I finally had the chance to test out some new microphones with my Panasonic GH2 camera. I tested the Rode NTG-3 against the Rode VideoMic Pro. I also included my Audio Technica 4073a in the test, for a little non-Rode competition. Check it out:
I personally felt that the Rode NTG-3 was the best sounding of the three microphones. However, all three sounded good. If you’re not very familiar with professional location sound equipment like the Sound Devices 302 mixer used in this video, I don’t mean for you to come away from this video thinking that a $230 mini-plug microphone is nearly equal to a $700 microphone plugging into a $1300 field mixer. In actuality, comparing these microphones like like comparing apples and bananas. Here’s why…
Folks have been on the hunt for a case for the Zoom H4n for a long time, but so far I haven’t found any viable options. I’m not talking about a case that you can store it in, I’m talking about a field case that would allow you to use the recorder as you work.
However, one option is to use an inexpensive neck strap to harness the H4n to your body. This makes it possible to easily access all of the controls, while keeping both of your hands free to operate the boompole or camera. Have you ever watched a video about a neck strap before? No? Well, all of that is about to change!
The strap I ended up buying was the Canon Metal Neck Strap 1. I liked that it had a plastic coating around the metal band. As you can se in the video, it was really easy to attach to the Zoom H4n. Another option is the Olympus Metal Neck Strap. This one doesn’t have the plastic coating, and it’s a few bucks cheaper. Price shouldn’t really be an issue here. Both of these options are super affordable.
I had heard the people were using regular camera straps for their Zoom H4n’s, but when I looked into this I quickly discovered that the average camera strap isn’t compatible. Continue reading →
The new firmware for the Zoom H4n with dual level control capability has been available for a while now (it came out in November of 2010), but if you’re like me, you’ve been too busy/lazy to get around to doing it. Welp, I finally got around to it, and I figured I’d write a post explaining the process to make it easier for you.
It’s not clear where the firmware is located on Zoom’s website. There isn’t any mention of it on the H4n’s product page. The easiest way to find the firmware update is to Google the words: zoom H4n firmware update. Doing so will lead you to this page: Continue reading →
I recently found out that one of the projects I worked on (Anyone But Me) won a Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing in Original New Media. The titles of five of the episodes in this series were mentioned in the award, and one of the episodes I did the production sound on was included (Girl Talk).
When you’re a part of a crew, everyone does their best to help the creators realize their vision. Each role is important, from the PA’s to the Craft Food Services people, to camera, make up, and talent. But when you’re doing the location sound, you have a particular intrest in protecting the script. Continue reading →
The microphones built into portable digital recorders typically sound pretty good, and if you use a recorder to capture the sound for a DSLR video shoot, you may be tempted to mount the recorder directly on top of your camera and use it as an on-camera mic. But here’s the problem…
The mic input on a DSLR camera needs a mic-level audio signal, and the headphone output on a portable digital recorder is line-level. Mic-level signals are very low, and line-level signals are very loud. If you just used a normal 1/8″ to 1/8″ mini-plug cable to connect the two, you’re likely going to get a nasty sounding distorted recording. What you need is an 1/8″ to 1/8″ cable with a built-in -25dB attenuator. And wouldn’t you know it… such a thing exists.
It’s called a Sescom LN2MIC-ZOOMH4N cable. I recently had the chance to test one out on a Nikon DSLR and a Zoom H4n recorder. This Sescom cable has been designed specifically so you can mount a portable digital recorder on top of a DSLR, and plug the headphone output of the recorder into the mic input on the camera.
I was impressed with the sound I was able to get using the Sescom cable. The full instructions are found in the YouTube video below. Check it out:
While using this Sescom cable is a nice solution, and more affordable than buying a good on-camera microphone, there are a number things you should consider before going this route. You need to understand how to set up the recorder, and be aware of the drawbacks of this workflow (both of which I discuss later in this post). Continue reading →
The Great On-Camera Mic Shootout 2010 is finally here!
I tested out seven different microphones on a Nikon D300s shooting 720p 24p HD video. I pitted consumer microphones with mini-plug connectors against professional location microphones going through a juicedLink DT454 adapter. These are the microphones involved in the test:
I intended on including the Rode Stereo VideoMic, but unfortunately the brand new unit I acquired for the test did not operate. It was dead on arrival out of the box. This is unusual for Rode, but still really disappointing.
I’m curious what you think of these mics. I was really surprised at the results. One of the mics that I thought was going to be among the worst turned out to be my favorite, and one of the mics that I liked turned out to preform really poorly.
Here are my complete thoughts on these microphones:
Without a doubt, this turned out to be one sweet little mic. It has a very alive sound, and despite its ultra-compact size, it has an impressive amount of reach. The build quality is pretty nice, and it’s easy to use. The downside of this microphone is how it preformed outdoors. The included foam windshield did very little in terms of protecting the audio from wind noise. I took it outside on a calm evening, and a gentle breeze wreaked havoc on the audio. If you choose to use this mic, you definitely need the additional softie that Sennheiser makes for it.
