Audio Gear Choice Is Driving Me Nuts!

kalibre

kalibre

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Apologies for the long winded post, but my brain is a mess with possibilities and gear combinations at the moment so I need a couple of opinions please (itsdavedotnet if you're hanging around, your advice is greatly appreciated).

So as mentioned in a different thread I'm venturing into offering video upon the arrival of my D4. Now I've a decent amount of past experience of amateur video so I know that I can deliver creatively so to speak, however this will be the first time I've purchased dedicated video doodads and bits and bobs.

As I revamp my websites and offerings I will be producing a small video portfolio as well as doing a couple of confirmed jobs for my existing clients who are keen to show-off their products. For this reason I'm approaching this in two phases, the first being to purchase the minimum required for this portfolio and first product reviews. The second phase will involve more elaborate gear (steady rigs, monitors etc) and will only be purchased when there is a demand and/or when I'm feeling more flush.

So I'm pretty set in phase 1 for lighting, sliders, heads etc but the subject of audio is driving me mad. I want quality audio but without breaking the bank.

For interviews and product reviews I want a lavalier mic as these seem to give a clear better result than an equivalently priced shotgun mic when just wanting to record voice and you don't mind seeing a small mic in place. However, I also want to be able to record more general ambient audio (family stuff from a selfish point of view) which wouldn't suit the lavalier or shotgun. With this in mind I think I need a stereo coldshoe mic of decent quality. The added complication with the lavalier is that I can see myself needing wireless, but a dedicated wireless setup is way beyond the initial budget I've set myself.

For this reason I'm thinking of getting the following and would like a sanity check:

LAVALIER KIT
  • Rode Lavalier Microphone - Seems to deliver great quality but at a lower cost than say the Seinheiser kit.
  • Rode Micon-2 Mini Jack Adapter - Enabling direct camera connection.
  • Good Quality 3.5 Jack Extention Cable (5M) - To get that wired reach when needed.
  • Zoom H1 Recorder - This will give me the wireless capability but with the cost of no in-camera monitoring and a spearate audio track to merge in post. This also will provide great quality adhoc stereo/ambient recording.
  • TOTAL CIRCA £250

STEREO KIT
  • Nikon ME-1 Mic - Now I know this isn't the absolute best, however it does give me the initial capability in the absence of the newely announced (but more expensive) Rode Stereo Videomic Pro
  • TOTAL CIRCA £100

At a later date I might look into a shotgun solution but for now the above would be it.

Thoughts?
 
The kit I have purchased for my D7000 is the Tascam DR-100 (DR-40 will also do but I would defo get a recorder with XLR), Rode NTG1 for interviews and general outdoor sound (this has a slightly less directional pick-up compared with higher end shotguns so is easier to use), Sony ECM 55 lav (picked it up for £40 on the 'bay). You may also consider a juiced link or beachtek for when a dual set up isn't ideal. The only other thing I would get would be an Octava MK-012 hypercardioid for indoor recording (shotguns are pants in reflective rooms). I don't think you necessarily need a stereo mic for what you are planning on recording, if you were recording orchestras etc then it would be different
 
jacob12_1993 said:
The kit I have purchased for my D7000 is the Tascam DR-100 (DR-40 will also do but I would defo get a recorder with XLR), Rode NTG1 for interviews and general outdoor sound (this has a slightly less directional pick-up compared with higher end shotguns so is easier to use), Sony ECM 55 lav (picked it up for £40 on the 'bay). You may also consider a juiced link or beachtek for when a dual set up isn't ideal. The only other thing I would get would be an Octava MK-012 hypercardioid for indoor recording (shotguns are pants in reflective rooms). I don't think you necessarily need a stereo mic for what you are planning on recording, if you were recording orchestras etc then it would be different
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response, it's interesting to look at your kit selection. Video for me is going to remain very much a sideline I think, so I'm not too concerned with ensuring compatibility with XLR etc. I've taken a look at some reviews of the Tascam and the Zoom and I think they're pretty evenly matched in terms of quality. With that in mind I think I'll probably get the Zoom based on price.

