Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 3
Need sound advice(pun intended)
Hey guys and gals!!

I'm new to this board, just want to say hello! I've been reading and reading for months now, and decided it was time. The wealth of information is a reflection of the people in the industry. Good Stuff

Anyways here;s my question. Now I have read and read and searched this site and can't find a solid answer!

I am my own business, I own a Z1U and have 2 sony C1 wireless Mics, and I have a Final cut editing suite.

Now I am in the market for buying more things to complete my business.
One thing I know I need is a shotgun mic!. I plan to do anything and everything, I don't want to turn down any project, mostly I will be doing weddings, coporate type videos and different peices for the internet clientelle. and perhaps making my own tourism dvds

Now I have the 2 c1 mics, they're great. Already used them and have no probs,

But the onboard mic on the Z1 sucks! and I want to get a different mic, so I can use it to catch better audio, Now for interviews and such things like that I will be using my wireless mics, but if Im doing streeters and things like that (interviewing random ppl) I also shoot and edit 1 minute news type peices for another company for companys ( i hope that makes sense)
and if im capturing random events in the city I want a mic that will capture that sound the best as if you were there type of thing.

Now ive done my research, the me66 or the me64? everyone has theier own opinion.,. is sennheiser the best? i plan to spend close to a 1000 bucks whhich would also give me a stand, wind diffuser thing, clips and different cables, but are these mics the one i want? most of the stuff on this site is just related to what mic to get period. But i want a good mic that will go with my camera! the Z1U

From what i read, people telling people what mic is good but not from experience just from what they have read, but its never this is the mic i use it works good get it! no solid answers

I want the mic to fit my camera (1 of my probs with the me66.. from the pics it looks very long. what is a good mic to always have on the Z1U? to be able to move around with it from location to location with ease and such.

any help will be much apprieciated. I don;t mind spending money I don't want to get crazy but quality is very important to me

Kevin,
if you're in Alberta, I'm doing a half-day audio seminar in Edmonton this Saturday. You're welcome to join in as my guest, since you're a member of DVInfo.net.
Welcome to the forums, BTW.

This has been said some thousands of times before, but let me re-emphasize that the placement of the mic makes more difference than the mic itself. As a gross generality, you want to be within 2 feet of the speaker's mouth to get good dialog. If you can get the camera there, great, but most of the time, you will sacrifice audio quality with a camera mounted microphone.

One of the great advantages of the K6 series microphones (ME64,66,67) is that they are very "hot" microphones. That is, they put out a lot of signal for a given input. This makes them valuable for running directly to the camera since you can run with less gain on the camera's audio circuits. I have used the ME66 direct to the Z1 with excellent results. Just be aware that there is nothing magic about shotgun mics, so they will not get great results 20 feet away from the speaker.

BTW, Jay Rose has an excellent book out about getting great audio for digital video. I would highly recommend it.

thanks guys for the replies!!!

Doug... I would love to attain but Im an east coaster out in Nova Scotia, Thanks for the invite, I wish I could take you up on the offer!! I'm sure it would be a valuble experience

and to ralph, thanks for the info... I know every situation will be different, If i have an interview it will either be by my wirless mics or if I have an extra person then can be an boom pole holder type guy I''ll get him right in there for me.

but when i have it on the camera it will be more so used for ambiant things like as if i went to the beach to grab some shots. the on board mic on the Z1 isn't very good, so thats when I would want a better mic. Am i wrong to think this way regarded shotgun mics?

Im sure you know once you plug in a mic to 1 audio channel on the Z1 the on board mic shuts off. now lets say im doing a wedding, my groom will be mic-ed... ill be lets say 20 feet away.. my way of thinking is that I would want another mic placed so i can get the sound of the event if you know what i mean.

ALSO, lets say i get contracted to do a documentry or something and I can have a boom pole guy to help I want the mic to be good enough to use in that situation. I guess Im looking for an all around solid mic I can use in different situations. but will NOT really be used for interviews cause i already have that covered.

Im new to all this, so if anything i said sounds stupid please correct my way of thinking, thats why i'm here

A nice small unobtrusive mic that you might want to take a look at is the Audio Technica AT4053 hypercardioid. It works rather well as an onboard mic. It sounds great and is about the size of a fat cigar.

I've been to your site and really really respect what you do, I've done nothing today but read read and read some more and I feel as I'm just as confused as ever!

I guess there is no mic out there that does it all. indoors outdoors different locals....

So here is a list of what I want from a mic

1) back up to my lavs

2) capture ambiant sounds as if I am outside at an event or even indoors at a said event

3) use for streeter interviews, where i have to talk to random people about a company (i follow around 2 people as they expereince something and they talk about it)... I would probably be by myself.

4)just have as an onboard mic on the Z1U. I hate the internal mic. IT sucks

thanks for anything guy

Hey Douglas,

When and where is your audio seminar in Edmonton? I would be interested in attending the seminar. I live about twenty minutes south east of Edmonton.

Let me know!


Lance

Lance,
High Definition seminar is tomorrow, from 6-9, (Stanley Miller Library) Edmonton Room.

Audio is Sat morning, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. same place.
Friday is for jumping out of airplanes. I'm doing a class on skydiving vid techniques in Westlock. That one...I can't get you into for free. But the other two, consider yourself my guest.

Cool..I'd still say the AT4053 would fit your needs nicely! Too bad this mic arrived after our shotgun tests were recorded, I would have liked to have demonstrated how it sounds versus some of the more popular mics.

When shooting events, I find a long shotgun to be a little much and can make folks nervous so I'm pretty keen on this small mic right now. Another one that is a shotgun and about the same size is the CS-50 from Edirol. It is also under $500.
http://www.edirol.com/products/cs50/cs50.html

Shoot me an email if you'd like to audition any mic we sell.

Right now the mic RODE NTG-2 shotgun with K-TEK windscreen for outdoors and the AT4053 or Oktava MK012 for indoors are my picks for under $500.

Also see http://www.dvcreators.net/dvcreator-location-sound-package-1/