Best mic for indoor use

[Jody Arnott]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice on my next microphone purchase.

I currently primarily using a Rode NTG2 on a boom pole for most of my interviews. However I'm not happy with the sound it produces when indoors (obviously being a shotgun mic it pics up a bit of echo).

So I'm looking at buying a new mic for indoor IVs, and I'm wondering what is the best type of mic for indoor use that can be attached to a boom pole? Or is a wireless lapel system a better solution?

A bit of online research has told me that hypercardioid or supercardioid mics are the best bet.. but aside from that, I don't have a lot of knowledge in this area.

I'm looking to avoid spending thousands as my work is primarily for web rather than broadcast. So any tips/suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[Richard Crowley]

It would help to know what "interviews" means here?
Do you mean just the subject seated in front of the camera, with the interviewer off-camera? interviewer off-mic?
Do you mean the subject and the interviewer both on-camera in a conversation? Are you trying to do that with one fixed mic? Or with a mic on each person?
Does "interview" mean standing in a noisy trade-show exhibit floor and talking to people as you encounter them? Separate on-camera inerviewer? Or is the camera operator doing the questioning?

There are a wide variety of different scenarios that come to mind when someone says "interview" And they all have different kinds of possible microphone solutions. Likely two or three different alternative solutions to each depending on a lot of other things like budget, quality expectations, personnel, experience, etc. etc. etc.

[Don Palomaki]

A couple more questions:

Does the mic need to be out of sight? Does the person being recorded need to be mobile (i.e., not tethered by wires to a mixer/recorder/camcorder).

The closer you get to the person speaking, the less you will hear reverberation/echo. Lavs, hear-worn and handhelds are usually within a matter of inches from the person speaking, boom mics tend to be feet away (to stay out of the image). Wireless systems avoid the tether and can work with handheld, head-worn, lav and boom. Lavs and head-worn can be relatively unobtrusive in the image. Handhelds work for several people and one mic situations.

[Jody Arnott]

Thanks guys. Sorry for not being overly specific.

The majority of my interviews are 1 subject seated in front of the camera. Interviewer is off-camera and doesn't need to be on mic.

It does not need to be a wireless system as the subject will usually be seated.

And usually I'm in relatively quiet environments, just possible air conditioning and traffic noises.

I prefer to use a mic on a boom pole (attached to a light stand) rather than a lav mic.

Hope this helps to clarify my question.

[Chris Medico]

I get good results from an Audiotechnica AT4053 on a boom for interviews.

[Don Bloom]

My goto mic for that type of work is an AKG Bueline SE300/CK93 Hyper usually on a stationary boom.

[Jody Arnott]

Cheers for the suggestions. That's exactly what I was after. Not a bad price range either.

[Paul R Johnson]

Most indoor boom issues are simply down to accuracy of aiming, and the right positioning to remove the reflections coming in from the direction of axis. Pretty well down to looking down the barrel and if you can see a hard surface, then the mic will hear reflections coming from it. Realistically, it's up to you, but the lav mic will almost certainly sound better - the critical factor is simply distance from the mouth, and lavs are forgiving, shotguns aren't.

[Jody Arnott]

I've found the opposite. Lavs are prone to picking up sounds from the subjects clothing and movements. I've had much more luck using a shotgun microphone on a boom pole in the past. I've also had issues with interference when using wireless lav systems. Granted these issues could be down to operator error.

I am intrigued by Rode's new 2.4GHz wireless system that got announced recently though (RodeLink I think it's called).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1115091-REG/rode_rodlnk_fm_rodelink_wireless_filmmaker_kit.html

[Paul R Johnson]

How many broadcast interviews on TV use booms? Very, very few. They pull out the lav pack, clip it on, turn on the thing and go! Rustles are usually just down to placement, and while wireless is never as good as a cable, the distances are usually very small, making them pretty good - and of course, you hear the noises and can reshoot.

[Chris Medico]

Originally Posted by Paul R Johnson

How many broadcast interviews on TV use booms? Very, very few. They pull out the lav pack, clip it on, turn on the thing and go! Rustles are usually just down to placement, and while wireless is never as good as a cable, the distances are usually very small, making them pretty good - and of course, you hear the noises and can reshoot.

The ones I've done for national broadcast have used both a boom and a lav. Thats my standard setup.

I personally prefer the sound of a boom mic to a lav. Especially in an interview scenario where you won't be doing a lot of sound design. Lavs are so dry that I find it to be a less pleasant sound compared to a boom.

[Don Palomaki]

A hand held mic, for a staged interviews, also serves as a prop for visual effect. It lets the viewer know it is an interview from the first visual.

Lav rubbing noise is largely a result of placement, the fabrics worn, and any foam/muff on the mic. It can be minimized with proper setup.

But there is no one best for all situations. Do you want a studio-like sound, or ambient "field-like " background sound with some location reverb? Different mics and placements will give a different sound. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve sound wise. The lav may give a more intimate sound than the boom, if that is what you want.

What is right to me may not be to you, or other contributors to this thread. A lav may not be right for a nudest camp, and a boom difficult for a jogger on the run (maybe wireless there). A head-worn may be better if the speaker is turning their head to face different directions frequently. Another factor is how comfortable is the speaker in front of a mic, how experienced are they using a mic. Its what makes sound recording as much an art as a technology.

[Rick Reineke]

Not properly mounted... Lavs are "prone to picking up sounds from the subjects clothing and movements"... hidden or not. I usually double-mic folks with a boom and lav for sit-down interviews. of course this can be problematic if it's not going to audio post, as the editor will usually leave them on separate tracks, and panned L-R, then phase becomes a problem when summed to mono.

[Greg Miller]

Originally Posted by Don Palomaki

A lav may not be right for a nudest camp, and a boom difficult for a jogger on the run.

Gosh, what would you do for a nude jogger? It boggles the imagination.

[Steven Digges]

Originally Posted by Chris Medico

The ones I've done for national broadcast have used both a boom and a lav. Thats my standard setup.

I personally prefer the sound of a boom mic to a lav. Especially in an interview scenario where you won't be doing a lot of sound design. Lavs are so dry that I find it to be a less pleasant sound compared to a boom.

Same here. I'm not a great audio guy, but this is my standard setup. In post I pick the track that "sounds the best to me". When conditions permit it is almost always the boom I pick.

Steve

Edit: I should say the boom is a shotgun, my "boom" records crappy audio ;)