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What mic are you using?


brianhart

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Hi, I'm trying to find the best microphone for all-around use for Youtube. I notice that many people have been recommending the Sennheiser EW 112P 21 Best Microphones For YouTube Videos (2018 Cheap Mics). I fell in love with the mic but the problem is that this microphone is out of my price range. Do you know of any other mics I can use? Have any of you tried the

Movo WMIC70 Wireless? It's hundreds of dollars cheaper but it might not offer the same quality, that's the only thing I'm afraid of. Any recommendations and advice are appreciated. Thank you guys in advance.

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What do you intend to record with your microphone? There's no one answer. A DJ favorite is a vintage Neumann U67, which you can get for under $7K. Just about everything else falls below that line.

 

To start, I wouldn't plug anything directly into the camera. Use a stand-alone interface, preferably one with recording capability. Zoom makes several models of portable recorders, from 3 to 8 channels. I use a Zoom H6 for interviews, either with a clip-on stereo mic (interchangeable with several options) or lavalier mics connected with XLR cables. The H6 output can be connected to a camera via a 3.5mm TRS to TRS cable - suspenders and a belt. A mic on the camera will never be close enough to the subject for any application.

 

The Shure SM81 is an inexpensive capacitor mic (>$300) that's good for nearly anything. Our local classical station (WFMT) uses them for interview mics, but they are better than many mics for music as well.

 

For rock and vocals, a Shure SM56 (ice-cream cone) is as good as any. For classical music, only capacitor mics qualify, and the sky is the limit. Among the more common classical mics are the DPA 4006 and 4011, Schoeps, Sennheiser MKH, or Neumann M, U and KM series.

 

Mics are like lenses. You can record on a shoebox, but mics are forever.

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Side question. I'm shooting a Sony RX100M4 1" P&S. It has 4k video and stereo mics. But there very noisy in the wind. Problem is, there's no jack for an external mic.

 

Is there an inexpensive mic/recorder setup I could use separately that can easily be synced with the video portion in my camera in post processing. I use Adobe Premiere Elements when doing my video work. Thanks.

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@AlanKlein I am no contemporary audio guy, but looking through

as a probably great example, I came to the conclusion: Anything able to record should be possible to sync if you are using a clap(per) that you can spot in your software. - If you want to automate syncing there will be dedicated software but I think it is about $300 or even more?

A lot of YouTubers use smartphones as recorders. - The 3.5mm jack on my tablet in use seems broken, so I got an elderly iPhone to try someday. - Maybe you have one already? If not, they should be x<$50. - iPhone drawback I noticed: The bugger apparently demands a SIM card to work at all; Android devices don't.

YouTube seems full of cheapo mic reviews. Go through them yourself and find a sufficiently promising compromise.

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Indie films and skits, thank you so much. I will definitely look at the Shure SM56.

In general, you don't want microphones to be visible in a video. An SM56 is okay for a speaker or vocalist, where it is on a stand or (most often) hand-held close to the subjects lips.

 

The most consistent way to hide a microphone is with a super-cardioid mic on a boom pole. This also gives the best quality sound. The most consistent pickup is with a wireless lavalier microphone for each person ($$$). You can also use wired lav microphones for video demonstrations and such, for much less money.

 

Most of the time I record with the internal camera mic at the same time as an external, multi-track recorder. It's easy to sync in post by lining up the sound files. A clapper is nice. I have one but in the last 20 years, never used nor needed it. There is a time lag of about 1 millisecond per foot, but 30' is only one frame. It's not objectionable until it is about 6 frames long. You can't edit video or video sound closer than 1 frame.

 

The auto-level function in a smart phone renders it useless for anything other than spoken voice. Even then, the results are painful to the ear once you recognize the compression artifacts. Compressed audio files, like m4v (AAC) and mp3, are much harder to edit than uncompressed WAV files.

 

I do this for a living, but feel free to post any questions or concerns. IMO, you can't take it with you. Better to share while there's still time.

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'Wild' sound - I.e. sound recorded by equipment separate from the camera - is no problem in this digital age. You only need one synch point with the camera sound and everything stays in step to within microseconds. So I'll second the advice to use a Zoom, or some other recorder, away from the intrinsic noise of the camera. I use a little Tascam portastudio, which has excellent built-in condenser mics, but almost any laptop computer and USB sound mixer is a good choice.

 

I wouldn't rule out using a clapper-board or just a hand-clap. The sound spike is easily picked out and synched, even with low end video editing software. Visually matching continuous waveforms isn't always so simple or obvious.

 

My preference of affordable condenser mic is an Audio Technica AT-2035. The noise level is extremely low, and the frequency response very flat. OTOH, I was not impressed by the much-hyped Rode NT1. Its frequency response is all over the place, and it has a non-switchable sharp roll-off below 80 Hz. A Shure SM 57 or SM 58 would be a better choice purely for vocals. (Is the SM 56 a current model? I'm not seeing it sold as such.)

