Microphone suggestions please

hackazoid wrote on 7/13/2005, 2:19 PM
I'm a newbie who shot a charity fashion show for our club. DVD came out OK and gals loved it--had a credit scroll question answered here so thanks again.

I only used my Sony TRV-950 mic so I know the sound could be better with an add-on mic. Did a search and see that Spot likes the Rode VideoMic while others also like the AT897 for an ~$200 budget.

I have 3 questions please:

1. In my case there was music thru the sound system in a large 250 person room. Do these shotgun style mics do a good job of picking up that type of sound since I'm following the models?

2. I had shot some footage of practices where there were people speaking so presume the shotgun mic would be a noticeable improvement.

3. I also included some casual interviews--are there suggestions for a wireless lapel mic in the $150 range? e.g.--I see a Nady VR351 on eBay for $120 but don't know about it.

Thanks for the help---love this forum.

regards, Hack

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 7/13/2005, 5:21 PM
Hack, it's ALLLL about distance. If you have a 5.00 mic 5 inches away from the subject/model, it will sound much, much better than a 5000.00 mic 50 feet from the subject, model.
If you are interested in getting the music from the fashion show in the mix, you'll do much better if you get an audio feed from the house mix, or find a way to get the audio directly to the camera or an external machine. Getting the mic close is first priority, keeping the mic frommoving is next priority, and getting a good mic is the next priority.

The Rode is a great mic in it's class, and then you move up in incremental steps. The 897 is a great mic in it's class....for loud environment indoor use, I'd probably go with the Rode, because the AT is a "real" shotgun, and loud reflections in a big room would most likely give you worse audio, not better, if you're using a shotgun.
farss wrote on 7/13/2005, 5:29 PM
1. Your best bet is to lay in the original music if you can get it. Not wanting to start anything (again!) but doing that is as illegal as is recording the music through the camera's mics but if you're going to break the law you might as well do a good job of it.
Failing that another option is to get a feed from the sound desk and record that into some device, you'll neeed to use some form of digital device so you've got a chance of holding sync.

2. See 1. assuming they're using the PA system or failing that yes the Rode Videomic would help assuming it's a large room.

3. Watch out for cheap radio mics but I'm in Australia and a lot of the VHF channels that the cheaper ones used are now allocated to other services and there'd be nothing worse than getting a two truck operator coming through you audio. Things maybe different where you are. For interviews a hand held mic would seem a better idea anyway.

Bob.
musman wrote on 7/13/2005, 10:17 PM
A little OT, but I say buy Spot's "How Hear This" dvd. Very good primer and it has specific mic recomendations for specific jobs. Call the Vasst people. They're always very nice and might even throw a discount your way.
craftech wrote on 7/14/2005, 8:04 AM
Get an AT-822 and hand it to the person you are interviewing after showing them how to hold it or mount it on a desk stand.

If you can bring an assistant use the same mike on a jury rigged boom pole (a paint roller extension will do) and have them hold it above the interviewee's head just above camera range.

I am assuming you are hand holding the camera.

For an event, place the AT-822 closer and run XLR cable back to the camera. Use the supplied adapter. For that setup you have to mount the camera on a tripod.

Mike sounds great and costs $250. Uses a single AA battery.

John
hackazoid wrote on 7/14/2005, 9:05 AM
Thanks for the suggestions--I'm looking at them. These are fun, freebie, volunteer recordings so non-ultimate quality is OK but I would like to take it up a notch or two from the built-in mic.

For the fashion show, the crowd reaction and comments are great in addition to the sound system music--captures the energy of the event. Thus, is a general mic like this Sony ECM-S9390C any better than the Rode? Presume it is much better than the built-in??

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/+INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=ECMS930C&Dept=cameras&CategoryName=acc_DIAccessories_DICamcorderMicrophones

Thanks again.
GlennChan wrote on 7/14/2005, 3:09 PM
I used that ECM MS930C and it is a total lemon. The on-board mics on a TRV110 digital8 are better (that camera had pretty good on-board sound though).

Try the Sony 907/908 instead. It sounds good, and it's a M/S stereo design. One is the camcorder version with an ok mic clip.
I would also consider something like the Rode Videomic though. It comes with a shockmount that reduce camera noise on your mic. Moving the mic away from the camera body helps, and it should stop vibrations made by the camera.
mbryant wrote on 7/18/2005, 4:04 AM
I had a similar need, and recently got a Rode Videomic, and was very happy with the results.

The last couple of years I have shot and edited a primary school production (kids age 8-11). Kids mainly singing (backed by music through a PA system), some non-musical bits with the kids acting. Video quality was OK, but with the camcorder mic only, audio not so good, i.e. couldn't clearly hear the kids, especially the more quiet acting parts.

This year used the Videomic, and MUCH better. There was 80 kids in the production, and something like 120-150 in the audience. I was maybe 30 feet from the stage. But even there, the kids voices came through loud and clear. I know it would have been even better if I could have the mic closer, or had a direct feed from a stage mic they were using... but bottom line is for an amateur production such as this, the Videomic was a big improvement on the built in mic.

Mark