialog? Indoors or out doors?

So far as the adapters go they're both adequate. They are only passive devices made to connect a balanced mic to an unbalanced input. they both attenuate. I know the beach attaches to the bottom of the camera, I haven't really looked at the other one.

[Richard Huff Webb]

I know it is hard to believe, but the DM-50 is a remarkable mike for the money.

Have used it for ambient nature sound and live concerts. The sensitivity is almost too good. Comes with stereo 180 and 360 degree range, plus a setting for shotgun mono.

For concerts, this mike has performed to near studio quality using the 180 degree setting and picking up from the house speakers. I try to pick out a sweet spot in the auditorium, away from the audience. Of course the house speaker quality will have to be good for good sound.

At $150.00 you can't go wrong. I have a friend who does interviews with this mike on the shotgun mono setting and they were better than wired up mikes. He even does some voice over with this mike with excellent results.

Hope this is of help.

Richard

[Bruce S. Yarock]

In checking out the canon dm-50 i see that it is switchable between stereo and mono . Is this switchability available on any of the better quality shotguns?
Bruce S. Yarock

[Bryan Beasleigh]

The audio technica AT 835ST is $560 and the 815ST is $640 ,the sennheiser MKH418 at $1300. these mics have a figure 8 and a cardoid or supercardoid built into one casing. The outputs can be separated.

Most all dialog is done in mono, why do you want stereo?

I'd be comparing mics by listening before i bought. That DM-50 sure looks like a consumer mic. have a lisrten to Kens example of a med and a higher priced shot gun here on dvinfo and the sample at www.dvfreelancer.com.

Listen to the clips from the less costly to the "mortgage the house' type of mic.

[Bruce S. Yarock]

thanks for the wavs, Bryan. I liked the at4073, was unimpressed by the sanken. The me64 has a lot of bottom and warmth, but I heard some ambient noise or rumble that wasn't evident on the othersamples. Any idea what that is?
Bruce S. Yarock

[Bruce S. Yarock]

Any clips for the at897?
Bruce Yarock

[Bryan Beasleigh]

I haven't been able to get my hands on the AT297 yet.

The 4073 and the one sanken clip were done through an unmodified VX2K, which does nothing to help the mic. I didn't do that set.

I have a better4073 in a wma file that's not on the site. The sanken cs-1 clip through the vx2k wasn't the best one to listen to.

I also have comparisons done at Trew Audios Toronto shop. Glen Trew helped me record an example of the complete polar response of the CS1,CS3,MKH60. I also just finished a polar response test (rotate mic 360 degrees) on my Senn ME66, Schoeps MK41 and MKH60. I recorded the mics side by side. there is some handling nouise when the mics are rotated but that's life.

I didn't have anyone to help rotate the mics.

I have MP3's as well as uncompressed Wav files. the Wavs and MP3's will be posted as part of a wrireup on dialog mics hyper and short shotgun

Getting back to the CS-1. The mic does sound better when it doesn't go through the VX2000 preamps and the cool thing about the mic is it's phenominal off axis rejection. It also has no rear lobe, ythat means very little response at 180 degrees which is waht you really need sometimes.

If you want the mp3 files (the wav files are too large to email) email me at bbeasleigh at rogersdotcom

i'm adding a note to that CS1 file that it was through an unmodified VX2000