Hi all,
I'm just getting started in the world of videography and I'm taking classes at college but I want to move past them. I want to keep stepping up my video game and keep getting more and more professional.
Now, I bought the Zoom H1 and used it for audio in one short I did and it worked fine for what it was. But I'm thinking in the future I will want to use a boom pole to get the mic closer to my subjects rather than having it shoehorned onto my camera. So my question is what should I get in order for that to happen? I know I'll need a boom pole for sure. But what I don't know (and can't seem to find a straight answer for anywhere online) is whether I can just attach my Zoom to the end of the boom and use it that way or if I need say, a shotgun mic, for the end to actually pick up the audio and then a cable to attach it to my Zoom.
Any help would be greatly appreciated because I am so lost right now aimlessly googling around and stalking these forums to try to find answers to all of my questions.
Getting the mic close to the actors is essential. No matter how good the mic,
when the actors are far away from it, the mic will pick up a lot of ambient noise.
I've seen rigs where people attach the Zoom to the end of a pole - some very
elaborate, some as simple as using tape. The best way is to get a shotgun mic
and attach that to the boom - there are already many devises on the market
so they are relatively inexpensive.
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
Ok, so getting a shotgun mic and attaching it to the Zoom seems feasible. Any recommendations on which type of mic to get?
?URL? http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/?/URL?
Sennheiser is the mic most used by professional sound recordists.
They are expensive and worth it. Check out the ME-66 and the ME-
67. The MKH60 is the best if you can afford it.
?url? http://www.audio-technica.com/?/url?
Audio-Technica is cheaper. Check out the AT8035. It?s a workable
mic, a little muddy and not as directional as it should be. The
AT835ST is a good mic for the price, but it, too, sounds a bit
muddy - the vocals don?t sound crisp enough for me.
?url? http://www.rodemic.com/microphones.php?/url?
Rode mics are quite good. Check the NTG (shotgun) series.
?url? http://www.azdencorp.com/?/url?
I?ve never used Azden mic?s. They?re inexpensive and I don?t hear
too many good things about them, but if that's all you can afford
it's MUCH better than using the camera mic.
A good mic is an investment. It will last longer than your camera
- why skimp?
=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
Ok, I'm looking at this
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/481528-REG/Rode_NTG_2_Condenser_Shotgun_Microphone.html
The Rode NTG 2 Kit which seems to have good reviews all around.
Now I need to decide on a boom pole to go with.
Which would you recommend? This one seems good but it doesn't have an XLR cable inside which I know means I'd have to wrap the cable around the pole and that could lead to extraneous noise.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OE2G54/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Or there's this which seems really nice but it's rather pricey for a pole and I'm iffy on spending $80 more just for a cable to be already in the pole.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00306MX6K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&smid=A17MC6HOH9AVE6
Any thoughts or other poles you'd recommend? And by the way thank you for getting back to me so quickly!
There are always compromises aren't there? A better boom pole is
more expensive, a cheaper one may have some performance issues.
I started with a broom stick, a wire coat hanger and some rubber
bands. The person using the pole will be more important then the
pole itself. So you need to compromise. Maybe pay less now and
work a little harder to get good audio - or spend a little more for
better results.
=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
Hmm ok, thanks for the input. I'll probably go the more expensive route because even if it's a lot now it should last long enough to be worth the money.
I know this is an old topic..but it's interesting that no one mentioned the need for:
a) a shock mount to prevent handling noise. Having a pole and a mic is one thing, but it's a good idea to have the mic in a shockmount suspension of some sort.
b) if it's used outdoors, then it needs not only a shockmount but also some type of wind protction. Products such as a blimp or zeppelin with a fluffy windjammer (deadcat)provide both these things....but
c) if it's an inddor shoot a shotgun mic may not be the best option. In that case a super-cardioid or hyper-cardioid mic may be a better option.
Just thought I'd add these points incase someone reads this thread in future looking for answers to a similar question.
Royalty Free Music and Sound Effects
Tony Koretz
http://rocksuresoundz.com
Royalty Free Music and Sound Effects
Tony Koretz
http://rocksuresoundz.com
Microphone choice is always important to get the best sound and least background noise, I was just thinking what headphones are you monitoring with? Again the right headphone is really important, I use a closed back design to minimise external noise so that I can hear the pure feed from the mixing desk, I can recommend B&W P5's http://www.hifigear.co.uk/bowers-wilkins-p5-series-2-headphones.html as they have high quality drivers with a closed back design giving a very natural reproduction.
