Boom Mic. I think I have everything...I think ;)

Forum,

I'm shopping around for a boom mic and I want to make sure that I purchase everything I need. I'm trying to get nice crisp dialogue audio from my short films. Please let me know if I'm missing anything.

1. Shotgun Mic.
2. Boom Pole.
3. XLR adapter to connect to the bottom of my HV30.
4. Batteries if not phantom powered.
5. Dead cat.

p.s. Do I need a mixer?
And what's this pre-amp talk?
And what is a reliable length? Ten feet?

I also found what looks to be like a good deal on a sound design package, but is this site reputable, and is this package enough to get some good dialogue audio?

http://www.dvcreators.net/rode-ntg-2/

I'm open to suggestions, but I'm trying to keep the total package under $1,000.

Thanks to everyone for all the help,

Trey

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TV

This here is a pretty good kit and a good price: AT987 B&H Package

Then add whatever it is you need to go into the HV30.

Where the mixer and pre come in is if you have multiple sources that you need to mix into one channel. (I believe. I'm not super-sound-guy.)

You should be fine with the two links I gave you above and it comes to maybe a little over $800.

And... "reliable length" of what? If you mean mic cable, then 10' would barely be enough to run up your boom pole, let alone give you any working distance. When I owned my kit, I used 50', on my current shoot, depending on location, we're using either 50' or 25'.

Gage wrote:

This here is a pretty good kit and a good price: AT987 B&H Package

Then add whatever it is you need to go into the HV30.

Where the mixer and pre come in is if you have multiple sources that you need to mix into one channel. (I believe. I'm not super-sound-guy.)

You should be fine with the two links I gave you above and it comes to maybe a little over $800.

And... "reliable length" of what? If you mean mic cable, then 10' would barely be enough to run up your boom pole, let alone give you any working distance. When I owned my kit, I used 50', on my current shoot, depending on location, we're using either 50' or 25'.

Thanks, Gage.

Sorry, but I meant 10 ft. boom pole.

Thanks for the link, that looks about what I'm looking for.

Do you prefer Audio Technica over Rode?

The link I posted above had a similar package to the one you show, but it's Rode.

I'm not sure which way to go yet, but I'm steady mobbin on the research right now, so we're gonna get there soon!

Thanks!

Trey

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TV

I'm guessing the HV30 isn't capable of supplying phantom power. You'll need batteries. I wouldn't go any shorter than 25' on your cable.

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Coverage is for Cowards!

	cmdurham wrote:
	I'm guessing the HV30 isn't capable of supplying phantom power. You'll need batteries. I wouldn't go any shorter than 25' on your cable.

Not sure about the HV phantom power.

I know I'll be needing an XLR adapter - beachtek probably. 25' sounds reasonable. What do guys know about this online store here: http://www.dvcreators.net/rode-ntg-2/

Safe? Reputalble?

They have a nice little sound package I'm interested in. Gage also directed my to a good deal in an earlier post.

Trey

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TV

Hey Trey why worry about that site being reputable if it's the same price Amazon?

Mixers with 2 mic preamps are available for $100 or less, street price.
The advantages of the mixer: (1) you can control the signal level at the mixer, not at the camera; (2) you can apply a little equalization to the mic signal before it hits your recording media. This latter reason *might* be valuable if there is a lot of rumble (low frequency noise) or hiss (high frequency noise) that you want to diminish. But improperly done, you will make your human beings sound like ducks. (3) Some of these little mixers can supply phantom power. Some don't. (4) All of these little mixers have addition "line inputs," meaning a signal at "line level" such as what comes out of a hi-fi preamp before going into an amplifier. I've never used that on a set, but, you never know ... Find these at the pro sound shop. Behringer and Mackie are two brands to check out. There might be others. You'll probably discover that the prices are about the same from on-line vendors.

Like everything else in this world, microphone cables come in a variety of prices and a variety of qualities. The very best won't be cheap, but you can run a 40' cable from the mic to the mixer or camera. You want as much leeway for the boom as possible. Contortionists make the best boom holders. Mics usually have XLR connectors; I don't know what kind of connector you have on your camera, but ideally you *don't* want an adapter on the mic cable, you want the correct connector soldered on to the wires of the mic cable. Many of these are available off the shelf. Less noise that way, also less clumsy set-up.

