Indoor Boom Microphones: Oktava MK-012, RODE NT5, Audio Technica AT4053b
In my efforts to help you choose a microphone for recording dialogue indoors, here is another comparison of three cardioid (to hyper-cardioid) options: The Oktava MK-012 (cardioid), RODE NT5 (cardioid) and the Audio Technica AT4053B (hyper-cardioid). We take a closer look and listen with female and male sample clips, demonstrations of off-axis sound rejection, off-axis phase issues or coloration, handling noise, self-noise, and my overall impressions. I hope you find it helpful!
Links to gear discussed and used to record this episode:
Oktava MK-012 (cardioid capsule)
Oktava MK-012 (hyper-cardioid capsule “Movie Set”)
Sound Devices 633 Audio Recorder/Mixer:
Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro Camera (talking head shots were filmed with this:
Panasonic GH5 Camera
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Boom Mic, Lav Mic, Poly Wav Files, and Walla
In this week's sound for video session I discuss some of the practical things with a corporate video shoot:
- Boom mics vs/and lav mics (Which I typically end up using, bleed, etc)
- Poly Wav Files
- Walla, what it is and how I mix it with dialogue
Better Sound: How to Boom Your Camera Shotgun Mic
When you bought your camera-top shotgun microphone, like a RODE VideoMic Pro, you were expecting to get much better sound. But if you’re shooting a talking head or interview type of video, you may have been disappointed at the results when the mic was mounted on top of the camera.
The secret to getting much better dialogue sound from mics like this is to get the microphone much closer to the talent and boom it from above, pointing down at a 45 degree angle. You’ll generally want to get the mic within 40 - 60cm of the mouth of the person speaking, if you can.
In this episode, we cover how to boom your mic like this so that you’ll get much better dialogue sound. We also quickly discuss the gear you’ll need to make this work.
So here's the list of gear you'll need to make this work:
- On-stage Microphone Boom Stand - ~$25 USD, I've had mine for over five years and it has seen a lot of use, and is holding up nicely. Mostly metal and not to bad to transport for location shoots
- Adapter for your particular microphone to attach it to the mic stand. If you have a RODE VideoMic Pro, you'll want this 3/8" to 5/8" adapter. Most other mics have 1/4" threaded taps so you'll need this 1/4" to 5/8" adapter.
- RODE VC1 Extension Cable. Now that you've boomed the mic much closer to the person speaking, you'll need a way to connect the mic's 3.5mm plug to your camera or audio recorder. This is the one I use and it is about three meters long.
Optional items (but I recommend the sandbags or some other creative way to stabilize your mic stand)
- Saddle Style Sand Bags to stabilize the mic stand. You provide the sand and I highly recommend that you put the sand in heavy ziploc style bags first, then put the ziploc into these saddle bags. You'll have far fewer spills. And spouses and property owners aren't usually too thrilled when you spill sand all over their wood floor. :)
- If your microphone doesn't have a threaded tap on the bottom, only a coldshoe mount, you will also need an adapter like this.
Happy recording with much better sounding dialogue audio!
K-Tek Carbon Fiber Boom Pole Special Pricing
B&H has special pricing on the carbon fiber K-Tek Avalon KEG 150CCR boom pole. This is the pole I use and I don't think I could be happier with it.
It is amazingly lightweight, sturdy, internally cabled (with a coiled cable so it doesn't slap around inside the pole), and has a right angle XLR connector at the base of the pole so that I can rest the pole on the ground between takes. The XLR female connector at the top of the pole comes with a plastic webbing on it to prevent the connector from damaging the carbon fiber pole when not connected to a mic. Thoughtful design through and through.
This pole has five sections and extends to 12.5 feet which has not left me wishing for more reach yet. The twist lock for each section is very smooth and firm.
No, it isn't a cheap, but this is a pole that should serve for years to come. You can buy replacement parts. (try that with budget options and I think this is one of the big differentiators of pro vs. consumer gear - products that can be serviced).
Reviews Coming Up: Zoom F8, K-Tek Boompole, Rycote Zeppelin
In the previous video, you'll hear that I just received the Rycote Modular Windshield Kit 4 more commonly known as a zeppelin cover for shotgun mics. These are the huge covers that pro location sound people use out in the field to keep wind noise out of the recording
Also testing out my first proper boom pole from K-tek. The KEG 150 CCR is a carbon fiber 12.5 foot, 5 section pole with an internal, coiled cable so you don't have to fuss with a cable wrapped around the outside. I'm interested to see how quietly it operates. I've heard some people say that sometimes the internal coiled cables that make some noise and mess with your recordings. It also has a very nice XLR connector on the side of the pole so you can rest the end of the pole on the ground without messing with your cable. Nice touch
And I can hardly wait for the UPS guy tomorrow because he's bringing the new ZOOM F8 field recorder! Woot! Been waiting since April at NAB to get my hands on one of these and see how they sound and how well they work both on a cart and in a bag.
