www.audiolines.com

Teeneager? Great ! You wanna do this for a while in your life?
Keep in mind some mics are "expenses" while others are "investments". The later being more expensive, of course.
Trew Audio is a great place where lots of pros go for shopping and they've got mics for all kind of budgets.Their service is great too, at least here in Canada...
Check out their "Digital Video Audio" section, where you can find pretty good mics for fairly good prices, mics you'll use for years.
Just stay away from these "cheap brands" you will find in shopping centers or Marts next to the DVD racks; you'll trow away these mics as soon as you get into more serious work. If it's just for one film, it may seem ok but for working on a longer period it becomes, well, an "expense" instead of an "investment"... ; )

When you spot a model you'd be curious to know a little more about, come here on the forum with the model number and the brand and you should get some comments about it.
And the way you plan on using it (interviews, live stock shot, hand held by the talking head, hidden somewhere on the set, etc...)

Zzounds, MusiciansFriend, and SamAsh and all reputable audio dealers with competitive prices. B&H Photo is also a great place for both video and audio. I probably buy more gear from B&H than anywhere else.

As FuTz said, check back here if you need buying advice. There are lots of knowledgeable audio people here who can steer you in the right direction.

~jr

I'm not even in the USA but I regularly buy from www.sweetwater.com, excellent service, yes they even RING me to answer emails and I'm on the other side of the Pacific. I've yet to find anyone cheaper, cheap freight and a HUGE range of everything audio.
As for which mic, the new Rode range seems to give the best bang for the buck if you don't have a lot to spend but I'll admit I'm biased, they're made here in Sydney.
Bob.

whats the difference betweena condensor and stereo microphone?

IM thinking of buying the Rode Video Mic, but how does it attach to the boom pole? And would i need some type of extension cable for it?

Cable? Yes. Boom pole has a MALE screw thread and the RVM twists onto it. Easy!

Take a look at the man who developed it

Have fun .. Peter is a great demonstrator!

Grazie

> whats the difference betweena condensor and stereo microphone?

Those are not comparable features. Condenser mics can be stereo or mono and stereo mics can be condenser or dynamic. The differences are:

- Stereo vs mono
- Condenser vs dynamic

Stereo mics have two capsules in the head (usually offset by 90 degees in a Y or X pattern) while mono mics are just one capsule which can be facing forward or sideways (for sideband mics).

Condenser mics use phantom power (i.e., a low 6-48 volt current) to assist in the pickup of sound making them more sensitive while dynamic mics just use sound pressure levels to move a diaphragm that’s connected to a coil over a fixed magnet to pickup sounds (just like a speaker in reverse). This makes them less sensitive to sound (good for use in high sound pressure levels like live on stage).

Since you are using this mic for your optura xi which records sound in stereo, you might want to get a stereo condenser mic but do you really need stereo? A mono condenser is equally as good. I just purchased a Rode VideoMic and the great thing is it’s a condenser mic (so its got good pickup) with its own built-in phantom power (9v batter) and a mini-jack that plugs right into your camcorder. Perfect for small consumer camcorders.

Don’t forget, most pro mics will require XLR inputs which your camera doesn’t have so you will have to use some kind of adapter. If they are condenser mics they may not have built-in phantom power (but some do) so then you need an adapter that can also provide phantom power.

If you are buying a mic to use with your camcorder, you can’t go wrong with the Rode VideoMic for that price range. It has a mount on the bottom so you can use a boom but you will need a longer cable to use a boom pole with it.

~jr

And whatever you do don't try what one less than bright guy that I met did, put a stereo mic on a boom pole!
Unless you really know what you are doing you can endup in an ocean of grief with stereo mics, many stereo mics do not record the same as two mono mics.
Bob.

thank you and I think im going to go with the Rode VideoMic. However, is it compatible with most boom poles or is there a specific one?

You can put it on a pole, you might need an adaptor, just speak to your local Rode dealer, you'll also need an extension cable, again easy enough to come by.
I think you'll find the mic has a small internal thread, boom poles normally use a larger thread size, designed to hold heavier mics, but I think even the average musicians store would have the brass adaptors.
Bob.

Klauwky:
You've chosen the mic, go get it.
The boom pole can be made, It's just so easy , you'll find help to make one here on the forum.
But reading again your very first post one question comes to my mind : do you want to simply fix it on your camcorder (replacing the "standard" mic) or planning to do some kind of "audio close-captured" interviews (or any close shot being made with full zoom framing (then having to get close to the subject by using a mic boom on top fo the subject with the rode screwed at the tip?)
The mic sounds very right (from the critics up to now on this very place)) and the next step is:
The use?

The Rode VideoMic fits nicely onto the end of those $25 BestBuy monopods as someone else mentioned in another thread. Makes a simple inexpensive boompole.

Yeah, I've got a proper boompole, but for the talking head documentary stuff I do, the shortmonopod is actually better so that's what I use. It would be different on a drama style movie where you'd need the length for the wide shots.

I've bought a few things from microphonemadness.com. Their mics work really well with the Sony 1/8" powered inputs on their consumer gear. They also work well with minidisc recorders, my Sony ICD-ST25, or the new Edirol R-1.