Hi guys,

I'm looking for an inexpensive microphone to go along with my t2i. The type of shooting I'll be doing is mainly narrative stuff (short movies with dialogues etc). I don't have a big budget so for now I'm considering a Rode videomic or a Zoom H2. They seem to get positive reviews. What do you guys think? Any other good mics in that price range? Like I said I'll be shooting narratives, no events.

Thanks!


ps: Sorry if it's not the right place to discuss this.

For narrative, you want a shotgun or hypercardioid mic on a boompole and an XLR connection. That requires a juicedLink preamp or recorder with XLR inputs, such as a juicedLink preamp or H4n / DR-100 recorder.

For a camera mounted mic, the new Rode VideoMic Pro looks like the new, hot thing. But you don't really want a camera mounted mic for narrative audio. Camera mounted mics are best for events and on-the-street documentaries.

You can also go for lavs on each actor, but that requires expensive wireless links or XLR cables that would limit mobility.

H4n and Azden SGM-1X. Or just the H4n if the room/location is really, really, really quiet (for a 90-degree arc, it sure picks up everything!)

For doc-style interviews, I just hide the mic setup right out of frame or behind a desk or laptop or something. I don't usually run-and-gun, so I can't say what would be good in that situation.

I like the H4n better than juciedlink or beachtec because you can set it up to record right into the camera or have a separate, mobile audio setup you can sync up later without buying anything extra.

Thanks guys!

Jon, can you think of a good inexpensive shotgun mic that does the job? And what about pluging the mic directly to the camera? Will it give good results? Or is an external recorder like the H4n a must?

The Azden that Jackson recommends is quite affordable. That said, I much prefer the Rode NTG-1 or NTG-2 for a bit more money. The Rode has more dynamic range, sounds less brittle, and gives a fuller sound.

Of course, placement is key. I'd rather use the Azden close to the talent and properly placed than a $1,500 mic from across the room. :)

Yeah the Azden seems like a good choice for the price and it has good reviews. I'll check out the other mics that you mentionned.

As I asked in my previous post, what about pluging the mic directly to the camera?

The Rode VideoMic Pro will plug right into the camera. That said it has a short unbalanced 1/4" connector. While you could run it through an extension cable, I wouldn't recommend it. Being unbalanced, it's more likely to pick up interference. It's a possible budget solution though.

To plug a balanced XLR mic into the camera, you need some sort of adapter or preamp. Check out my video series here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eos-5d-mk-ii-hd/248970-5d-mark-ii-audio-exposed-series-complete.html

Enjoy!

I use the ZoomH2 and ZoomH1 with built in mics a lot. usually get it in 4-5 feet from talent, it's mounted on a stand and placed in close just out of the camera frame. I'll also have a Rode SVM plugged into the camera to get a good clean reference track for sync that in an emergency could also be used in the project of something goes wrong with the Zoom recording ( sound guy forgets whether it's recording or on standby).

I've found if I get the unit in close enough the fact that I'm recording stereo doesn't detract.

Thanks, you guys are really helpful. Nice reviews Jon!

Man, all this equipment can be so expensive, even if you buy the cheapest stuff. I guess I'll have to buy one thing at a time.

You'll really need an investment in several mics and then practice using them a lot. I'd suggest as a starter, a wireless lav with a mic plug in transmitter. A shotgun mic that also uses a battery for phantom. You can use that with the wireless transmitter. A decent hand held (again for the mic plug in transmitter). If you are recording music, two large diaphragm mics (matching) and a Zoom recorder. One good mic stand, will also help. I'd say this is the absolute minimum you will need if you are taking money from people for your video work.

Magic Lantern helps a lot with the audio but know when to use a real video camera with pro audio when needed.

Thanks Keith, but I'm afraid I can't afford several mics lol. That's the reason why I'm looking for a cheap shotgun mic. But I'm not selling services though. It's just filmmaking for fun and for the love of making films, nobody's paying me.

Given the choice of just one mic go with a wireless and magic lantern.

check this: out Ryan's T2i Tips and Reviews - Onboard Mic vs. ATR-3350 Lav vs Rode VideoMic on Vimeo

Thanks Keith! This mic is really not expensive. Do you think it would do the job even for narratives? It seems unconventional to use lavalier mics for short movies, but who cares if the audio quality is good?

