Audio Technica? Recommendations?

[Mark B.]

I want to buy a microphone before the end of the Labor Day sales. I have to keep my costs under $1000, but I want to stay in the higher quality range. Most of my shooting will be outdoors, though I might on occasion use it indoors. Eventually I'd like to get a super-cardioid to fill the indoor role. Most of my shooting will be solo, so the microphone is going to live on the camera.

Is the Audio Technica AT4071A, or the AT4073A, a reasonably good microphone for capturing dialog on a run-and-gun film? Or maybe their BP-4029 Stereo Shotgun?

If buying only one mic, would you go with the short or long shotgun? Mono or Stereo?

Is there another microphone that costs a tiny bit more but completely blows the AT microphones out of the water?

I've already listened to audio samples from a bunch of different online samples, but most of those tests didn't give me a good feel for the off-axis timbre (part of the problem in listening to the tests is that I have ultra bad headphones and my computer monitors battle the loud sounds coming from my old PC tower). I'm also unfamiliar with the handling noise or environmental sensitivity of the microphones.

So I'm hoping to hear personal experiences from any of you guys. Any advice is appreciated!

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

For under a 1k$ I'd say AT4073....
But with the arrival of the NTG-3, I'm not so sure.

Perhaps someone can give you a better insight on this than myself.

And while no one else comes up with a better answer, check this:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/right_mic_brockett.html

There are audio samples on the bottom of the page.

[Bruce Allen]

What kind of film?

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[Mark B.]

What kind of film?

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
I'm planning to make some documentary and educational videos this fall/winter. The educational videos are being created indoors, but the documentaries are going to be shot outdoors in coastal and mountainous regions, usually high in moisture and at times below freezing (though probably not lower than 15°F).

I also have a romantic comedy that I'm writing, which I hope to finish writing by the end of this year. If I can scrounge the money together, I'm going to try to start shooting in the Spring. I'll probably buy (or rent) a better indoor microphone at that time. Most of the movie is going to be shot indoors.

[Steve Sherrick]

dan's review does a great job of breaking things down with test, sound files etc. Also check out Ty Fords website. He does this too.

[Mark B.]

For under a 1k$ I'd say AT4073....
But with the arrival of the NTG-3, I'm not so sure.


That Rode mic seems to have some good specifications. Has anyone here had a chance to use it? I heard Ty Ford's sample of it and it seems to sound ok. For those of you looking for Ty's NT3 sample, I found it at this URL (http://idisk.mac.com/tyreeford-Public/%20TyFordNTG-3MKH416.mp3).

[Steve Sherrick]

I have the NTG-2 which I would call a decent mic. It gets the job done. There are better mics for sure, but you pay the price. If you have to keep things under a grand, perhaps the NTG-3 and the Okatava 012 with hypercardod capsule. Use the NTG-3 mainly for outdoors and the Oktava indoors when you can get the mic in close to the talent. I'm curious to hear this new Rode, see what the improvements are.

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

That Rode mic seems to have some good specifications. Has anyone here had a chance to use it? I heard Ty Ford's sample of it and it seems to sound ok. For those of you looking for Ty's NT3 sample, I found it at this URL (http://idisk.mac.com/tyreeford-Public/%20TyFordNTG-3MKH416.mp3).

Gotta tell you that I'm quite impressed with the NTG-3.

[Yannick Hagman]

I'm leaning towards the Rode NTG-3 as a one mic-solution also. It has a slightly bigger pickup pattern than sennheiser 416 and therefore should do a better job by working with inexperienced boom-operators (friends and fools).

Maybe it would make sense to try getting a group buy with rode ntg-3. But only if there is more interest than in the octava.

[Philippe Vandendriessche]

My recommendation would be the Sanken CS-1. Short, light, the sound is very good.

[Shawn Nelson]

4073a has a good reputation, much better than the Sennheiser ME66.

[Mark B.]

I'm leaning towards the Rode NTG-3 as a one mic-solution also. It has a slightly bigger pickup pattern than sennheiser 416 and therefore should do a better job by working with inexperienced boom-operators (friends and fools).

Maybe it would make sense to try getting a group buy with rode ntg-3. But only if there is more interest than in the octava.

I'd be up for a group buy of the NTG-3. I don't think it competes with the Oktava group buy, since the Oktava is more for interiors.

[Brent J. Craig]

Shooting with a camera-mounted mic will never give you production quality sound.

Even the smallest films hire a recordist/boom operator because it is much harder to capture good sound than picture. If you have absolutely no budget, buy some radio mics. At least the sound will be understandable.

[Mark B.]

Shooting with a camera-mounted mic will never give you production quality sound.

Even the smallest flms hire a recordist/boom operator because it is much harder to capture good sound than picture. If you have absolutely no budget, but some radio mics. At least the sound will be understandable.

I'm definitely without boom operator funds, at least for my documentary projects. I might be able to enlist the services of my friends to work the boom, but I'm not counting on that. Anyone have recommendations for good wireless lav systems that are also somewhat affordable? Is there a lav system that doesn't require bulky sending transmitters to be worn?

[Yannick Hagman]

You could mount the boom also on a c-stand. Lav's aren't very recommended.

[Mark B.]

You could mount the boom also on a c-stand. Lav's aren't very recommended.

Ok. That'll work for stable subjects at least.