The most directional mic under us$600?

[Rafael Lopes]

Hi,

I usually shoot a lot of stuff on location with loads of people passing by and external sounds, so now that I´m planning on replacing my videomic pro for something more capable as I was wondering what is the most irectional mic out there under us$600 that will allow me to isolate my subjects' voices.

thanks in advance

Rafa

[Rick Reineke]

While a high quality mic is worthwhile, I suspect your issue is placement rather than the mic itself. No matter how much you spend, an on-camera mic audio will only good enough for ambient sound. ( 'nat sound' as some producers call ill it ) A boom (w/ experienced op) or a lav on the person(s) speaking would a better remedy..

[Rafael Lopes]

I know you're TRYING to help, but I've asked a specific question and it's being diverged. All I want to know is which is the most directional kic under us$600.

[Chris Medico]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/97711-REG/Audio_Technica_AT8035_AT8035_Shotgun_Microphone.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/92912-REG/Sennheiser_ME67K6P_ME67_K6P_Super_Cardioid_Spot.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/667706-REG/Sony_ECM674_9X_ECM_674_9X_Electret_Condenser.html

[Rafael Lopes]

Many thanks!

[Greg Bellotte]

I'm sure he was trying to help, but I totally get the your question wasn't answered part...so I hope you consider this reply helpful.

Maybe he should have said unless you are within one foot or less of your subject speaking, a better mic probably won't sound any better than your VMP. Personally I don't think I would spring for 600 knowing that fact. Before you take the plunge remember that "zoom" mics don't work like a zoom lens. With video you push in past something you don't want to see and its gone. Even a directional mic will pick up SOME sound from all directions, and usually the loudest thing makes the recording whether you want it or not-even if it is behind you!

FWIW I like the ME67 best out of the three mentioned, but if we are talking about the ultimate directional mic I like the Sennheiser MKH-816 the best, and use them extensively for live sports television. its "reach" is unmatched IMO, but it is well beyond your $600 budget and I *still* wouldn't consider using it on camera for interviews.

[Rafael Lopes]

I do understand where all you guys are coming from but apart from the logic of microphone placement I´m sure there is a reason why some people pay more on mics that specifically have a more directional pattern, otherwise microphone placement would be all that mattered. Having that in mind and taking in consideration I will use a Zoom H4N plugged into the cameras' minijack (for reference sound so that I can sync later with what the Zoom captured) and have the shotgun mic connected to the H4N via XLR (on a boompole or on the camera, depending on the circumstance), are the mics being discussed here reliable to isolate sound sources? On a worst case scenario, say I´m filming a dialog between 2 actors near a busy street. Would getting one of these mics very close to the actors' face isolate his speech from the cars' sounds? I don´t mean completely delete the cars' sounds, I mean make the actors' speech perfectly understandable? Again, bare in mind I´m painting a very worst case scenario here just so we can be objective.

[Chris Medico]

The best thing you can do in your situation is to hire a professional sound person and let them work with you and advise you on what you need. We can offer opinions but with the importance of good audio being what it is you need to hear the difference for yourself before making a capital decision.

Spend a couple hundred dollars on a pro sound person and make the right decision the first time. It will be far cheaper in the long run.

[Rafael Lopes]

Sorry, guys. I don´t mean to offend anyone here and I´m really greatly appreciated by all the input, but everybody seems to be having a REAL hard time giving me a direct answer for a very direct question.

By now you´ve all managed to get across that I DO need to let the professionals do their work to get the best results, but there are LOADS of small types of projects where it´s just ridiculous to hire someone. So, lets say you need ONE MIC to be self sufficient for your SMALL day to day stuff (little personal projects, non paid gigs, etc). What I´m asking is, if I had to choose ONE MIC for these small projects, where should I put my money?

[Chris Medico]

I think you may be missing my point.

I'm not saying to hire an audio person for every job. What I am saying is to hire one for an afternoon and have them advise you on what you need for your kit when you are rolling solo. Do sound tests using his/her gear and listen for yourself and see if you like the results. From there make a buying decision.

[Rafael Lopes]

Sadly, here in Brazil getting one's hands in good equipment is expensive, even for testing. That is exactly why I tend to buy from the US at least SOME of it so that I can be as self reliable as possible. The price I will pay to test these mics in here it´s how much it will cost me to buy a new one in the US.

[Garrett Low]

Rafael,

What types of projects do you mostly do? It may be that your best option may not be a mic that is the most directional. It sounds like you think you need a long shotgun which may be the case. But if you are mostly trying to mic a single person in a crowded area, you might be better with a lav placed on the person. While a long shotgun could work on outdoor shoots, indoors it may sound horrible even though the pattern may look very directional.

Also, for long shotguns keep in mind that they are long and if you do mount them on your camera, they might require you to get an alternative mount to get them higher up so they don't get into your shot, especially if you use some kin do of furry wind protection.

[Rafael Lopes]

Most of my projects are narrative work with dialog (many times on public locations), then music videos and then some very sporadic interview work.

[Garrett Low]

Are your narrative projects mostly one person dialogue or are there multiple people speaking? Also, do you usually work with a boom op or is the mic usually going to be stationary?

One nice thing about the Sennheiser is that with the K6 power module you can get different capsules to have different pickup patterns. These can vary from a long shotgun (ME67) to an omni (ME62). They aren't going to be the greatest when just comparing the sound quality but overall it does give you a relatively inexpensive way to have multiple types of mics on hand.

The Rode NTG-3 is very good sounding mic and probably one of the best values but it s a bit outside of your price range. What you're really looking for is a mic with good side rejection. Here's an article and tests that will give you an idea of the differences between various mics. it's a bit old and has been referenced here and in other forums many times but it is still good.

As I Hear It - Choosing the Right Microphone

[Rafael Lopes]

You´ve nailed it on the head. What I´m really looking for is a mic with good side rejection. After reading that article I´m guessing what I´m looking for is a Long Shotgun. Around the budget I´m aiming for the AT8015 got some good reviews on the bhphotovideo website regarding very very good side rejection (check out this test

audio-technica　AT8015　GUNMIC　DEMO - YouTube

). Do you think the NTG3 would do better regarding side rejection?
The narrative projects carry dialogs in exteriors and the boom should be point at the actor that is currently speaking.

Originally Posted by Garrett Low

Are your narrative projects mostly one person dialogue or are there multiple people speaking? Also, do you usually work with a boom op or is the mic usually going to be stationary?

One nice thing about the Sennheiser is that with the K6 power module you can get different capsules to have different pickup patterns. These can vary from a long shotgun (ME67) to an omni (ME62). They aren't going to be the greatest when just comparing the sound quality but overall it does give you a relatively inexpensive way to have multiple types of mics on hand.

The Rode NTG-3 is very good sounding mic and probably one of the best values but it s a bit outside of your price range. What you're really looking for is a mic with good side rejection. Here's an article and tests that will give you an idea of the differences between various mics. it's a bit old and has been referenced here and in other forums many times but it is still good.

As I Hear It - Choosing the Right Microphone