I got a $1,500 budget and need help

[CJ Henke III]

To all whom may help,

 

I was recently assigned to sound for a 10 minute documentary/ research scholarship and I have $1,500 to purchase any and all audio equipment necessary.

 

I do not want a dat recorder and would like to run the audio into a DVX-100 directly.

 

Basically I believe I am looking for this:

 

A belt mount XLR mixer

 

A Shotgun Microphone

 

Boom Pole

 

Wind-Defuser

 

HQ Headphones

 

and 2 XLR cords.

 

Does anyone have any professional input as to what I should get specifically. Especially the audio mixer. If any of these exceed the budget, please fill me in on what would be the best for recording Natural/ Non-flat, sounding audio priced out through B&H photo.

 

Thanks

[Matthew R Rodwell]

NTG2 Basic Kit from BHPhotovideo.com which contains a Rode NTG2 (exterior mic) a good softie, boom and shockmount ($580) along with a Sound Design Mixpre ($670) + Bag ($150) and a Oktava MK012 w/ Hyper Cardiod Cap ($180) and a pair of Sony 7506 headphones ($100)

 

Its $180 over your budget, you can omit the Oktava if you would like but it will do a much better job on the interior recordings than the NTG2, but if you can afford to have both I would recommend it.

[CJ Henke III]

I don't know about that.

 

Rode and Oktava.

 

I was more or less focusing on the Sennheiser MKH-416. It starts at $1,099 dollars, but I don't think any mic or kit through bandh can come close to the performance of the 416.

 

It even has a stellar review.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7950...l#goto_itemInfo

[Matthew R Rodwell]

I don't know about that.

 

Rode and Oktava.

 

I was more or less focusing on the Sennheiser MKH-416. It starts at $1,099 dollars, but I don't think any mic or kit through bandh can come close to the performance of the 416.

 

It even has a stellar review.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7950...l#goto_itemInfo

 

The 416 is a great mic for exterior recordings but it is way to reflective to get a good indoor recording, its recommended to get a hypercardiod for interior and the Oktava is the best bang for the buck in its price range when it comes down to hypers. If you get the 416 You will blow 2/3 of your budget on just an outdoor mic then you will have to settle for a low end mixer, windscreen, boom, cables, headset and dont forget to throw in a hypercardiod mic for interior recordings.

 

If you can get more money for your audio budget then I would suggest getting the 416 but you have a very limited budget and spending 2/3 of it on just one mic doesnt seem to make a whole lot of sense.

[Bernhard Zitz]

I was more or less focusing on the Sennheiser MKH-416. It starts at $1,099 dollars, but I don't think any mic or kit through bandh can come close to the performance of the 416.

Even if you see (hear) them less these days, you can't go wrong with a 416, it's still a good investment.

 

It depends what you do.

 

If you shoot urban outdoors with interviews or dialog: go for a medium shotgun like the 416. But you still need a boom, a shock-mount and a mixer. I wouldn't save money buying a cheap mixer, I'd buy at least the Sound Design Mixpre.

 

If you do fast indoor stuff where you have to cover several people at the same time, a cardio or hypercardio is better. For ambient sound cardios are better as well.

 

I did some ENG sound last year. Standard is one short shotgun (MKH-60). That's ok for in-and outdoor, if you interview people that don't move.

 

One of the best mics under 1k is the sanken cs1. Being a short shotgun it has a wider pickup pattern than a Mkh-416 but sounds to my ears more natural. Its pickup pattern is between a hypercardio and a mkh-60. This could be a good compromise, having real good sound, maybe wider than a 416 but more forgiving in fast action.