best shotgun/boom rig for the buck - video/film

[ZZalgern0n]

how do you do. looking for a small location mic package (mic/pole/windscreen?).

i shoot mostly with a dvx-100. do short films, video segments, etc. i've been retardedly shooting with my camera mic for critical stuff (segments for tv, etc.). i've gotten away with it, but i know it can sound 1000 times better.

i'm looking for a decent boom rig that i can plug straight into the camera (3 pin XLR input). shot once with a sennheiser boom, and the sound quality difference was intense.

any suggestions? budget can vary, but i don't want to vomit all over the bill. expecting to pay around $500-1000, is that normal? all advice appreciated.

-ZZalgern0n

[I'm Painting Again]

I really like this kit..but it's 2.5 times your budget..if your sticking to your budget just go through the B&H(or other)site and pick the sennheiser mic and pole and windshield stuff that falls into your budget..

[ZZalgern0n]

all sennheiser stuff relatively good then?

man what the hell.. why are boom poles $400-700????

would something like this work:

http://www.coffeysound.com/product.php? ... t=5&page=3

what's the great difference.. just the weight??

[ctmsound]

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BoomPole/

This one has proven well.

[I'm Painting Again]

all sennheiser stuff relatively good then?

man what the hell.. why are boom poles $400-700????

ask the guy who holds them for hours on end..


you usually get what you pay for..if your skilled you "make it work"..

look at what other non-unions are using for gear and how their work comes out and what they are being paid in your area..that is how you become competitive..

[ZZalgern0n]

thanx ctmsound.

beauty&wonder - your responses are rather vague. don't really understand what you're hinting at or saying.

i'm not really looking to be competitive in any manner. i'm not trying to fight against anyone or get sound work. just looking to capture some decent quality sound on my films, which i've somehow managed to skirt around in the past.

i'm blind buying here without testing, and although i shoot some high visibility stuff - i'm still on the lower end of budgets, so i can't drop an arm & a leg. just looking for opinions/thoughts on different quality mics/poles and what makes a special one special. i can tell mic quality difference by ear, but i'm not a purist. are the MKH-416 and ME66 sub-par? thanx

[sloanfiske]

i dont know about you, but holding a cheap boom for hours on end is as close to hell I've ever been to on set...but, don't shoot the moon if it isn't gonna pay for itself.

you might actually want to look into a small battery powered field mixer with a little lav (like the shures) and the sennheiser...that's a pretty sweet location package. take the stereo outs and run 'em into the in's on the camera.

also, check some of the broadcast supply houses. they unload used gear for pretty cheap sometimes.

[I'm Painting Again]

beauty&wonder - your responses are rather vague. don't really understand what you're hinting at or saying.

i'm not really looking to be competitive in any manner. i'm not trying to fight against anyone or get sound work. just looking to capture some decent quality sound on my films, which i've somehow managed to skirt around in the past.

i'm blind buying here without testing, and although i shoot some high visibility stuff - i'm still on the lower end of budgets, so i can't drop an arm & a leg. just looking for opinions/thoughts on different quality mics/poles and what makes a special one special. i can tell mic quality difference by ear, but i'm not a purist. are the MKH-416 and ME66 sub-par? thanx

I was under the impression this was your bread and butta..

I've never used those mic models so I couldn't tell 'ya..

how much do you shoot?

would it make more sense to rent the sound package as needed? rent a soundperson with package? rent to gain the experience to make the decision to buy? you are in LA..there are great rental places there..

boom poles are pretty straight forward look at the weight and the features it's all listed right there for you..some have XLR's with cable through them and different boom sizes..anglers, etc..

looks like the dvx-100 has XLR's and mic amps (which may hinder sound quality, on many cameras the built in kind of blow..some are ok to good though) so you may want to try some external pres and see if it's better..you probably want some external volume control so you can have at least the possibility of a person actually on the gain rather than the cameraperson..

you may want to get a mixer and a variety of mic styles..booms/shotguns aren't always good for everything..

[kayagum]

Anybody use the Rode boompole and shotgun mics?

It'd be worth it just to get the "Dead Cat" windscreen.

[norton]

i've used the rode mics... and was going to say that they're actually really good for the money. pretty focused, a little thin sounding but not bad, and MILES above the mic's on camera.

I don't know what they're boom pole is like... but my guess is that for the $$ any shortcomings will be easy to deal with.

If it's possible, i'd suggest blowing a ton of cash on the neumann kmr81 short shotgun. It's not only a nice shotgun, but it's a great mic for just about any acoustic source in studio as well voice, drums guitars... it'll really bring a rhodes or wurly to the top of a dense mix.

If you're going to be doing a bunch of gun and run type work i'd highly recommend the KTEK KZEP zeppelin shockmount/windscreen. It's extremely durable and will laugh in the face of 40mph wind gusts and then silence them. the dead cat alone will let you down if there's more than a light breeze outside. On the cheaper side, the "softie" mounts are awesome.

keith - what's your summer looking like??

[hiddendriveways]

all sennheiser stuff relatively good then?

man what the hell.. why are boom poles $400-700????

would something like this work:

http://www.coffeysound.com/product.php? ... t=5&page=3

what's the great difference.. just the weight??

Hi ZZ.

I work for B&H. I live and breathe this stuff.

The Rode shotguns are the best choice in the under $300 price range. They sound decent, and they're built well.

When you step up to a Sennheiser ME66 ($410), you definitely get a bump up in audio quality. Plus you get the Sennheiser name, which most other video and film production people will gravitate to.

I just bought myself a Sennheiser ME66 boomkit this week. This one:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 ... phone.html
The boompole in this kit isn't the greatest, but the kit is a good deal price-wise because you get all the goodies. Like the Rycote Softie, which is crucial if you take a nice shotgun mic like this outdoors, even on a nice day.

When you pay more $$$ for a boompole, you're paying for the material it was built with, and the craftmanship of its parts. Carbon poles are more lightweight, and more expensive. The gears and locks that tighten the pole in place get really pricey too. If you want quality, you pay more. There are tons of poles over $500, and the people that make their living using these tools know what they want. For me, the lower end pole in the kit is fine because I just do limited projects right now.

We sell that other pole for $10 less than those other folks:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3 ... mpole.html

No self respecting Tape Opper should ever use the in-camera mic!

Check out the article I wrote on the shotguns here:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/email/PANewsJan2007.htm

And if you really want to nerd-out, read this article I wrote about choosing a shockmount for a shotgun mic:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/email/PANewsMar2007.htm