Mic for FX1000 at DVinfo.net

Lukas Siewior · April 27th, 2010, 06:42 PM

I have FX1000 for a year now and ever since I bought it I'm trying to find a proper/good mic for it. I used to have VX2100 and I loved the way it "sounds". Very natural with deep sound - hard to explain though. The FX1000 is very shallow and thin. Which mic would you suggest? I'm doing weddings most of the time - if that helps. Thanks.

Dale Guthormsen · April 28th, 2010, 11:17 AM

If you are going economical, the best deal for decent sound is a rode video mic Shotgun or stereo (tad more money for this one,
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/363083-REG/Rode_VIDEOMIC_VideoMic_Camera_Mounted.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/450170-REG/Rode_STEREO_VIDEOMIC_Stereo_VideoMic_Camera.html
Next up the line would be an AT 897 shotgun mic.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/481529-REG/Audio_Technica__AT897_Shotgun_Microphone.html
After this spend on the best, eg shure, Neuman, etc.

I still use my rode video mic. my others are all xlr, but you can buy an xlr to mini 3.5 plug cord.

Dale guthormsen

Guy Cochran · May 7th, 2010, 10:48 AM

Lukas,

A wireless lavalier would be the best for weddings, then for on-camera, Dale has some solid recommendations. It depends on what other types of projects that you're working on. I like the Audio Technica 4053 hypercardioid for indoors, RODE NTG-2 shotgun in a blimp for outdoors, and a Sennheiser wireless lav for most all dialogue where a boom is not appropriate or outta the budget. It may seem like a lot, but remember audio is 50% of your production.

Lukas Siewior · May 7th, 2010, 11:02 PM

Thx guys,

I have wireless lav mic already and Rode's shotgun. I just don't like the sound the Rode produces - very shallow - no depth. I'm looking for a nice, soft mic for church/reception, more for ambient sounds. I got recently Zoom recorder - but still have to test it out in real environment.

Jeff Harper · May 9th, 2010, 04:41 PM

FWIW, can't argue with your opinion Luke, but I found the FX1000 to have the best onboard audio I've heard...I've had VX2100s, 2000s, PD150s, and none came close to the FX1000, but that is just my opinion.

Mark Goodsell · May 18th, 2010, 12:01 PM

While I agree that the included on-cam mic is 'pretty good' I think you'll find that most serious videographers rarely use it as the sole audio capture source except in a few rare instances. Generally, significantly better audio can be captured with specialized audio tools properly suited to the specific job at hand.

If an on-cam mic is what you seek, I would suggest also adding to the list other have provided, the Sennheiser ME64 with a K6 powering module. It's about a $450 combo. Actually, a buddy of mine who is an independent producer suggested the combo to me as a mic to consider, that was in my budget range. It was more $$ than I wanted to spend at the time but I have very pleased with it's audio. IMO, it is way better than the included on-board mic was for my VX2000 and even noticably better than the included mic that came with my Z5 (and most feel the suppiled ext. mic is pretty good). Of course, it's mono, just like most mics, but that's not a bad thing. With your cam, you'll need to find a mic that has a powering capsule of some sort or go with a beachtek or some external source to provide phantom power.

To me, the ME64 has great punch and crisp highs as well as good bass ...depending on where the bass roll-off is set. Other things I like about it is, for one, it sounds nice to my ears, and it's shorter than most ...and cardioid. I was using another Sennheiser ME66 that sounded nice but was too long for a practical on-cam mic for a VX2000/FX1000 sized cam IMO to effectively be used on the go, AND, probably most importantly, I wanted a little more off-axis audio than I was getting with the ME66. So, with the ME64 I gave up a little distance but gained more off-axis audio (by no means is it omni-directional). I put mine in an on-camera blimp w/furry to eliminate wind noise.

I'm sure there are better mics. There is a wide range of microphones and the sky is the limit on mic pricing so it seems. Full Compass has one of the largest selections of mics that I know of. If you get their catalog you can just page through till you find the 'best' one for your needs. The won't be very long if you are looking for a mic with power. If you go with a Beachtek that opens up the door to a lot more mics but then you have an extra piece of hardware hanging on the bottom of your cam. Good luck.

