Cheap Microphones - An Explanation.

There are more misconceptions about shotgun or short-gun microphones than anything else. They are directional, sort of, but are not the aural equivelant of a telephoto lens. They work by rejecting sound from the sides using an interference tube. In essence this tube delays the sounds coming from the sides, or "off-axis" in such a way that they cancel each other out. Where it has difficulties is with middle and lower tones and with echoes. So, a shotgun microphone ten feet from the speaker will still sound "distant" or "roomy". For recording the spoken word at the best quality, even a shotgun should be no more than a yard from the speaker.

It's also worth noting that off axis sounds lose some of their spectrum, resulting in speech sounding distorted if you aim the microphone incorrectly.

The top Shotgun microphones are the Schoeps CMT5U and the Sennheiser MKH60, both costing over £1500. Next, at just under a grand, comes the Sennheiser workhorse the "416", a solid microphone which has been around since the seventies and is still going strong. These microphones will last for ever. One of our most prolific members is using a thirty year old MKH416 and it still sounds superb.

Moving down the scale are the sort of "shotguns" which most enthusiasts or semi-pro videographers should be looking at. The Rode NTG3, the Sennheiser K6 range and the Audio Technica 8035 and 4071 mics all around the £400 - £500 range.

In the budget shotgun section the only serious contender, in my opinion, is the AT897 at around £150. Anything less will sound poor. It doesn't matter how you phrase the question or how many times you ask, the answer remains the same... Cheap microphones sound cheap.

The biggest restriction on your choice of microphone will be the powering required. Most profesional microphones need "48v phantom powering" which professional camcorders deliver through the xlr cable. If your camcorder doesn't deliver 48v phantom power then it doesn't mean that you can't use pro microphones, there are alternatives.

Some mics, such as the Audio Technica AT897 and the Sennheiser K6 system have the ability to power themselves with an AA 1.5 volt battery which fits into the microphone. It results in a slightly weaker signal than if phantom power were available but it means that you can (with an appropriate adapter) use these mics with any camcorder, even those with a 3.5mm socket.

Alternatively you can buy a Location Mixer, a sort of electronic handbag which enables you to adjust the volume and mix various mics together. It's not the sort of thing you can operate at the same time as the camera, so it requires a sound assistant.

Finally you can get a 48v supply. This delivers phantom power to the mic.
http://www.artproaudio.com/products....0&cat=13&id=70

If you are starting out and/or don't anticipate going pro in the near future I would recommend the Audio Technica At897 as a good value-for-money shotgun microphone at about £150.

Audio-Technica - Microphones, headphones, wireless microphone systems, noise-cancelling headphones & more : AT897 Line + Gradient Condenser Microphone