What is a shotgun mic? at DVinfo.net

Glen Evans · January 23rd, 2003, 07:59 PM

This may sound dumb, but I am a newbie.

What is a "shotgun" mic?

Thanks

Frank Granovski · January 23rd, 2003, 08:35 PM

It is an external mic shaped like a shotgun. It usually refers to a directional mic, but not necessarly.

Ken Tanaka · January 23rd, 2003, 09:22 PM

By "shotgun" Frank means like a straight pipe. Most are designed to be most sensitive to sound directly in front of one end and reject surrounding sounds.

Bill Pryor · January 27th, 2003, 10:22 PM

And, there are long shotguns and short ones. The long ones usually are more directional and can be used from farther away, while the shorter ones can be used in quite close. Sennheiser has a nice range of good ones in their MKH series, starting at around $1200, and Neuman (pronounced noiman) has even better ones with interchangeable heads. Sennheiser, Audio Technika, AKG and some others also make some cheaper ones in the $300-$600 range. There are lots of others out there too. For a long time the Sennhesier MKH416 (and the newer MKH60) have been sort of considered to be the standard by many people--ie., if you can only have one shotgun, you can't go wrong with one of those. Professional soundmen, of course, have a variety.
Just spending a lot of money on a mic, however, won't necessarily give you good sound. They're like cameras...very dependant on the user. If you're interested in a good mic, you might check out PSC--Professional Sound Corporation, in L.A. Very friendly and they don't embarass you if you show your ignorance and ask elementary questions, as I've done numerous times.

January 23rd, 2003, 07:59 PM	#1
Glen Evans New Boot Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Jersey, UK Posts: 13	What is a shotgun mic? This may sound dumb, but I am a newbie. What is a "shotgun" mic? Thanks __________________ Glen Evans, Author. Recent short work. "How to get a Genuine College Degree in 5 days" download it FREE at http://www.ebookdata.com

January 23rd, 2003, 09:22 PM	#3
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	By "shotgun" Frank means like a straight pipe. Most are designed to be most sensitive to sound directly in front of one end and reject surrounding sounds. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 23rd, 2003, 08:35 PM	#2
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	It is an external mic shaped like a shotgun. It usually refers to a directional mic, but not necessarly.

January 27th, 2003, 10:22 PM	#4
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	And, there are long shotguns and short ones. The long ones usually are more directional and can be used from farther away, while the shorter ones can be used in quite close. Sennheiser has a nice range of good ones in their MKH series, starting at around $1200, and Neuman (pronounced noiman) has even better ones with interchangeable heads. Sennheiser, Audio Technika, AKG and some others also make some cheaper ones in the $300-$600 range. There are lots of others out there too. For a long time the Sennhesier MKH416 (and the newer MKH60) have been sort of considered to be the standard by many people--ie., if you can only have one shotgun, you can't go wrong with one of those. Professional soundmen, of course, have a variety. Just spending a lot of money on a mic, however, won't necessarily give you good sound. They're like cameras...very dependant on the user. If you're interested in a good mic, you might check out PSC--Professional Sound Corporation, in L.A. Very friendly and they don't embarass you if you show your ignorance and ask elementary questions, as I've done numerous times.