Controlling reverb with ME66?

[Alex Milne]

Hi, i'm doing a documentary project where there will be a series of sit down interviews. I didn't bother to pay the extra price to get some decent lav's, so i'm just using an ME66 i borrowed from my friend. Anyway, I was playing around with it and i noticed that unless you get very close there is a decent amount of reverb, which sounds alright but its not the, "up close and personal" feeling i would like for an interview. Is there a way of controlling this problem without sticking the mic right in the frame? Are there certain places where i should seat the interviewee as to reduce reverb? Do I even know what I'm talking about?
thanks-
-alex

[Rhett Allen]

What kind of room are you trying this out in? True it's not going to sound like a lav mic but it is entirely possible to get really decent sound with this mic (it's an excellent mic). You don't want a "live" room though, hard walls and floors, big glass windows, etc.
If it's an interview you're probably going to be shooting in close (framing) anyway so having the mic just above and in front of the subject, out of frame should not be a problem. You can try to quiet down the reverb by keeping lots of soft stuff around like rugs, pillows, drapes and sitting on a sofa. Of course I have no idea where your interviews are going to take place but that will give you an idea of where all that extra sound (reverb) is coming from.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Borrow some lavs or other non-shotgun option. You don't want to be using an ME66 indoors unless you absolutely have no choice.

[Alex Milne]

Well, I'm going to shoot very soon( in the next two days) So i don't think borrowing any more equiptment is possible. So I think maybe I'll take Rhett's advice, unless anybody has any other suggestions. I'll be doing this in the common room of a dorm, so there should be couches and rugs and televisions and so forth, that might cut out some of the reverb, but I can move the location if needed (as I have not tested exactly at my location yet, just at home). I'll make sure to get a lav for any other interviews I do in the future though.
Thanks for all the help

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Make sure you get the mike as close as possible to the dialog. The ME66 has a reasonably typical "balloon" at the back end of the mike, and although it's smaller than mikes of a longer length, it's still fairly omni in the low and mid frequencies, and you'll have not only the reverb to contend with, but the muddiness as well. Shotguns are rarely intended to be used indoors, so get that sucker on a boom or at least a mike stand close in to the dialog for anything but problematic results.