Best bang for the buck shotgun microphone

[Shervin Mandgaryan]

Originally Posted by John Rofrano

My recommendation would be to either get the Rode NTG-2 or AT897. Forget the VideoMic. Look at it this way, if you get the VideoMic you will want to upgrade to a better mic someday. Will you go from a $150 VideoMic to a $500 mic? Probably not. So you will eventually buy a $250 mic like the NTG-2 or AT897 eventually anyway. Why not just buy it now since it’s within your budget (AT897 is $269.95). In the end you will have a much better mic.

I’m not knocking the VideoMic. I own one and it sounds great for the money (...for the money!). But not as great as the AT897 and it is constructed of plastic and has a 1/8” jack because it’s unbalanced. IMHO this severely limits its usefulness for professional use. The VideoMic was intended as a consumer camcorder mic and priced (and built) accordingly. In that role it absolutely shines. Nothing can touch it for $150. It was exactly what I needed for my $500 consumer Panasonic GS200. It is not what I would use with your $3000 XL-2! Spring the extra $100 and get a descent mic that you will use for years to come, now.

~jr

Hi John,

With the points you have stated and with the Videomic being for semipro camera owners, I think you are right and I should invest in something that is worthwhile (Investing in the XL-2 was a battle too!).

I have two problems however. Firstly is Guy from DVEstore in which his second package in too overpriced in my situation, I will never be able to fork over $400 US and pay the duties and taxes after they come from the border, if Guy has a different package which has cheaper equipment for under $400 US then I would be drawn to buy his package.

And the second problem is the BHP package which includes the 1.5 XLR cable, the AT897 and the Rode shock mount, theres no boompole or windmuff that is included with the package, and to buy them seperate would tally up to what Guy is offering me in his NTG-2 package.

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Shervin Mandgaryan

...
I have two problems however. Firstly is Guy from DVEstore in which his second package in too overpriced in my situation, I will never be able to fork over $400 US and pay the duties and taxes after they come from the border, if Guy has a different package which has cheaper equipment for under $400 US then I would be drawn to buy his package.
...

AFAIK there are no import duties to pay. I'm also in Ontario and when I order from the States I (sometimes) have to pay GST and PST on the cost of the items plus shipping. But it seems to be a crapshoot - sometimes they don't charge anything, sometimes its 7% GST only, and sometimes all 15%. (Just remembered, GST is going down to 6% as of today - O' Joy! O' Frabjous Day! LOL) But I've never had to pay any actual customs or import duties on top of that.

By the way, since you're in Toronto you might want to pop in down at Trew Audio on Villiers St in the waterfront and take a look around. They specialize in pro gear for feature and broadcast production and is a good place both gear and rentals.

[Shervin Mandgaryan]

Originally Posted by Steve House

AFAIK there are no import duties to pay. I'm also in Ontario and when I order from the States I (sometimes) have to pay GST and PST on the cost of the items plus shipping. But it seems to be a crapshoot - sometimes they don't charge anything, sometimes its 7% GST only, and sometimes all 15%. (Just remembered, GST is going down to 6% as of today - O' Joy! O' Frabjous Day! LOL) But I've never had to pay any actual customs or import duties on top of that.

By the way, since you're in Toronto you might want to pop in down at Trew Audio on Villiers St in the waterfront and take a look around. They specialize in pro gear for feature and broadcast production and is a good place both gear and rentals.

Hey Steve,

I payed duties for the SteadyStick in which I ordered from Guy with GST and PST (I'm not blaming you Guy).

I live on the outskirts of Toronto (Scarborough area) and I make frequent trips to Vistek for my video needs. Theres a bunch of audio stores near Steeles and Vic Park that have professional audio equipment and I pop in and out of those stores also.

I just really want a solid and well priced system that would work for the time being and continue working with the life of my XL-2.

Happy Canada day BTW!

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Shervin Mandgaryan

Hey Steve,

I payed duties for the SteadyStick in which I ordered from Guy with GST and PST (I'm not blaming you Guy).

I live on the outskirts of Toronto (Scarborough area) and I make frequent trips to Vistek for my video needs. Theres a bunch of audio stores near Steeles and Vic Park that have professional audio equipment and I pop in and out of those stores also.

I just really want a solid and well priced system that would work for the time being and continue working with the life of my XL-2.

Happy Canada day BTW!

Do go down and check out Trew - they're a small shop but 100% oriented to audio for film and video. Their web site is http://www.trewaudio.ca/

[David Ennis]

Originally Posted by Shervin Mandgaryan

...I just really want a solid and well priced system that would work for the time being and continue working with the life of my XL-2...

If well priced means close to $300 for mic, shockmount, boom pole and good wind screen, the only outfit you can put together going to be the VideoMic with the $80 boom pole and the "Dead Cat." But take heart-after a harmless short unbalanced cable run down the pole from the VideoMic, you can convert to balance cable for the rest of the run with a transfomer adapter. That will take you to a bit over $300.

You can substitute the NTG-2 into the above outfit for another $100. You'll need a shock mount, but it's cost ($50 SM3) will be pretty much offset by not needing the unbalanced to balanced conversion.

The more expensive kits you've looked at include a more expensive boom pole, I believe.

