Microphones!

sonofaresiii · Aug 14, 2009

Hey all,
I want to start making shorts! But, I'm a poor college student.
And now you're up to speed on me.
I have a small camcorder I'm going to be using for filming, but I'm concerned about the built-in microphone. I have some microphones from way back when I was in a band. Dunno exactly what you'd call them, they're pretty good for what they are, standard kind you'd see singers sing into. Is there any way these would be useful for me? Could I strap them to a boom of some kind (I would even duct-tape them to golf clubs if I had to) and get an adapter to plug them into my microphone? Or am I just wasting time with that and should either stick with the built-in microphone or buy something specifically made for filming?
Thanks for the advice

Bob Kessler · Aug 14, 2009

I would venture to say that what you have are Dynamic mics, which are mostly used for live music or high SPL situations. Dynamic mics require the singer to "eat" the mic or be placed right on top of the sound source. They generally do not do well for picking up sounds from any distance over six inches.

Most mics used on the set are Condenser mics; lobar pick-up pattern ("shotgun" mic) for outdoor usage and a hyper-cardioid pattern for indoors.

You may want to check out my blog on production sound basics as a place to start with your research.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendId=111888913

Kim Welch · Aug 15, 2009

sound workshop

sound workshop

we have having a sound workshop in nyc tomorrow.

sonofaresiii · Aug 15, 2009

wow, really? I would love to check it out. Where/when?

Also, if anyone cares to give any more opinions, what kind of (cheap) microphones should I look into buying? Is buying used worthwhile? Can I get a decent mic for around $100-$200, or am I better off using that money to rent from somewhere? Even if using that money to rent could get me something really nice, if I could use it to buy something halfway decent I would much rather that so I can continue to use it in the future. I know, I'm really inexperienced here, but thanks for all the help!

edit: I see that it's near me, tomorrow at 10:00AM. It sounds really great, but I don't know if I can afford $50 right now (I'm a student spending all my time interning... money is tight!) do you have any kind of discount or comp list or waitlist spaces for people who show up but aren't registered if there's open space?

Bob Kessler · Aug 17, 2009

You're not going to get anything decent for $200. A passable budget mic will be about $250, then you'll need a boom-pole, shock-mount cabling and wind protection, $350+ at the minimum.

You are better off renting; you can get a top quality mic and boom-pole plus the other accessories for around $50 for a weekend.

Michael Bruder · Nov 8, 2009

XLR-Adapter and Mic

XLR-Adapter and Mic

Hi, i have got a question: My camcorder is a Sony HDR-HC1. I want to buy me an XLR-Adapter and a shot gun Mic. What combination would fit my camcorder best, i mean, type of XLR-Adapter and type of shot gun mic? I really need assistance in my decision. Thanks a lot.

Michael

Specifications MIC jack (of my HDR-HC1):

Minijack, 0.388mV low impedance with DC 2.5 to 3.0 V, output impedance 6.8kΩ (3.5 mm), stereo type