I've been very happy with my Canon XHA1 setups during wedding speeches.

I get close to the speaker, and capture channel 1 with my Rode NTG-2, and I capture channel 2 with a sennheiser wireless system (off the board, or lav the microphone depending on the setup).

Here's the issue.

Once the music starts (and it's usually very load), the Rode simply falls apart. The distortion coming off the mic is unusable. Attenuation does not help. It's still distorting, but at a lower volume.
I'm forced to leave my XLR board, and use the video camera's "on board" mic.

Question:
Is there something wrong with my mic, or should this be expected.
If that's the case, could anybody recommend a simliar sized microphone that won't distort in a louder environment, but still hold it's own during speeches?

Thanks.

My experience with the Rode is that it overloads badly at high sound pressure levels. I once recommended this mike to someone faced with the same problem as you, and he indicated that it worked well, and the price is reasonable:

AKG Perception 170 AKG Perception 170 - Small Diaphragm Cardioid 3101 H 00070 B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=558998&Q=&is=REG&A=details)

It handles to 155 db and has a switchable attenuator on the mike.

Another option is the Senheiser e614, for somehwat more money, but it handles a similar sound level as the AKG.

Sennheiser E614 - Super-Cardioid Microphone E614 B&H Photo Video

Hope this helps....

The AKG is just what the doctor ordered...

Thank you very much....

For even less money, a venerable Shure SM57 or 58 could do the job too, for close mic'd applications. The 58 can double as a hammer too.