Another downside to the MKE 400 for me is that it has such a distinct sound, that I don’t think the footage that you shoot with it would cut very well with footage shot with the other microphones that I own. Plus it needs a AAA battery to operate.
The Rode VideoMic is a really popular model, and I’m guessing that it would win the prize as the most favored mic in this test. When I first started using it, I was really pleased with its performance. However after a few days of hearing it, my opinion started to change. After a while it started sounding boxy to me. It’s got a similar over-hyped presence that the MKE 400 has. I just feel like the VideoMic is overdoing it. It’s got a loudness that immediately appeals to the ear, but it’s not a very natural sound.
The microphone and its built-in shock mount have a very plasticy feel. It doesn’t seem like the kind of gear that would survive for very long in a tightly packed case. The built-in shock mount is a bit wobbly. It needs a 9-volt battery in order to work. All in all, after this test I don’t think I’ll be purchasing this microphone for my video-enabled DSLR.
You don’t hear about this mic very often, but you should. I’ll go ahead and say it now… This was my favorite mini-plug microphone used in the test. I felt like it had a pretty natural sounding response, especially for a plastic mic. I feel like if I shot some footage with this mic, and then cut it with footage shot with better quality mics, that it would blend together decently.
The ECM-CG1 requires “Plug In Power” to operate. Not all cameras supply Plug In Power. The Nikon D300s obviously did, and so did my Panasonic PV-GS200 miniDV camcorder (which I used to shoot the “final thoughts” segment at the end of the video). Most Sony cameras supply Plug In Power. The Canon 5D mkII supplies Plug In Power as well. Hopefully all of the Canon DSLR’s with mic inputs supply it.
The downside of the ECM-CG1 is that it doesn’t come with a shock mount. If you get one, buy a Pearstone DUSM-1 to go with it. It will also need additional wind protection for outdoor use. At this time I don’t have a specific model of softie that I can confidently recommend, but I imagine I will be buying one of these in the near future, and I’ll have to figure it out then.
I love the fact that you don’t need to pump batteries into this thing!
Let’s face it, this one didn’t sound very good in this test. It’s a bit unfair because both the ECM-MS907 and the Audio Technica PRO-24CM are not intended for capturing on-camera dialog. They’re stereo microphones that are better suited for recording ambient sound.
If you own or have access to an ECM-MS907, now you know that it can at least be adapted to a camera. With a little force, I made it fit inside of my Pearstone DUSM-1 shock mount. I coiled up and wrapped the 1 meter cable and made it work. I was also able to fit a WindTech MM-1 softie around the MS907′s included foam windscreen.
This microphone was by far the biggest disappointment of the shootout (not counting the dead Rode Stereo VideoMic). It just didn’t sound very good, even for an ambient mic. The Sony ECM-MS907 kicked its butt – even though the 907 is still a bad choice for an on-camera mic.
When I shot the “final thoughts” segment, I plugged every mic into a Rode VC1 mini-plug extension cable. None of the mics seemed to mind this, with the exception of the PRO-24CM. You can hear a pretty loud noise floor when the PRO-24CM comes on during its portion of the “final thoughts” segment. That’s not good. Sorry Audio Technica! I love you guys, but you need to make a better mic than this.
This is the first mic you hear in the shootout, and also the one I used for the intro and outro segments of the video. It’s a Hyper Cardioid Condenser, and it’s the mic I use on location sound jobs for interior boompole work. It’s a great choice for those of us who can’t afford a $2000 Scheops microphone.
I attached the 4053a (and the 4073a) to the Nikon D300s through a juicedLink DT454 XLR adapter box. After a rather involved but of tweaking, I was able to record the scenes I used in the video. The DT454 was incredibly complex. It’s a subject I’m going to cover in detail in future blog post.
The Audio Technica 4073a is the last mic you hear in the shootout portion of the video. It’s a shotgun style microphone with a long interference tube. Even though it was the longest microphone used in the shootout, it still did not appear in the frame of the shot on the Nikon D300s.
I personally thought this mic sounded great. I connected it to the camera through the juicedLink DT454.
Final Final Thoughts:
If you can deal with it, get an XLR adapter like the juicedLink or a Beachtek DXA-SLR and get a professional mic like the 4053a or 4073a. That’s the sound you want. I think it’s also wise to have a small mic in your bag for when you need to travel light. In this case, my choice would be the ECM-CG1.
Thanks for checking out this blog post! It turned out to be an incredible amount of work. If you got something out of this, I would love to hear from you in the Comments section. Thanks and happy shooting!