There are a lot of choices for shotgun mic. Do yourself a favor and check out the Audix. The quality is excellent and so it the price. It comes in a kit with a cardioid pattern capsule as well as the highly directional shotgun capsule, each with its own foam windscreen.

Snoop around this mailing list for a DIY microphone shock mount. Sweet.

You can make a boom out of "clothes pole" from a lumber yard. They're so cheap you can have a couple with different lengths. At the pro sound shop, you can find metal doodads with male microphone threads, and screw that to the end of the clothes pole. Spray the whole thing flat black and put a coat of satin Varathane on it; wrap some tool-handle rubber strips on it and you're done. Of course, you can always spend a few hundred bucks for carbon fiber or fibreglas.

The cost of the dead cat depends, of course, on the breed ....

-- Paul

I have the AT897 and feel it doesn't pick up audio as good as the RODE shotgun mic. I read this before buying it, I even witnessed it via online videos I compared. Yet I still bought the AT897 because it happened to be available in my area. Do your research because the RODE tends to be better for the same price range. Also never buy new, always buy used if you can via craigslist. There are so many filmmakers who don't film stuff and their stuff just collects dust until they need cash and sell it. Buy it off them for a discount. You will need the extra cash, believe me. Shocked

Also the dead cat for the most part is a waste of money. Even with it on outside, you will likely have audio issues. If you want crisp audio, avoid shooting outdoors. If you want normal balanced light, avoid shooting outdoors and near windows (there is a light shift throughout the day). If you are just starting out, practicing indoors tends to work out best. Even outdoors when it's not windy, the deadcat can muffle the audio some and you may end up removing it to pick up more audio. Not bad to have, but I'm just saying you may rarely use it and if you are just starting off with a kit, $40-$50 on a dead cat could be put towards a slightly better mic or longer boom pole.

I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree with Anthony on a couple of points.

1) I have both the Rode and the AT mics. The Rode does a better job of eliminating off-axis noise, but both are adequate mid-level mics.

2) While the total control of indoor shooting is a wonderful thing, if you do not have enough kit to fully light the scene you will need to figure things out another way, one key can be to add light from windows. As a beginner you need to shoot everywhere, indoors/outdoors, day/night so you can learn how to shoot in less than optimal conditions and still make great shots. Learn how to control outdoor light with reflectors and flags, and for some shots that may be all you need. As Rebels, we do what we can with what we have, and in a lot of cases what we have is one big nuclear-powered vapor-diffused light source. Make it your friend.

3) You might/might not need a "dead cat". If your script calls for being outdoors and the wind kicks up, you will be very glad you have one. And it will provide some protection for your mic in the event of rain ... or being dropped. I have two, and have had few issues with noticeable muffling of audio that I can recall. Though unless it is very windy I do not use the fur cover, just the zeppelin.

And don't forget the shock mount!

Hope this helps,

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Jamie
www.crashandannie.com

just a shotgun wont cut it. you cant get away with only one mic in your kit. youll need a hypercardioid as well.

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http://www.twitter.com/misterperry

Good info...Well guys i use Technica AT897 and no complaint at all.

Keep sharing guys!!!!

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Great post for an amateur who is about to do his first shoot!! I am also planning to start out on my own project and I found the advice here of tremendous and planning to keep this in mind when I go and buy my stuff in a week’s time!!

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That is a nice post. The idea of a boom mic is really awesome. I have never heard about it. Thanks for posting it. It was very interesting.
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James Williams

I've done amateur and pro production sound gigs and in both situations I use almost the exact same setup.

Shotgun mic - The Rodes are perfectly acceptable, but the ATs are better
Boom pole - Unless your doing action/street docs, get a heavy duty stand with wheels and a heavy counterweight. You do not want to hold a boom pole for 6-8-10 hrs.
Deadcat - I used a blimp, but never had to deal with heavy wind. I bet you'd regret it if ya didnt have one. You could prob DIY one, try pantyhose
Mixer - Zoom H4N is awesome, and basically the standard. Has XLR inputs, and decent mic pres. Make sure peaks are at the -12db to -6db level, leave lots of headroom
Headphones - Get pro studio/monitoring headphones, consumer cans have all these EQ sweeteners like XTRA bass and mid cuts that will make you think you're getting awesome audio when you're actually not

Get super long XLR cables. You also need at least one wireless lav. With an H4N, boom, and lav you can handle 90% of all scenes.