 

Anyway, the recording environment and mic placement probably has a bigger effect on sound quality than the mic itself. The mics should be in isolating baskets and a 'dead' room or absorbers around the mic are ideal; reverb effects can be added later to liven up the ambience. Don't forget mesh or foam pop shields for vocal mics, and isolating pads for mic stands as well. The best mic in the world won't sound good if it's overloaded with explosive consonents or picks up traffic vibrations or foot-tapping noises.

 

As said above, if you don't want the mic to be obvious or in camera shot, then your choices are a bit more limited, and this usually means compromising absolute sound quality.

Edited by rodeo_joe|1
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And with my very limited experience, I'll also say good things about the Zoom range. I have an H5 (I think the H6 was announced just after I bought in 2015) - the H6 seems a bit more capable and nicer to use, but the H5 is smaller, and it does come with the shock-mounted microphone module. Even the budget H1 is decent, but it lacks XLR inputs. I ended up with a Rode lavalier mic, since most of the recommended ones were either very expensive or not available when I looked; I've been living with the integrated Zoom mics otherwise. But I only do very basic stuff with audio, and (other than saying really not to use the on-camera microphones or even external inputs except under duress) I completely defer to the experts here.
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the best microphone for all-around use for Youtube. Any recommendations and advice are appreciated . . .Indie films and skits, . . .

 

For those tasks, I will assume that the typical and majority Subject Distances would be within 20ft (7 mtrs)

 

A good value for money purchase, being suitable for indoor and outdoor uses would be a Sennheiser MKH-416: with cage, sock and boom – and a Sound Recordist to manage it.

 

IMO and IME there is no point in buying a specialist microphone, without a specialist Sound Recordist to drive it. Much is about attention to direction and the Key Audio does not necessarily come from the same direction of Frame, in shot.

 

Background Audio, (ambient and/or FX) can be easily made with a simple Atmosphere Microphone; an inexpensive Condenser Microphone will do.

 

A passive mixer (as opposed to an Audio Mixing Panel) will do the trick to combine the two Audio Feeds, if you are on a tight budget.

 

If you want to invest in a specialist microphone then I expect the intent is take your film (video) product to an higher level – that takes at least two people in the crew.

 

 

 

WW

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20 teet is way to far for anything less than a steam locomotive or Boeing 747. I record a symphony orchestra at 12 feet or so (but with 6 to 25 microphones). 3 feet would be about the maximum for the spoken voice. A Sennheiser MKH-416 (short shotgun) is an excellent choice for interviews, on camera or on a boom. It is directional enough to exclude much environmental noise. The price, about $1K, is very reasonable for a professional-quality microphone. The response pattern is too lumpy for music, except as a spot mic.

 

You can get a decent active mixer for $150 or less. A passive mixer is better suited for a middle school science project. In a sense, an MKH-416 is a "specialzed" microphone, but flexible enough for multiple applications. Most of the time there is enough "environmental" sound to go around, without deliberately mixing it. I'e done it, but only for live broadcasts with an audience, where the talent is close-miked.

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20 [feet] is way [too] far for anything less than a steam locomotive or Boeing 747. I record a symphony orchestra at 12 feet or so (but with 6 to 25 microphones). 3 feet would be about the maximum for the spoken voice.

 

I think that you may have misunderstood my meaning. I wrote "I will assume that the typical and majority Subject Distances would be within 20ft (7 mtrs)"

 

That comment was in the context of the Photography Subjects - i.e. I meant the 'Subject Distance' as to mean the distance from Camera to Subject. I understand my previous might not be clear as it was written writing, even though it was clear in my head.

 

***

 

A Sennheiser MKH-416: with cage, sock and boom – and a Sound Recordist to manage it, would be able to facilitate a good Audio Track at those Camera to Subject Distances and neither get the Microphone, nor the Boom, in shot.

 

A Sennheiser MKH-416: with cage and sock and on a boom and in experienced hands will be quite OK at a working distance (i.e. a Mic. working distance) of around 6ft, a bit more in a studio environment. As you pointed out it is really only OK for Music as a Spot Mic, and that is, combined with its directionality, a strength for many applications in 'indy films and skits'.

 

It is relevant to this conversation remember that the Audio Track for Broadcast, CD, Tape, Record has 100 % of the Audiences' attention, on the other hand for Telecast (thus including Film and Video) its been more than a Rule of Thumb, based on several Psychological Studies, that the Audio Track commands about 20% of the Audiences' attention: that is not to imply that we should be dismissive of the Audio Quality for Video, Television and Film but, as the OP is on a budget, versatility of the applications of the gear he is to buy should be considered against capital outlay.

 

I think that it is undervaluing the use of Passive Mixers to suggest that their only use is for a school project: on the other hand I am ignorant of the cost of a reasonable quality Audio Mixing Desk - and if one can be had for US 150.00, and that cost can be afforded, then that is a better choice than a passive mixer which can be made for only a few dollars.

 

Additionally with a basic Audio Mixing Desk, for example, a four-in, two out, with a pan pot, cue and three pot equalizer on each channel - this could be used for Post Production and have the facility for an FX track, when shooting – all of which are quite handy - especially if that gear can be bought for $150.00.

