Basic add-on microphone?

ajf

ajf

ajf

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I have a Canon 600D and have been using a bit more for various video clips.
Noticed the sound tends to be very 'muddy' and mixed.

What would be a reasonable add-on microphone without spending too much?
Guessing something directional would be better?

Then again are there in camera settings I should look at?
 
Not sure what you're looking to spend but have you looked at something like the Rode VideoMic Pro?
 
I'm looking for the same thing... is there anything that comes reasonably close to the Rode but at a lower price point... £50-80. For me the sound does not have to be perfect, but a lot of cheaper mics seem to be very noisy/hissy.
 
You could try looking at the Opteka VM-100, it's supposed to be the Rode Mic rebranded/made cheaper but I've not tried it myself/seen any reliable tests.
 
DrewSecrets said:
You could try looking at the Opteka VM-100, it's supposed to be the Rode Mic rebranded/made cheaper but I've not tried it myself/seen any reliable tests.
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That's interesting thanks :)

EDIT: A little digging around reveals this is almost certainly a copy of the Rode, rather than a re-branded/OEM type of deal... it still maybe an ok mic for the money.
 
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Thank you for the suggestions.
I will have a look at both and see what I can find on the cheaper alternative.
I guess though you bery much pay for what you get?
I may wait a bit and go for the Rode as it seems to be all round very good from what I read and would at least give me scope if I start doing more videoing.

FYI it is mainly vehicles of various types so assuming a directional mic like the Roade is the best type?
 
ajf said:
Thank you for the suggestions.
I will have a look at both and see what I can find on the cheaper alternative.
I guess though you bery much pay for what you get?
I may wait a bit and go for the Rode as it seems to be all round very good from what I read and would at least give me scope if I start doing more videoing.

FYI it is mainly vehicles of various types so assuming a directional mic like the Roade is the best type?
Click to expand...

I'm by no means an expert, only starting out myself really! But I think I can help you out. You have three main types of microphones in video: shotgun mics, handheld and lapel.

Shotgun Microphones are good for getting sound from a certain direction like you say, so are good for people standing in front of the camera/things near the camera. You can also get boom poles for most shotgun microphones which are usually used follow people/aim the mic at people or things (the mic is usually out of shot).

Handheld Microphones are good for a reporter type of situation, because you can move about with it and point it at sources. For example a reporter may point it to themselves and ask a question, then point it at the interviewee.

Lapel Microphones are good for presenting. They're small microphones and are usually clipped to shirts and such. You can also get both wired and wireless Lapel microphones which, wireless can work similar to the handheld mic, except you can't direct it very well. These are probably best in stationary situtations.

Hopefully I explained them all right/well. But to answer your question, I do think the Shotgun Mic would be best for what you're aiming for. Each microphone has different polar patterns, but I'm sure that'll be easy enough for you to look up. :)
 
What about the Rode Video Mic non pro, which retails for around £80?... does anyone have any experience with this mic?.

On a side by side YouTube test, against the Audio Technica ATR-6550 ATR shotgun mic it sounded very decent, with much lower self noise.

I wonder how different it is from the Pro version, which is twice the price?
 
redline said:
What about the Rode Video Mic non pro, which retails for around £80?... does anyone have any experience with this mic?.

On a side by side YouTube test, against the Audio Technica ATR-6550 ATR shotgun mic it sounded very decent, with much lower self noise.

I wonder how different it is from the Pro version, which is twice the price?
Click to expand...

You've probably had a little look on youtube yourself, but this may help you decide.

 
DrewSecrets said:
You've probably had a little look on youtube yourself, but this may help you decide.
Click to expand...

Great, thank you... I had not seen this :)

So, the 'Pro' is simply the new version, with a better shock, smaller size, and a db gain pad... but, sound quality sounds the same to me, on that test at least.

From all the others I've heard, the Rode's are the only mics [in this price range] that are do not seem to suffer excessive noise. I know a lot of the hiss can be filtered out, but I'd rather not have it in the first place.
 
redline said:
Great, thank you... I had not seen this :)

So, the 'Pro' is simply the new version, with a better shock, smaller size, and a db gain pad... but, sound quality sounds the same to me, on that test at least.

From all the others I've heard, the Rode's are the only mics [in this price range] that are do not seem to suffer excessive noise. I know a lot of the hiss can be filtered out, but I'd rather not have it in the first place.
Click to expand...

Pretty much, obviously the Pro would be nice to have but is it worth double the price (especially with the thinner wire). I do however want to point out that the VideoMic does also have a db gain pad, according to the rainforest's description: "A -10dB and -20dB level attenuation (or PAD), selectable from inside the battery compartment".

If I have the funds I'll be going for the Pro due to the increased portability and improved shockmount. If you're gonig to be use the mic outside it may be worth getting a windshield for it too.
 
I have the Shotgun Rode VideoMic (the one with the red suspension brace) and that was £74, seems to do a great job :)
 
mrk said:
I have the Shotgun Rode VideoMic (the one with the red suspension brace) and that was £74, seems to do a great job :)
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I noticed that earlier, do you know what the difference is between that mount and the original?
 
DrewSecrets said:
I noticed that earlier, do you know what the difference is between that mount and the original?
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I'm not 100% sure but I think this suspension is more robust than the black one?

I've used it a few times already and it does the job brilliantly as a directional mic. I've found I really need a stereo one though and will likely get this one at some point:

http://www.rodemic.com/mics/stereovideomicpro

It has the high pass filter to cut low noises and traffic so will still do the jobs I'll use the shotgun mic for just less directional and more stereo.

I might sell the one I have I'm not sure yet!
 
mrk said:
I'm not 100% sure but I think this suspension is more robust than the black one?

I've used it a few times already and it does the job brilliantly as a directional mic. I've found I really need a stereo one though and will likely get this one at some point:
Click to expand...

That's interesting, the main reason I was going to get the Pro version was because of some issues I've heard about with the shockmount on the old VideoMic! May seriously consider getting that red one considering how much cheaper it is. The main thing I'll be recording will be people talking in front of the camera, so the shotgun mic should be perfect for me, atleast for now.
 
Since this is camera equipment we can sell on MM no problems, if I were to put my shotgun mic up on MM would you be interested? I was intending to eBay it. I've found the Stereo Videomic Pro with windcutter and case for a good price so will order that.
 
mrk said:
Since this is camera equipment we can sell on MM no problems, if I were to put my shotgun mic up on MM would you be interested? I was intending to eBay it. I've found the Stereo Videomic Pro with windcutter and case for a good price so will order that.
Click to expand...

If I had access to the MM I would! I'm only about 850 posts off. :(
 
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