[James Alire]

Thank you very much for your expertise Ty and the welcome.

With shotgun mics I chose the NTG-3, I like how it sound in a lot of the videos I have seen. I have heard the 416 is like an industry standard, but some say it is just a name. Wondering your opinon about this, since I am sure gigs could be lost based on gear alone.

What do you recommend for super or hypercardiod mics that work well in the field or are considered an industry standard?

As for the mixer, do you think I can get by with just the Tascam temporaily? I would love a SD 552 but can afford it. Could I get away with an SD Mixpre and some decent CF recorder?

in regards to the mixer to camera cable, are you referring to the beta breakaway cables?

For wireless mics, do you mean wireless lav mics or mics for broadcast/interview type stuff? What do you recommend for wired lav mics? Not too familiar with these types of mics.

Sorry for all the questions, but my budget is limited to about $3500 and I want to be able to get enough gear to get gigs rather than sitting there jobless with $3500 worth of gear.

I am in Phoenix by the way.