 

I reference and re-iterate 'a Sound Recordist to manage it' - that, IMO, based on my experience is often over-looked and undervalued. If brian wants to raise the quality of his videos, then serious consideraton of an experienced, or at least talented and willing to learn second person to manage the Audio is vital, if not mandatory.

 

The OP has been scarce on details, that’s likely because he’s inexperienced with Sound Recording and that’s why he is asking broad questions in the first place: considering the experience that some members obviously have in Sound Recording, for a range of applications including: Broadcast, Telecast, Film and Video, it would bode well for more information about the tasks to be forthcoming from brian.

 

WW

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@AlanKlein I am no contemporary audio guy, but looking through
as a probably great example, I came to the conclusion: Anything able to record should be possible to sync if you are using a clap(per) that you can spot in your software. - If you want to automate syncing there will be dedicated software but I think it is about $300 or even more?

A lot of YouTubers use smartphones as recorders. - The 3.5mm jack on my tablet in use seems broken, so I got an elderly iPhone to try someday. - Maybe you have one already? If not, they should be x<$50. - iPhone drawback I noticed: The bugger apparently demands a SIM card to work at all; Android devices don't.

YouTube seems full of cheapo mic reviews. Go through them yourself and find a sufficiently promising compromise.

 

What's a clapper and how do you sync it?

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We’re getting too hypothetical. I’d like to see a project proposal from the OP in order to stay on point.

 

A Focus-rite Scarlett comes in several flavors. The 2i2 is only $149 and has excellent preamps. However for a little more, a Zoom handheld is just as good, runs a very long time on 4 AA batteries and records to an SD card. You can do mixing, effects and EQ better in post. A deck is not practical for mobile work, and only necessary for front of house sound or a really intense, multitrack mixing session.

 

I attach a boom pole to a medium light stand with an Atlas swivel when working solo, indoors. For radio, anything goes. You can’t hear cables and stands.

Edited by Ed_Ingold
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A clapper board can be little more than two sticks with a hinge. Clapping them together in view of the camera makes a sharp noise and a visual cue to synchronize sound and video. Usually there is a writing surface for scene and take. Some display time code synced to video and sound.
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Ed,

 

I too have requested more information from the OP to tailor our responses to his requirements – but IMO and by the same token, it seems not really useful to the OP, and perhaps confusing to him, especially if he is new to all of this and he does not understand the terms that we two might be using to make blanket and all encompassing statements of rebuff which could appear to simply be dismissing others' suggestions.

 

To be clear I personally don’t mind the to and fro in this conversation, and it’s certainly not about who has set mics for the biggest orchestra: but the rebuffing does seem unproductive, possibly confusing to the OP, because no one really can formulate "the best" answer for the OP, because none of us knows what the guts of his question is, nor what his budget is.

 

***

 

So just, again, for clarification and as an example which MIGHT be useful for the OP’s applications - 'a deck' if you are referring to 'an audio desk' as I mentioned . . . does not necessarily need to be 'big'. And it can serve two purposes, for recording in situ AND for post production work - this might be useful in respect of cost effectiveness - by the same token your suggestion of a battery powered audio mixer might also be enough for any post production work.

 

We've used a Behringer 802, which we picked up second hand for AUD$85.00

 

It is very comprehensive and light weight desk and we have used it outdoors, simply slung around the neck on a strap. That model is mains powered, there are several with similar attributes which are battery powered. My Behringer weighs about 1.5kg.

 

Then again, as previously mentioned, a passive mixer, or indeed no mixer at all, might be sufficient for brian's uses.

 

WW

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@AlanKlein : One vlogger (rambling about photography in German) even just claps his hands to have the effects @Ed_Ingold described above. - What I've seen in videos: The camcorders internal mic gets used anyhow and that crappy sound substituted with the external sound during post processing. Folks seem to visually aligning the two sound peak curves.
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I don't need to mix in the field, other than to set levels. Each microphone goes into a separate channel. I can put a 2-channel mix on a thumb drive and hand it to the producer or director, but that mix is never the same as done in the studio. That can give the wrong impression, so I avoid it if possible. For live recording, you usually set the peaks at -20 db. In the studio you normalize to 0 db. The difference between a shout and a whisper is less than 20 db.

 

Sound recorded by the camera is automatically in sync (although you can mess it up). You can line up the wave forms visually, but it's more precise to place a marker based on what you hear when scrubbing, then align the markers. If I can't find a suitable spot to mark at the beginning, there's always a suitable spot further on. Adobe Premiere Pro has an automatic alignment feature, but it takes an extremely long time for analysis, and is not always accurate. (If you clap on stage for a test, some teenager in the room will clap in response ;)

 

The selection of equipment and technique must be based on your needs, not what you have on a wish list. Your needs must be based on what you intend to accomplish. Good equipment is expensive. Bad or inappropriate equipment will make you want to bang your head on a wall. I've been doing this, professionally, for 40+ years, and have seen a lot in that time.

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