Sennheiser SKP 100 G2 plug-on transmitter
 

Hi:
Got me a Sennheiser SKP 100 G2 plug-on transmitter. Now I am hunting for a gun-mike that could be used with that plug-on. As I understand, not every mike works with it.
So, does anybody have a redhot idea which sort/make/brand of gun-mike to buy?
Thanx!

You'll need something battery powered. A lot of people like the Rode NTG-2.

I'm pretty sure it will work with most XLR microphones, not just powered mics. I love the quality of the Shure Beta 58, but it might be a bit short for interview use. Sennheiser's long-handled MD-46 is a good choice too.

SKP100 and SKP500 Differences re Phantom Power
 

The SKP100 will ONLY work with XLR mics that have their own power supply (e.g. a battery within the mic).

I went through all this (in great detail) about a year ago which is why I bought a SKP500 that has the ability to power any XLR mic, if required, by a menu option. Senny's website information about all this (at least back then when I last checked) was very ambiguous - to say the least!

A quick search should find the thread on here. Cheers!

Edit: Adding link.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-thin...ce-please.html

It works with any microphone that does NOT need phantom power or T-power. So any dynamic mic and condenser mics with battery will work.

Mario is 100% correct.

True, but he asked for a gun-mic. I don't know of any modern shotgun microphones that are dynamic. There may be, I just don't know of any. I know EV use to make them many years ago.

Kevin: Mario's statement is true - any dynamic mic OR condenser WITH IT'S OWN BATTERY will work. If a mic REQUIRES Phantom (Like the RODE NTG-1, but NOT the NTG-2) it will not work with the plug on.

Shaun, Heiner asked for a gun-mic. Most (all?) shotgun mics require either Phantom, T-power, or a battery. The SKP100 doesn't supply Phantom or T-power so he needs one that can be battery powered, like the NTG-2 that I recommended. Of course the SKP100 will work with dynamic mics, but I don't see how that applies to what he is asking?

RØDE Microphones - NTG-2

I must admit to have overlooked the fact that Heiner is looking for a shotgun (no dynamics there). Nevertheless these threads are being read much later in an other context as well, so it can't hurt to give the extra information.

Back on topic, another suggestion for a shotgun mic which has an internal battery is the k6 system from Sennheiser with an ME66 (supercardioid) or ME67 (hypercardioid) capsule. Be sure not to buy the K6P, which only can be used with phantom power.

Hi guys:
An expert (which he hopefully is) from Germany advised me to get me a Beyerdynamic M59 handheld mike. It is dynamic and is hypercardioid.
How do you feel about this solution?
Heiner/Finland

One can buy phantom power supplies, they come with a belt clip and run for ages from a 9V battery. Whilst that does mean running a cable from the mic to the PS and then to the transmitter in say your pocket this is not such a bad thing.
The transmitter in question is quite heavy and large. I've tried using one plugged into a 416 all inside a blimp and it wasn't such a great idea. The extra weight added more load on the shock mount than was good for it and it wasn't too hard to get the transmitter to bang against the cage.

If you are seriously considering this mic, I believe you need to study some of the threads to get acquainted with the different types of mic's.

It all depends on the way you are going to use the mic. The Beyer is an interview mic meant to be used close to the sound source (30 - 60 cm). The hypercardioid pattern makes sure not to much of the surrounding sound is being recorded.

If you are looking for a mic that can be used a meter or two away from the source you will need a condenser mic (higher sensitivity). These mic's are usually placed on a boom.

There is also a difference in recording in house or outside. For every situation there is a different mic that fit's best. If you only want to buy one mic, choose a small diaphragm condenser mic with a hypercardiod pattern, not a shotgun. (shotguns tend to give a very unnatural sound when used inside). If you want to learn more there is lot's of information about this subject on this forum.

Don't think a mic on top of your camera will work well! Get as close to the sound source as possible.

I realize this information makes it only more difficult for you to choose. If you want specific advice, please let us know how you want to use the equipment.

Edit: I read in another thread that you own a Rode NTG-1. Maybe it is an option to sell that one and buy a Rode NTG-2, basically the same mic with a battery power option.

The Beyer M59 is more suited for on-stage vocals.
For a TV/radio reporters type mic, choose a hand-held omni-directional dynamic, like the venerable EV RE-50 or 635A for instance.
For boom work, a 'pencil' style battery-powered hypercard.
However a boom mic is NOT a good idea either, unless the boom-op can monitor what he or she is doing.

The quote that I am referring to EXPLICITLY mentions dynamic AND condensers WITH BATTERY.

Can you or anyone confirm if the SKP500 delivers enough power to the Rode NTG-2, for it to have a clear and undisrupted recording.