Peik Henrichson · May 24th, 2010, 12:23 PM

When I´m interviewing a talent I usually have a Sennheiser MKE-40 attached to the FX1000 via a wireless system. I have tried many lavalier mics, but I think this has the best sound in its price range.
And when shooting somebody moving outdoors, I usually attach the MKE-40 to a Marantz 620 which I put on the talent, if possible, and put a Rode NTG-2 on the camera. That way I have the ability to catch audio from other people too, and then sync the audio later in post.
The Marantz 620 has been very handy in varoius unscripted situations. It´s light and small as a pack of cigarettes.

Mark Goodsell · May 24th, 2010, 09:42 PM

Did you mean the MKE 400?
I have that mic for my little Canon HV30. It's a great little mic for a small cam like the Canon, especially given its tiny size. However, listening to that mic side by side with the ME 64, which is a lot more expensive mic, the highs are not as crisp ..and the specs bear that out. But for a small mic (and it REALLY is small), and given it's cost with an included shock mount it's great, particularly for really small cams. I personally would go a tad more high end on a larger cam.

Peik Henrichson · May 25th, 2010, 03:19 PM

This is the mic I was refering to:

http://www.proaudioshop.nl/upload/pdf/MIC-L-039.pdf

At least in Europe it´s called MKE 40. It is a little bit heavy for a lavalier, but the magnetic plate helps if it otherwise would drag down or wrinkle the blouse or waist of your talent. You can hang the magnetic plate around the talent´s neck, so it wont be ugly on the clothes.
Very good sound for interviews, but not the most visually discreet lavalier.

Mark Goodsell · May 25th, 2010, 07:02 PM

That's a different mic than the MKE 400 I was was referring to:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/534023-REG/Sennheiser_MKE_400_MKE_400_Compact_Video.html
I agree that a good Lav mic is very handy to have. Thanks for sharing.

April 27th, 2010, 06:42 PM	#1
Lukas Siewior Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lyndhurst, NJ, USA Posts: 408	Mic for FX1000 I have FX1000 for a year now and ever since I bought it I'm trying to find a proper/good mic for it. I used to have VX2100 and I loved the way it "sounds". Very natural with deep sound - hard to explain though. The FX1000 is very shallow and thin. Which mic would you suggest? I'm doing weddings most of the time - if that helps. Thanks.

April 28th, 2010, 11:17 AM	#2
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	If you are going economical, the best deal for decent sound is a rode video mic Shotgun or stereo (tad more money for this one, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/363083-REG/Rode_VIDEOMIC_VideoMic_Camera_Mounted.html http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/450170-REG/Rode_STEREO_VIDEOMIC_Stereo_VideoMic_Camera.html Next up the line would be an AT 897 shotgun mic. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/481529-REG/Audio_Technica__AT897_Shotgun_Microphone.html After this spend on the best, eg shure, Neuman, etc. I still use my rode video mic. my others are all xlr, but you can buy an xlr to mini 3.5 plug cord. Dale guthormsen __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

May 7th, 2010, 10:48 AM	#3
Guy Cochran DVCreators.Net Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 892	Lukas, A wireless lavalier would be the best for weddings, then for on-camera, Dale has some solid recommendations. It depends on what other types of projects that you're working on. I like the Audio Technica 4053 hypercardioid for indoors, RODE NTG-2 shotgun in a blimp for outdoors, and a Sennheiser wireless lav for most all dialogue where a boom is not appropriate or outta the budget. It may seem like a lot, but remember audio is 50% of your production. __________________ Guy Cochran DVinfo Sponsor, Cool Gear - DVeStore!

