• Audio

  Looking to upgrade shotgun mic – Sanken CS-1?

  Posted by Joshneal on May 9, 2006 at 2:23 pm

  Im looking to upgrade my Sennheiser ME66/K6 shotgun mic to a higer end mic in the $800 range. Ive been considering the Sanken CS-1. This mic will be used for location sound recording for short and feature films. Ive spoken to a few people that have said the Sanken CS-1 has an excellent sound, but im concerned about it being so short. It seems to be popular for camera mounting because of its size, but this also means that the supercardiod pattern will be shorter than a longer shotgun. Im trying to find out if this mic will be effective for a feature Im about to begin. Is this an effective mic for wider shots where it has to be further from the actors? Is this a good mic for outdoor scenes? Are there any other mics in this price range that would suit my needs better?

  Ty Ford replied 20 years, 2 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  Ty Ford

  May 11, 2006 at 11:06 am

  but this also means that the supercardiod pattern will be shorter than a longer shotgun.

  ** Yes. At higher frequencies. Mids and lows are usually much more omni in a shotgun. Who knew!?

  Im trying to find out if this mic will be effective for a feature Im about to begin. Is this an effective mic for wider shots where it has to be further from the actors?

  **Probably not a big difference from what you already have. Shotguns, and hypers are best used right on the edge of frame. DON’T assume you can get good results from anything more than a few feet. Past that, the distance makes the difference among shotguns a moot point. You might get better results IF…..IF you were on a sound stage that was designed to be acoustically controlled and everyone and everything got really quiet when QUIET ON THE SET was called.

  Is this a good mic for outdoor scenes?

  **Shotguns generally are better outside than in, unless the outside area is reflective. Then you want a hypercardioid.

  Are there any other mics in this price range that would suit my needs better?

  Your needs would appear to suggest you need more than one mic; a shotgun and a hypercardioid and some wirelss lavs.

  Regards,

  Ty Ford

  Ty Ford’s “Audio Bootcamp Field Guide” was written for video people who want better audio. Find out more at https://www.tyford.com

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