I have a NTG-2, which has an option for selfpowered phantom, by one AA battery, but I noticed with great discomfort that uppon vibration from the boom, the sound stutters. It sounds allmost as if a helicopter is flying nearby.

Would SKP500 fix that?

If you own a NTG-2 AND a SKP500/2000, I would appreciate greatly for a test, where you first power the mic alone with the single AA battery, and then with the SKP500 phantom, and test both scenarios for audible vibration stutter. It should pick up fairly easy. I just aim the mic at my cooling fan, and hear the stutter when I gently tap the boom, making the top end vibrate at high frequency. Thanks.

The SKP 100 G2/G3 will work with any XLR mic. that does not require external power.

This means any condenser with a built-in battery or any dynamic mic.

The SKP 500 G2 and SKP 2000 (G3) *do* supply 48V phantom power if this is needed.

In the UK the SKP 100 is mostly used with Sennheiser's own K6/ME66 combination as a gun mic.

John I have to correct you here.. If your reply was meant for me. Two AA 1,5 volt batteries cannot supply 48 Volts of power. It's like expecting a dying horse to toe a wagon. It might be sufficient to keep the mic working, however not 48V

So as I said.. The NTG-2 internal battery will NOT give sufficient power to the mic for a clear unstuttering sound.. Will the SKP 500 with its two batteries?

It's magic... or done with a 'transformer'.

Nik,

can't help you with a NTG-2 and SK500 test but I can tell you that my NTG-3 output is very weak with this SKP500 and so I don't use that combination.

The SKP500 works really well with some other mics that I have used it with - especially my Senny e835 used in a reporter style. I have used the SKP500 directly on the end of it, but that's a bit heavy, so I tend to put it on a 1M XLR lead and let them wear the SKP500 on a belt - and just hand hold the e835 mic to themselves or the interviewee.

I personally don't regard the NTG-3 as a particularly "hot" mic, by the way, even when fed Phantom 48V from my EX3 or Fostex FR2-LE (but, my o my, I love the sound from it!).

I'll let the many "audio gurus" who browse these pages tell us why this is exactly (the NTG-2 &/or 3s output being weak with the SKP500 or AA battery power) - but sounds like you might have a handle on at least one potential reason already.

Not an exact answer to your specific question but close and I hope this helps!

A battery powered mic in good working condition should not stutter when used with battery power. It seems that your copy has a bad connection or some other fault.

There are inverters that can translate 1.5V up to very high voltages; however, it can only provide a small amount of current. It's like hooking up that dying horse to an efficient pulley system. Now the dying horse can pull the wagon, but not very quickly and not very long. A condenser mic just needs to charge a capacitor. It draws very little current, so one battery can do the job.

In general, a battery powered mic can't handle high SPLs as well as it can with true phantom power. At moderate and low SPLs, the specs are usually about the same.

I have a friend who uses the NT-2 with a juicedLink CX211 (no phantom power), and it sounds great without any hint of stuttering.

Thanks for all replies.

I am pretty sure that the mic has no defects. We had three of them testet in a lab, all with same result, they stutter if exposed to high frequency vibration when selfpowered. But work perfectly if external phantom power is turned on.

I was hoping that the combination of three batteries (one in the mic and two in the skp500 transmitter) would fix my problem.

PS: Rick you're a funny guy.

Nik, it is not possible to combine the power of the battery of the NTG and the SKP500. If you use internal batteries with the mic, external power is turned off.

I use the SKP-100 G2 on a daily basis with two different mics. The Rode NTG-2 on my Boompole set and the ElektroVoice Re-50 for interviews. Both work perfect with the SKP-100. The NTG-2 still needs to be powerd by the internal battery.

Of course two 1.5V AA batteries can supply 48V - you just put it through a DC/DC converter to up the voltage.

This is how G2 and G3 transmitters work anyway. The voltage to power the tie mic. is about 5V anyway (more than the 3V of two AA cells).

The batteries go via a DC/DC converter to give the voltage required by the transmitter - as the battery voltage goes down the transmitter draws more current and is always operating at full power until the batteries die.

The SKP 500 G2 and SKP 2000 (G3) operate in the same way to supply 48V phantom - but with phantom "on" the battery life drops from about 8-hours to about 5-hours.

And you never had any stutter issues? Thats strange. Did we get a faulty batch of mics or something?

I've read in the past that some combinations of phantom-powered mics, small mixers powered by 2xAA batteries supplying 48v phantom power, and some hungry-for-power-headphones will exhibit a condition called "motorboating", where there isn't enough power to keep the whole system stable. Perhaps you've run into a bad combo of items trying to work together and pulling too much power.

For example, my Behringer 1002 (I THINK I have the model number right...) portable table top mixer takes 2 x 9v for running the mixer and a separate 9v for running the transformer that runs the 48v Phantom Power section.