Need advice on Sennheiser MD46

[Jeremy Rochefort]

I am wanting to purchase a Sennheiser MD46 or similar microphone for:

1. ENG type work - not for the "in your face" type microphone but rather a few feet away where not visible to the cam.

2. Interviews - again, I don't want a "in the shot" scenario but rather a microphone which will be able to pick up weel from a few feet away


As always, I await the informative guru's opinions and suggestions.

These king of microphones are not readily available in SA and I want to be sure of the best option.

Many thanks

[Graham Bernard]

Lekker!

I have been using the MD42. I was advised to get this by Senni UK for the type of work where I was videoing an interviewer OBVIOUSLY interviewing a person. It worked well. The MD42 gets less of the feet shuffling about that the MD46 might get. From what you are saying you are after a "shotgun" or at least one which can focus on more that which is in front of the capsule. Shotgun mounted in a pistol grip either held and pointed by you - camera on tripod and fix the speaker, OR use a sound guy/gal.

I've been trying-out the Rode Video Mic. The money is a complete no brainer and the sound is terrific, and I own and use a Senni66 shotgun.

Tot siens,

Om Grazie

[Jeremy Rochefort]

Originally Posted by Graham Bernard

Lekker!

I have been using the MD42. I was advised to get this by Senni UK for the type of work where I was videoing an interviewer OBVIOUSLY interviewing a person. It worked well. The MD42 gets less of the feet shuffling about that the MD46 might get. From what you are saying you are after a "shotgun" or at least one which can focus on more that which is in front of the capsule. Shotgun mounted in a pistol grip either held and pointed by you - camera on tripod and fix the speaker, OR use a sound guy/gal.

I've been trying-out the Rode Video Mic. The money is a complete no brainer and the sound is terrific, and I own and use a Senni66 shotgun.

Tot siens,

Om Grazie

Grazie, Grazie, Grazie!!!!!!!!

Now don't tell me you speak the lingo:)

Thanks for your thoughts - What I REALLY want to know is what is the audio response like from a few feet away from the subject - iow I don't want the mike in the shot

I've only heard good things about the mike but without physically having one to test, I am hoping someone like yourself could shed some light on this aspect for me before I order the thing.

Being in this side of the world with these kind of things not readily available off the shelf, we have to pick our overseas compatriot's brains :)

Cheers

[Graham Bernard]

Weeeeelll .. it depends on:

1/- how much you want need in shot

2/- how far apart you want expect your interviewer and interviewee will be

3/- how much ambient noise there will be and how much you want

4/- do you need the reactions of the interviewer to be in shot

All these parameters will dictate how FAR or NEAR you need to be.

To make life easy for me in "post" I did MD42 AND a Senni shot gun vaguely directed at the "talent". The MD42 had a "butt-plug" TX so the interviewer could roam about and I could direct him as to when the "frame" was good for me.

I really don't think you are going to get a "definitive" answer here. Meaning, you are looking for advise that you can then put your Rands down on a piece of kit.

However, is there any hire in shops in Longstreet still or near the City centre? Can you ask around the cammie clubs in Cape town to get a "feel" for the products in question? Can you get close to SABC and blag some "experience" time? Does Senni have a distrib in SA?

. . oh yeah . . I stayed in the Gardens, Molteno and Loader Street and ended up in Kuilsrivier . . . went back in '97 and did the CT>NAMIB>Etosha thing. Love the country and ALL its people's.

Grazie

[Jeremy Rochefort]

Originally Posted by Graham Bernard

Weeeeelll .. it depends on:

1/- how much you want need in shot

2/- how far apart you want expect your interviewer and interviewee will be

3/- how much ambient noise there will be and how much you want

4/- do you need the reactions of the interviewer to be in shot

Grazie

Nice to hear you think of us a good bunch of folk:) ahhhhh the memories!

I expect that the distance between Interviewer and talent would be no more than 4-6 feet. Cam1 will be over the interviewer shoulder slightly offset, Cam2 for tha talent and cam3 for a dual shot.

Ambient noise should not be an issue and I am aware of the ability (from what I have heard from others) for the mike to pick this up.

All in all I think what I am after is - is the microphone able to pick up CLEARLY from a few feet away (eg 4 - 6 feet max) without having to strain the post process.

Cheers

[Graham Bernard]

Your videoing setup with 3 cameras is kinda calling for a shotgun on a boom pole PLUS a handheld. This would give me loads of options. Having 3 cameras going capturing an interview is getting way beyond my experience base.


Anyways, I search out the Senni info on the 2 mics:-

This is the MD46 showing its "pick-up" pattern:

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser...e/MD_46_GB.pdf

. . . and this is the ME66

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser...e/ME_66_GB.pdf

Regards,

Grazie

[Steve House]

Is there a reason you can't put a lav on the interviewee and let the interviewer use a handheld or put a lav on him as well? In an interview situation with a highly directional mike like a shotgun or hypercardoid someone is going to have to continually shift the aim of the mike from interviewer to interviewee and back again unless you're going to use the classic ENG technique of shooting the reverses separately. Both mic types work best when aimed directly at the subject's mouth and if the two are facing each other, well you get the picture .... And the steady re-aiming of the mics from one side to the other during the shot is going to increase your chances of picking up mic movement noises. If you could mike each subject individually it would simplify things greatly and you can get lavs that are virtually invisible if you absolutely can't live with a mic of any sort visible in shot (see the Countryman B-6). Heck the Countryman is so small you can even conceal it in the hairdo of a completely naked subject as long as the cable is positioned down the side opposite the camera <grin>.

[Graham Bernard]

Steve, I agree with you. However Jeremy did start off this thread with - "I am wanting to purchase a Sennheiser MD46 or similar microphone" . . one mic? Now 3 camera/angles? Not wanting to see the MD46? . . See?

Grazie

[Jeremy Rochefort]

Originally Posted by Steve House

Is there a reason you can't put a lav on the interviewee and let the interviewer use a handheld or put a lav on him as well?

Maybe this will shed some more light on the shoot.

Problem with this scenario is that the interviewees will be in and out the chair faster than you are i can sneeze. There's a number of these people to be interviewed (about 45) and to lav each of these everytime will be a nightmare logistically - hence my request. Lav on the interviewer no problem.

I've got an AT897 for the shotgun scenario but it would seem that the ME46 would be the answer - thanks for the links Grazie.

As I had said, the real titbit I was looking for was the ability to pickup from a few feet away without straining the post process.

Cheers

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Rochefort

Maybe this will shed some more light on the shoot.

....

As I had said, the real titbit I was looking for was the ability to pickup from a few feet away without straining the post process.

Cheers

Just keep in mind that no mic "reaches out" (other than parabolic "spy" mics) to maginify sounds like a telephoto lens reaches out to magnify images. Some mics are more sensitive than others so that will enter the picture. Highly directive mics may let you increase the gain without raising off camera sounds to unacceptable levels but if both mics have the same sensitivity, an omnidirectional and a shotgun at the same location with both pickup the interviewee's voice the same. The directivity affects what happens to sounds off-axis, not so much sounds coming from where the mic is pointed.