Rode NT4 on Camera?

[Lee Mullen]

Is anybody using this stereo XY mic on their cameras? Does it fit in most shock mounts?

[Richard Crowley]

NT4 is very heavy. I have several cameras that weigh less than my NT4.
NT4 does not fit ANY "normal" shock mounts. It is quite large in diameter.
NT4 is also a stereo microphone which makes it unsuitable for most anything but music and ambience recording.
Putting ANY microphone ON the camera is almost NEVER the right place.

[Gary Nattrass]

and depending on the camera used all you will tend to get are some nice recordings of zoom servo noise, camera creaking and operator breathing and groaning.

As said ANY mic on a camera is not good but for ENG and general FX use a small shotgun can be useful but any stereo mic will tend to pick up more of the above!

[Lee Mullen]

Haha thanks for the wisdom. I shall avoid it then. :)

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Jalan Salur

Haha thanks for the wisdom. I shall avoid it then. :)

No need to avoid the NT4 - it's a nice inexpensive stereo mic.

Just don't use it on-camera.

[Lee Mullen]

Are there any smaller XY type mics that could be attached?

[Richard Crowley]

What are you trying to record? Did you miss that advice that putting ANY kind of microphone ON the camera is a bad idea?

[Brian P. Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Jalan Salur

Are there any smaller XY type mics that could be attached?

RDE Microphones - Stereo VideoMic Pro

[Gary Nattrass]

Originally Posted by Jalan Salur

Are there any smaller XY type mics that could be attached?

If you must do stereo ambience on a camera it is far better to fit an M/S mic as the front capsule will always be pointing in the direction of the action, it will still record some nice servo and camera creaking but at least you can mono it easier.

I use a small sony ECM MS907 with my little canon HF11 handycam but tend to use it away from the camera nearer to the action and it works a treat.

My ENG camera's have panasonic AJ-MC700P MONO small shotguns on them but they are only there for general FX and as a back-up to any location recording.

[Gary Nattrass]

Originally Posted by Brian P. Reynolds

RDE Microphones - Stereo VideoMic Pro

and cue the why doesn't it sound like hollywood sound track so therefore I must need a sep recorder threads!

or will it help if I record in 5.1 ???

;0)

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Richard Crowley

What are you trying to record? Did you miss that advice that putting ANY kind of microphone ON the camera is a bad idea?

Agreed.

A stereo mic. on a camera sounds horrible - not only for picking up handling and motor noise, but also the stereo image moves as you move the camera which is horrible.

[Brian P. Reynolds]

Originally Posted by John Willett

Agreed.

A stereo mic. on a camera sounds horrible - not only for picking up handling and motor noise, but also the stereo image moves as you move the camera which is horrible.

But isn't that how the human head works.... If you turn your head the image that arrives at your ears ALSO moves.

It is often a point of discussion in sound design with producing video / films, should the audio image be fixed compared to the video image OR should the audio image move at the same rate as the video image? Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

[Allan Black]

Yes we record aircraft videos for companies and a piston engine aircraft taxing past in stereo with the camera panning certainly works.

Knowing that we can accentuate it and let the plane start camera right (or left) and move across the frame as we pan.
And the VideomicPros are mounted on the cameras.

So I agree with Brian (and not because he's sitting on 20 trillion dollars worth of oil :) it's a matter of sound design and taste.

Cheers.

[Gary Nattrass]

Originally Posted by Allan Black

Yes we record aircraft videos for companies and a piston engine aircraft taxing past in stereo with the camera panning certainly works.

Knowing that we can accentuate it and let the plane start camera right (or left) and move across the frame as we pan.
And the VideomicPros are mounted on the cameras.

So I agree with Brian (and not because he's sitting on 20 trillion dollars worth of oil :) it's a matter of sound design and taste.

Cheers.

But if a sound source comes from a plane taking off from camera right and you pan left as it takes off the sound will remain in the right channel ? and if you are behind it with the pan it will start left go thru centre and end up in the right which totally the opposite to the camera perspective?

Can you post a sound example as moving the camera will change the stereo imaging and not give a correct stereo image of the plane panning from right thru centre to exit left as should be correct from the fixed axis of where the camera is positioned!

[Gary Nattrass]

Originally Posted by Brian P. Reynolds

But isn't that how the human head works.... If you turn your head the image that arrives at your ears ALSO moves.

It is often a point of discussion in sound design with producing video / films, should the audio image be fixed compared to the video image OR should the audio image move at the same rate as the video image? Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

NO you do not hear or perceive audio that way and we certainly do not move stereo imaging around in post to suit the camera perspective as it will make you dizzy and is not correct for the way the brain detects spatial audio imagery!

You can hear in full spatial perspective but you do not see the world in that way so panning or moving the sound stage to match a limited field of view is not natural!