May 18th, 2010, 12:01 PM	#6
Mark Goodsell Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: WI Posts: 367	While I agree that the included on-cam mic is 'pretty good' I think you'll find that most serious videographers rarely use it as the sole audio capture source except in a few rare instances. Generally, significantly better audio can be captured with specialized audio tools properly suited to the specific job at hand. If an on-cam mic is what you seek, I would suggest also adding to the list other have provided, the Sennheiser ME64 with a K6 powering module. It's about a $450 combo. Actually, a buddy of mine who is an independent producer suggested the combo to me as a mic to consider, that was in my budget range. It was more $$ than I wanted to spend at the time but I have very pleased with it's audio. IMO, it is way better than the included on-board mic was for my VX2000 and even noticably better than the included mic that came with my Z5 (and most feel the suppiled ext. mic is pretty good). Of course, it's mono, just like most mics, but that's not a bad thing. With your cam, you'll need to find a mic that has a powering capsule of some sort or go with a beachtek or some external source to provide phantom power. To me, the ME64 has great punch and crisp highs as well as good bass ...depending on where the bass roll-off is set. Other things I like about it is, for one, it sounds nice to my ears, and it's shorter than most ...and cardioid. I was using another Sennheiser ME66 that sounded nice but was too long for a practical on-cam mic for a VX2000/FX1000 sized cam IMO to effectively be used on the go, AND, probably most importantly, I wanted a little more off-axis audio than I was getting with the ME66. So, with the ME64 I gave up a little distance but gained more off-axis audio (by no means is it omni-directional). I put mine in an on-camera blimp w/furry to eliminate wind noise. I'm sure there are better mics. There is a wide range of microphones and the sky is the limit on mic pricing so it seems. Full Compass has one of the largest selections of mics that I know of. If you get their catalog you can just page through till you find the 'best' one for your needs. The won't be very long if you are looking for a mic with power. If you go with a Beachtek that opens up the door to a lot more mics but then you have an extra piece of hardware hanging on the bottom of your cam. Good luck. __________________ Mark Goodsell

May 24th, 2010, 12:23 PM	#7
Peik Henrichson New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Helsinki Posts: 6	both shotgun and lavalier When I´m interviewing a talent I usually have a Sennheiser MKE-40 attached to the FX1000 via a wireless system. I have tried many lavalier mics, but I think this has the best sound in its price range. And when shooting somebody moving outdoors, I usually attach the MKE-40 to a Marantz 620 which I put on the talent, if possible, and put a Rode NTG-2 on the camera. That way I have the ability to catch audio from other people too, and then sync the audio later in post. The Marantz 620 has been very handy in varoius unscripted situations. It´s light and small as a pack of cigarettes.

May 7th, 2010, 11:02 PM	#4
Lukas Siewior Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lyndhurst, NJ, USA Posts: 408	Thx guys, I have wireless lav mic already and Rode's shotgun. I just don't like the sound the Rode produces - very shallow - no depth. I'm looking for a nice, soft mic for church/reception, more for ambient sounds. I got recently Zoom recorder - but still have to test it out in real environment.

May 9th, 2010, 04:41 PM	#5
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	FWIW, can't argue with your opinion Luke, but I found the FX1000 to have the best onboard audio I've heard...I've had VX2100s, 2000s, PD150s, and none came close to the FX1000, but that is just my opinion.

May 24th, 2010, 09:42 PM	#8
Mark Goodsell Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: WI Posts: 367	Did you mean the MKE 400? I have that mic for my little Canon HV30. It's a great little mic for a small cam like the Canon, especially given its tiny size. However, listening to that mic side by side with the ME 64, which is a lot more expensive mic, the highs are not as crisp ..and the specs bear that out. But for a small mic (and it REALLY is small), and given it's cost with an included shock mount it's great, particularly for really small cams. I personally would go a tad more high end on a larger cam. __________________ Mark Goodsell

May 25th, 2010, 03:19 PM	#9
Peik Henrichson New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Helsinki Posts: 6	Sennheiser MKE 40 This is the mic I was refering to: http://www.proaudioshop.nl/upload/pdf/MIC-L-039.pdf At least in Europe it´s called MKE 40. It is a little bit heavy for a lavalier, but the magnetic plate helps if it otherwise would drag down or wrinkle the blouse or waist of your talent. You can hang the magnetic plate around the talent´s neck, so it wont be ugly on the clothes. Very good sound for interviews, but not the most visually discreet lavalier.

May 25th, 2010, 07:02 PM	#10
Mark Goodsell Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: WI Posts: 367	That's a different mic than the MKE 400 I was was referring to: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/534023-REG/Sennheiser_MKE_400_MKE_400_Compact_Video.html I agree that a good Lav mic is very handy to have. Thanks for sharing. __________________ Mark Goodsell