Best on-board mic for the DVX at DVinfo.net

Jim Sofranko · April 16th, 2005, 12:55 PM

I would have posted this in the sound forum BUT it has to do with the physical charactersitics of mounting a mic on the DV.

I just received my new DVX100A from B&H yesterday. Now that I have a charged battery I am playing around with it.

I've shot a lot with the Canon XL system and have some accessories which I am trying to make work on the DVX. I have an AT835B shotgun with a Rycote softie but it is way too into the pic if I mount it with the provided mic holder. I tried to see if I coud get my Lightwave mic holder to adapt to the DVX but with no luck.

Any suggestions on how to either mount the mic further back or a shorter mic that works well on the DVX camera?

Many thanks in advance.

George Su · April 18th, 2005, 10:04 PM

i bought the shotgun mic that panasonic sells as an accessory to the camera, and it's worked out just fine for me.

on interviews where i'm no more than 4-5 feet away from the subject, it sounds fine. not great, but fine. and for $150, it's a great improvement to the on-board mic.

Dean Harrington · April 21st, 2005, 05:03 PM

I've found the panasonic mic that comes with the cam to be totally useless! I'd get a better mic - even an AT 897 would do the trick.

Jim Sofranko · April 21st, 2005, 05:17 PM

What would be the best short shotgun regardless of price?

I actually found a way to use my AT 835b shotgun with a Lightwave shock mount (for the Canon XL) onto the Panasonic shock mount on-board the DVX 100A, The offset of the two mounts enables the mic to travel on board just out of sight by mounting it further back.

Dean Harrington · April 21st, 2005, 07:42 PM

That's a good one too!

Peter Jefferson · April 22nd, 2005, 09:43 AM

Rhode NTG1 and a Senny ME64 are good with it..

one thign abotuthe Senny though, is that it has teh tendency to give u a too hot a signal.. be careful not to overdrive the capsule.. no amount of ALC will salvage a lost shot..

Milt Lee · April 24th, 2005, 11:42 AM

I've been using the Sennheiser MKH60 for about a year (with the DVX100A) and I have come to the conclusion that while I LOVE - absolutely love the MKH 50, I really don't like the MKH60. I'm a little slow, I'll admit, but I kept thinking it was the settings I was using, but last week I did a shoot where the 60 was the mic on the interviewee, and the 50 was on the interviewer, and I just keep wishing that I had switched. There is a "covered sound" that comes from the 60 that I really don't like. Maybe I have it too close, maybe I don't understand what is the right way to use it, but I have to tell you, I've recorded all over the world with the 50 and I've never had those problems - ever.

So why did I get the 60? Well, I wanted a mic that I could use on camera for "run and gun" docs, which is what I do most of the time. I wanted a longer throw than I got with the 50, but frankly I can always make the 50 work anyway. I looked at the schoeps and I think I will try it - a friend of mine from New Mexico said he loved it and was going to see if he could sell the 60.

Anybody else had this experience?

thanks,
Milt

April 16th, 2005, 12:55 PM	#1
Jim Sofranko Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: West Shokan, NY Posts: 217	Best on-board mic for the DVX I would have posted this in the sound forum BUT it has to do with the physical charactersitics of mounting a mic on the DV. I just received my new DVX100A from B&H yesterday. Now that I have a charged battery I am playing around with it. I've shot a lot with the Canon XL system and have some accessories which I am trying to make work on the DVX. I have an AT835B shotgun with a Rycote softie but it is way too into the pic if I mount it with the provided mic holder. I tried to see if I coud get my Lightwave mic holder to adapt to the DVX but with no luck. Any suggestions on how to either mount the mic further back or a shorter mic that works well on the DVX camera? Many thanks in advance.

April 21st, 2005, 05:03 PM	#3
Dean Harrington Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 898	panasonic mic..... I've found the panasonic mic that comes with the cam to be totally useless! I'd get a better mic - even an AT 897 would do the trick.

April 21st, 2005, 07:42 PM	#5
Dean Harrington Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 898	AT 835b..... That's a good one too!

April 24th, 2005, 11:42 AM	#7
Milt Lee Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cass Lake MN Posts: 221	I've been using the Sennheiser MKH60 for about a year (with the DVX100A) and I have come to the conclusion that while I LOVE - absolutely love the MKH 50, I really don't like the MKH60. I'm a little slow, I'll admit, but I kept thinking it was the settings I was using, but last week I did a shoot where the 60 was the mic on the interviewee, and the 50 was on the interviewer, and I just keep wishing that I had switched. There is a "covered sound" that comes from the 60 that I really don't like. Maybe I have it too close, maybe I don't understand what is the right way to use it, but I have to tell you, I've recorded all over the world with the 50 and I've never had those problems - ever. So why did I get the 60? Well, I wanted a mic that I could use on camera for "run and gun" docs, which is what I do most of the time. I wanted a longer throw than I got with the 50, but frankly I can always make the 50 work anyway. I looked at the schoeps and I think I will try it - a friend of mine from New Mexico said he loved it and was going to see if he could sell the 60. Anybody else had this experience? thanks, Milt __________________ Professional website - http://manykites.com Personal - http://mrdogsblog.com

April 18th, 2005, 10:04 PM	#2
George Su Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: BROOKLYN NY Posts: 35	i bought the shotgun mic that panasonic sells as an accessory to the camera, and it's worked out just fine for me. on interviews where i'm no more than 4-5 feet away from the subject, it sounds fine. not great, but fine. and for $150, it's a great improvement to the on-board mic.

April 21st, 2005, 05:17 PM	#4
Jim Sofranko Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: West Shokan, NY Posts: 217	What would be the best short shotgun regardless of price? I actually found a way to use my AT 835b shotgun with a Lightwave shock mount (for the Canon XL) onto the Panasonic shock mount on-board the DVX 100A, The offset of the two mounts enables the mic to travel on board just out of sight by mounting it further back.

April 22nd, 2005, 09:43 AM	#6
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	Rhode NTG1 and a Senny ME64 are good with it.. one thign abotuthe Senny though, is that it has teh tendency to give u a too hot a signal.. be careful not to overdrive the capsule.. no amount of ALC will salvage a lost shot..