Best Shotgun Mic for $200-400?

[Adam Gold]

Ah, if only. That post is from 2007.

[Brian David Melnyk]

i have an AT-875R. i think it is a good mic for voice, but it rolls off a little too much low end to sound really natural... i like having the option to choose for myself what frequencies get rolled off! anyway, if you need an all around mic to also record ambiance etc., i would not recommend it. i generally end up using sE-A1 mics as a stereo pair for just about everything- ambiance, acoustic guitars, drums, room mics.... they sound great, but they are cardioid not shotguns and also need phantom (no batteries). for interviews the AT-875R gets relegated to an on-camera mic and i stick an sE-A1 on a mic stand as close as i can get. or if i need a translator, the AT goes on another mic stand to capture the translation to tape (invaluable for editing!).

[Vito DeFilippo]

Originally Posted by Adam Gold

Ah, if only. That post is from 2007.

Darnit! didn't notice someone resurrected an ancient thread. He's active again, though. Just wish we would see him here.

[Michael Rockmore]

Originally Posted by Gary Nattrass

Here is a demo clip from a drama shoot I recently did, this has an AT 875 on a boom about 3-4 feet away:YouTube - 0004OS - iPhone.m4v

Note this is the master wide shot, single cut aways were done to pick up the dialogue closer but it all cuts in very well.

2nd clip shot outside:YouTube - 00104R - iPhone.m4v

Note the slight clipping is from the you tube decode and you can see the boom dip into shot in the latter part of the scene, this was a hand held cutaway but the mic was still straight into the camera.

Sounds great Gary thanks for the post. On the opening shot of the exterior scene, where was the mic? I'm setting up audio on a budget for a Canon 550D and will also be looking for a field recorder in the same budget level if you have any suggestions. I already have one high end Sony wired lav and thought I could use it on a second channel for ambient sound.

[Gary Nattrass]

The mic is on the interior top right just out of frame just above where the clapperboard was and about 3-4 feet from the actors. It was on a gitzo carbon fibre boom swung by Ed Sunman.

The ext shot it was just above their heads and around 1-2 feet away, you can see it dip into shot near the end as I was hand held for this cutaway.