Those seem to be your options, unless you decide up the anty, which a lot of people seem to do when they realize that there is no super deal out there that fits their requirements.

[Shervin Mandgaryan]

Hey guys,

Alright I have increased the audio budget accordingly, however I want to start with the microphone, shock mount and cables first. I will see if I need a boom pole after my first shoot and other acsessories.

This is where I am stumped however, many people argue that the AT897 is worth buying and vice versa with the NTG-2. I browsed the DVEstore video gallery and I heard the quality of the AT897 VS the NTG-2 and I have to say that the NTG-2 has less background/ambient noise than the AT897, but is there anything else that the NTG-2 excels in? Or is the AT897 an overall better microphone (Construction/Warranty/Price:Performance ratio) than the Rode NTG-2?

Cheers,

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Shervin Mandgaryan

Hey Steve,

That was exactly what I was referring to, I know that it sounds quite idiotic if I am thinking that a shotgun microphone would pick up a person maybe 20 to 15 feet away.

...

Not idiotic but alas it's incorrect none-the-less. But don't feel bad, you're not alone by a long shot. A lot of people are under the impression that shotgun mics somehow pull in or magnify distant sounds. They don't. They supress sounds arriving from directions other than in-line with the mic and because that isolates the speaker from the background noises you can get away with turning up the gain a bit to compensate for increased distance. But "increased distance" is a matter of degree. We're talking about the diffence between having the mic 2 to 3 feet, maybe 4, from the speaker with a shotgun compared to a more normal 8 or 12 to perhaps 18 inches with other types of mics. When you get 15 to 20 feet away, you're way outside the range any mic at any price is going to give you decent sounding results. Oh, you'll get something recorded and it may be understandable but it will not sound very good or at all natural. Not saying you're wrong in wanting to get a good shotgun, far from it!, just be clear what it can and can't do for you.

Check out this kit if you're considering the Rode NTG2 - I believe the price shown is $CDN - http://www.trewaudio.ca/specials/rode_boomkit.htm Note the phrase in the ad copy "Trew Audio's Product Specialist has compared this mic directly with other professional shotguns of 3 times the cost. There was no significant difference."

Alright I have increased the audio budget accordingly, however I want to start with the microphone, shock mount and cables first. I will see if I need a boom pole after my first shoot and other acsessories.

What are you going to put the shockmount on if not a boom pole? Note the kit referenced above includes a pistol grip for when you don't use the boom but see my comments above regarding putting the mic with the camera 15-20 feet away if that's what your thinking. I'm certain you'll find you're not going to be happy with the sound until you get the mic off the camera and up close to the subject.

[David Ennis]

I think that there's general agreement that they're both good low end mics. The pros here were impressed with the AT897 when it came out and recommended it often as having no equal near its price. The Rode didn't seem to get much press until more recently. I gather that the NTG-2 is newer, but I'm not sure of that. [EDIT--I just confirmed this with searches on the two mics]. The NTG-2 is more sensitive but I don't believe that's an issue with the XL2.

[David Calvin]

What do you think of this mic?

Sennheiser MKH-416 - (P48) Super-Cardioid Short Shotgun Condenser Interference Tube Microphone

I recently got a hold of one and am wondering if it would work well as a boom mic. I have tested it out a couple times and it sounded pretty weird mounted to the camera.

[David Ennis]

The MKH-416 is a very good shotgun mic, but will sound at least as bad as any shotgun indoors. And yes, it's much more suited for boom pole or stand use. There is a lot written about it and about shotgun use in this forum. Do a search on it.

[Stu Holmes]

Originally Posted by Shervin Mandgaryan

Hey guys,

Alright I have increased the audio budget accordingly, however I want to start with the microphone, shock mount and cables first. I will see if I need a boom pole after my first shoot and other acsessories.

This is where I am stumped however, many people argue that the AT897 is worth buying and vice versa with the NTG-2. I browsed the DVEstore video gallery and I heard the quality of the AT897 VS the NTG-2 and I have to say that the NTG-2 has less background/ambient noise than the AT897, but is there anything else that the NTG-2 excels in? Or is the AT897 an overall better microphone (Construction/Warranty/Price:Performance ratio) than the Rode NTG-2?

Cheers,

I heard those same two clips and i agree with what you say - the NTG2 did appear to have less hiss. This may be because the NTG2 output level is much higher than AT897, and so to get the 897 up the same level, the level had to be increased to such a point that the background hiss became apparent.
The main thing about 897 if people do find a fault with it is its relatively low output level.

[David Calvin]

So,

It sounds, then, like the MKH-416 would be better indoors than the MKH-416 due to its pressure gradient design versus the intererence tube design. At least that was the upshot I got from searching on the MKH-416.

Is that a fair, albeit brief, assessment?

Thanks,

David

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by David Calvin

...
It sounds, then, like the MKH-416 would be better indoors than the MKH-416 due to its pressure gradient design versus the intererence tube design. ...

Huh?

What mic did you mean?

[Stu Holmes]

Yeah David - you typed MKH416 twice. Think one of them needs to be edited..

[David Calvin]

I think I meant the MKH40. Which is the pressure gradient designed Sen Mic.

I need to drink more coffee.. or less.. I don't know which.

David