Edit: If the answer's yes, can you plug more than one of these mics into the camera using some kind of adaptor?

I have not tried it yet but I think you can use a Y adapter -- Mono/mono to stereo and get two channels into the T2i/60D. You'll have two discreet channels and you can mix while editing. You can also buy an inexpensive wired lav mic for about $25.

Yeah the one in the video is wired I think. But my question is can you plug more than one of these mics (wired) into the camera? If you're shooting a short movie you'll have more than one talent in front of the camera. So can you have like 2 ou 3 actors in front of the camera each using a wired (or non wired) lav mic? I guess there are some kind of adaptors that lets you plug more than one mic on the cam.

You want cheap? Here's the mic I use - good sound, just don't drop it too many times:
Review: HTDZ Condenser Boom Microphone (http://www.crowboy.com/evilgenius/forum/index.php?topic=12055.0)

or goto ebay and type in "14.37'' microphone; you'll find more than one seller with one. The actual cost of the mic was only $14, but shipping from Hong Kong cost $16, more than the mic itself.

Whoa that's really cheap! Thanks John. I'll check out some videos to see how it sounds when I get back home. I don't have access to vimeo/youtube at work.


Edit: Going trough all the forums, everybody has their own opinion on the subject. Some will recommend a certain mic, others will dismiss it unless you use it with another piece of equipement, then others will recommend another mic, some will dismiss it for other reasons etc. As a sound noob you really don't know where to put your money at, especially on a tight budget. That little 25$ lavalier mic seems to give good results from what I've seen on vimeo. I'll check out the HTDZ mic when I get home.

Azden SMX-10 Stereo Microphone SMX-10 B&H Photo Video

this gets the job done for me

This is a bit dated, but still provides lots of good info. Three cheers to Dan Brockett!

Low Cost Shotgun Microphone Comparison (http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/review_shotgun_mics.html)

I'll second what John Vincent recently posted about the 14.37" microphone.
I bought one and have used it extensively. Mostly I have used it with an XLR cable
Plugged from the mic and into my Panasonic HPX170.
It doesn't come with an XLR to XLR cable. It comes with an XLR to 1/4 cable.
The mic is powered by a AA battery and has a standard balanced XLR plugin
Like any other pro mic. It has an OFF/LO/HI switch.

I used it today for a shoot with the T2i for the first time. I used the cable it came
With along the 1/4 to 3.5mm adapter that came with the kit. I had Magic Lantern
Running on the camera. The mic worked fine plugged directly into the camera.

I also switched over to using my Sennheiser wireless lav into the shotgun cable and
Adapter plugged right into the camera. It also worked fine.

The footage is being used in an internal Capitol/EMI promotional video. We'll see
What these guys say about it.
(Pardon the weird large caps usage in this response, my phone does this)

I've been using that HDTZ microphone and it works quite well. I'd probably only use it as a backup track if I used it on anything narratived based though.

My suggestion with the type of projects and budget you have is to install the free Magic Lantern firmware which will give you control over AGC and manual gain to mic input. It will also allow you to monitor the audio on headphones through the mini USB port. This is what I do and it works good for me. Then, all you need to do is add a self-powered shotgun microphone to the mix, since the camera will not provide phantom. To complete the connection, get a 25' or so XLR to mini adapter cable. As long as the run is short and the cable is well shielded, you should get decent sound. Here are a couple mics to consider. One is really inexpensive and the other is in the range of the Videomic.

Nady SGM-12 Shotgun Electret Condenser Microphone SGM-12 B&H

Fostex MC32 Switchable Pattern Condenser Microphone MC 32 B&H

Where did you get the headphone to usb adapter?

Keith,

You have to use the mini USB breakout cable that comes with the camera. The one that breaks out to 3 RCA plugs. Then, get a stereo RCA to female mini adapter. Like this:

For only $0.22 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 3.5mm Stereo Jack to 2 RCA Jack Splitter Adaptor - Gold Plated | 3.5mm <--> RCA Adapters (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10429&cs_id=1042902&p_id=7190&seq=1&format=2)