hi all - After some advice or assistance pls....

I'm going to be recording some interviews for a friend of mine on a SonyDCR VX2100E and looking at the camera I think im going to need something better that the in built mic to capture the sound for the interviews.

I really don't have much money to spend on buying a mic so any suggestions as to what what budgets mics I could get would be great.. I'm guess either hand held or tie clip mics.... although if someone can reccommend anything else im all ears!!

Thanks in advance for your help!

It all depends on the enviroment you will be in the type of look / vibe you want.

If a hand held mike is approprite, and remember this gives a much more controlled feel, then you cant go wromg with a sure sm58. 50 quid new if you shop around.

If you post more details i can blther on more.

hi, well the interviews will be recorded indoors and will mainly be one on one interviews with the interviewer out of shot (and if he shuts up long enough - out of the final edit as well) and so i guess a clip mic would be more appropriate. -Are zoom mics not generally recommeded for this type of stuff (excuse my ignorance im new at all this!)

I have a clip mic and a zoom - to my ears the zoom ic ( £ 1000 ) sounds better tha na similar quality clip.

The clip mic gives a chesty sound but the zzom sounds very 'real' with the bit of ambience it also captures - but it is a grands worth.

A sm58 has a slighty cardiod pattern so that will give good results used non hand held. Place in fromt of the talent and so long as it is 4 ish feet away it should work very well.

edit

sm58s are everywhere too, easy to borrow if you know people in a band.

ok, thats great, - yer haven't quite got a grand to spend on it all yet, so the sm-58 i think it is, should i try and get it on a little stand for the best chance of capturing clean sound?

stand? - yes probably but i am a tight arse and just prop mine or use gaffer tape.

Marks right, the shure sm57 and 58 are the best mics you can get for vocals for the price. 57 is a bit more versatile and can be used for instruments as well. 58 is aimed more at vocals. I think it even has a built in popfilter? Not sure what they cost where you live, but here in Canada they range from $100-150. It is worth it, these are very durable mics. I have heard storys of people using them as hammers for a last resorts when setting up gigs, and they still work perfect after.

Audio Techinca is one of my favourite brands for microphones. Excellent quality for a cheap price. I have the at2020 which does a really amazing job with vocals. But you need a very quiet room, and phantom power. Its also around $150.

I also have a couple audio technica ATR35s condenser lavs. They take batterys though. When I first saw them on the internet for $25 I figured these must be junk. But the quality is actually amazing for the price. If your looking for a cheap solution buy one of these. Just dont cross the 20 foot cables over any electrical wires or else you might get a bit of hum. Its also mini plug so you may need to get an xlr adapter for your cam.

You can get stands pretty cheap. I think I payed a total $28.00 for my Apex at the local music shop.