Stereo Shotgun Recommendations
 

Can anyone recommend a mid-$$-range, camera-mountable (XHA1), short stereo shotgun that delivers great stereo seperation?

Looking at the AT BP4029; Any endorsements? Thanks.

Stereo Shotguns don't really exist - they are either/or switcfhable between a stereo mic or a shotgun mic. Stereo means a widespread soundfield by definition while shtoguns are narrow and highly directional.

That being said, what is your specific application, that is, what are you shooting and recording?

I realize that's a slight contradiction in terms, but I'm looking to record mostly ambient audio and dialogue if need be. Stereo seperation from the mic on-board (A1) is fairly lackluster IMO. I say short shotgun for convenience and practicality on-camera (as is standard on the Canon XL2, XLH1, etc).

On-camera mics are okay for recording general ambience and stereo is not a bad idea, though somewhat awkward. As the camera pans the stereo soundscape is going to pan as well and that can sometimes be disconcerting to the viewer. But as far as dialog recording, fugeddaboutit. While short guns are standard on most prosumer and pro ENG cameras, they're not actually used for production sound all that often. Dialog recording needs the mic to be quite close to the subject for optimum sound quality, usually with 3 feet, and that will almost never be a place from which you'll get interesting images. The on-camera mics you note are really only used for such things as breaking news where getting anything, no matter how awful, is better than not bringing home the story at all. That, or recording scratch tracks where the production sound is recorded to an external recorder and the in-camera sound is merely used as a sync reference in post.

Thanks Steve. We shoot a lot of weddings and unfortunately boom poles and ADR aren't really options ;) We shoot multiple cameras with at least one set of wireless lavs for clean dialogue, and a second system (digital audio recorder) patched through the PA or DJ board for the officiants, reception announcements, any other PA, etc.

The stereo shotgun would be our main source for ambience. Altough it's primary residence would be on-camera, it's summer home would most likely be off-camera on a fix mount ;)

Kevin

I thought a stereo mic like the Senhheiser 418 would be good for mono & sterao option but its not that simple. Look at this thread. The experts on the forum really explain it well in relation to Sennheiser mics, but would apply to any.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/all-thing...explained.html

What I've come to discover about the 418s is that unless I'm going to do the mix-down, most people screw up the MS recording I give them from this mic (no matter what I tell them in the sound report). If you don't mind decoding the MS signal from this mic, it's really a nice microphone, but my experience has been that people doing post on audio really would rather not be bothered by having to decode the MS signal.

Wayne

AT835st
 

I'll throw in a vote for the above mic -- has switch for LR narrow/ LR wide and Mid-side as well as LF rolloff. Comes with 5-3Pin XLR, requires phantom power.
I like to use it to record a choir when I cant run other mics. I can get the all ambiance and dynamically remove it (reducing hall reverb) in post when a speaker comes up. You can use it as mono shotgun simply by not using the side channel.
Free decoder for vegas from Voxengo MSED is a mid/side encoder/decoder.

Weddings.. I see. I think I understand your question in the XH A1 forum now more.

I think what you are looking for is a way to get your sound to pop out at you instead.

I think a regular shotgun like the AT 875R would work better for you.

James, is that mic still available? I thought it had been replaced by the BP4029.

The AT835ST and BP4029 are basically the same AFAIK, the newer (BP) model uses less poisons.

AT875R is a mono mic, is it not?

ATBP4029 is the new designation for the AT835ST. Same M/S stereo mic; new name. Anyone have any test footage posted with the BP?

I'd also love thoughts from experience (or otherwise) on any compact stereo condensor... From the $70 Sony ECM-MS907 to the $500-range Rode NT4, etc.

Thanks.

Probably not in your price range, but they do exist:

SEN MKH 418S

when you are editing footage and adding audio in, are you adding an ambient track also?

Kevin,

For more of a budget offering (approx $350?), check out the Beyer MCE72. I find it great for ambient sound, without having to break the bank to afford a Senny.

I posted a quick sample here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/811843-post28.html

I ruled out the Rode NT4 because of the form factor, I didn't think it would sit well atop my camera.