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What is a good mic?
I want a good mic for aroun 100-200$
ive been thinking of getting this one(Rode)
https://www.amazon.com/Rode-VideoMic-Directional-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0007U9SOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332222788&sr=8-1for 150 seems pretty legit.
I was also wondering about the zoom H1.I want to know if that microphone works at close range only or If it is possible to have a boom pole and have someone manage where they are recording audio meanwhile I record.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H1-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B003QKBVYK/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1332222919&sr=1-1I have a Canon T3i…If there are any other products out there that are good for audio please recomend me some! I plan on doing Professionalistic short films(action,horror,etc…)and I want to buy a good mic before I do!
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3 Replies
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I have that mic and I can tell you it’s not appropriate for your needs to record actors moving around on a set, it’s more basic than that.
That mic does have a useful purpose however, it is most often used to simply improve the quality of the sound captured directly by your DSLR.
The basic point is that there is no one mic that is going to work in every situation for your films.
Since you are wanting to do narrative films (not interviews or video profiles) I think what you want is a mic that is suitable for use on a boom pole (the one you linked to isn’t really designed for that) – since your budget is limited you might look at the Audio Technica line of mics, maybe something in the shotgun style but definitely with an XLR output. In addition you will need a boom pole, a decent length of XLR microphone cable and some way to monitor your sound as it being recorded.
The Zoom H1 MIGHT work for that….you’d have to buy a XLR to mini-plug adapter in order to plug in the mic cable into your recorder and since it does have a headphone jack the boom operator should be able to monitor the sound just fine with that setup.
Remember that you are going to have to sync your H1 audio to the audio captured by the DSLR and without an external mic attached to that DSLR that audio is going to be pretty bad.
So go ahead and buy the Mic you linked to but just use it to plug directly into your DSLR so that you can capture better scratch video to sync your good audio to…that’s what I do and it is the “professional” solution.
All this gear I’ve mentioned is still only scratching the surface – for instance, most boom operators also have some kind of field mixer that allows them to monitor and modify the sound being captured by the mic on the boom pole. I assume you understand that the boom pole solution I am recommending for you requires a separate skilled person to operate and move with the actors – you can’t do this kind of audio capturing yourself while filming with the DSLR
Bottom line, you have lots more to think about but it will be fun and now is a great time to get into HD DSLR video – all the best luck to you!!!!
Steve Crow
Crow Digital Media
http://www.CrowDigitalMedia.com -
If cost is of primary concern, check out some options by Audio Technica. I like their stuff, it’s not the best in the world, but it works great for video and I can’t tell you how many projects I’ve used their stuff with:
Audio Technica ATR-6550 (shotgum mic) uses a 1/8″ or 1/4″ jack (no XLR) and runs about $50. I think it plugs into the H1. You would also need a shock mount and your boom pole of course. I use this mic as a DSLR assist or on a pole. It won’t work for everything, but works as a shotgun mic when I need it. I plug into the Zoom H4n, but this device is really geared towards musicians and I rarely use the device mics as they are condenser mics and not appropriate for dialogue, but great for doing an ad hoc recording of, say, a band, a meeting, or another situation where I can set it in front of a speaker and just let it run. I’m guessing the same situation is applicable to the H1.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
This was extremely helpful to me as well. Thanks.
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