Sound like you got a cracking deal with the Sony Lav! Not sure if you're familiar with it but the Rode has got some rav reviews and at the price point (for new) it seems very well placed. Do you agree?

It's interesting what you mention about stereo. It's true that for the initial business offering I probably wouldn't need a stereo mic, however I do want something stereo capable to use around the house with the family etc as I said. So you don't have any stereo gear at all?

For indoor work I'd either use the Lav or the Zoom directly for recording. Do you see an issue with this at all, or is there a big reason why I'd need a dedicated mic for that?

Thanks again.
 
jacob12_1993 said:
The kit I have purchased for my D7000 is the Tascam DR-100 (DR-40 will also do but I would defo get a recorder with XLR), Rode NTG1 for interviews and general outdoor sound (this has a slightly less directional pick-up compared with higher end shotguns so is easier to use), Sony ECM 55 lav (picked it up for £40 on the 'bay). You may also consider a juiced link or beachtek for when a dual set up isn't ideal. The only other thing I would get would be an Octava MK-012 hypercardioid for indoor recording (shotguns are pants in reflective rooms). I don't think you necessarily need a stereo mic for what you are planning on recording, if you were recording orchestras etc then it would be different
Click to expand...

Totally agree here. However, I would be inclined to say get a Zoom H2. I use them at uni a lot, and they do have great settings and also sound reasonably good.
 
kalibre said:
Thanks for your response, it's interesting to look at your kit selection. Video for me is going to remain very much a sideline I think, so I'm not too concerned with ensuring compatibility with XLR etc. I've taken a look at some reviews of the Tascam and the Zoom and I think they're pretty evenly matched in terms of quality. With that in mind I think I'll probably get the Zoom based on price.

From my experience the Tascam's have much better pre-amps than the zoom. They are also built to a higher standard, if you want a 3.5mm mini audio recorder look at the DR-05 (y)

Sound like you got a cracking deal with the Sony Lav! Not sure if you're familiar with it but the Rode has got some rav reviews and at the price point (for new) it seems very well placed. Do you agree?

The rode is an excellent buy for the price and it matches up with the higher end lavs pretty well. The added bonus is the multitude of adapters for it so you can upgrade to XLR/Phantom Power in the future.

It's interesting what you mention about stereo. It's true that for the initial business offering I probably wouldn't need a stereo mic, however I do want something stereo capable to use around the house with the family etc as I said. So you don't have any stereo gear at all?

I haven't yet needed stereo mics for what I do, I'm primarily a documentary shooter, one man band, kind of worker so I tend to record all interviews etc in mono. If you did want to record some ambience I would go for the Rode Stereo Mic based purely on value for money.

For indoor work I'd either use the Lav or the Zoom directly for recording. Do you see an issue with this at all, or is there a big reason why I'd need a dedicated mic for that?

I personally use a Lav for sit down interviews because I am a one man band. However if you will be working with an assistant/sound man you will get better sound quality from a dedicated boom hypercardioid mic. Beware the built in mics in the recorders are pretty poor compared with most mics

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Jacob.

So I've decided to go for the Tascam DR-07 MK2 in the end because it allows for the true X/Y pattern mic adjustment and seems very solid. This is a little more than originally budgeted (@£123) but I think a recorder is going to feature more than I originally thought in my workflow.

I'm going for the Rode Lavalier + Micon-2 Adapter to get 3.5mm

I've made the decision to stick with the Nikon ME-1. Now the audio quality is not as good as the Rode SVM but seeing as this is more for personal use convienence plays a big part. The ME-1 is small and is also powered via the SLR. Anything larger and I'd probably feel too conspicuous tipping up at family events etc (given that the D4 is hardly small already). If the need arises for a stereo mic for a business job then I'll chop it in for something better (perhaps the Rode SVM Pro when it's released).

Thanks again!
 
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