What handheld Interview Microphone?? In a rush!

[Matthew Stokes]

Hi there! This is a last minute requirement, so hope someone can help in time!

I have been hired to film a series of vox pop type interviews next week at a conference! The client will be speaking to random people for short interviews around the conference floor. This is a simple one man shoot...no boom mikes here!

Can someone recommend what I should buy? Im presuming a hand held microphone is the best option? My budget is around $200-$300 (although I will be buying from here in the UK, so under £200). The conference will not be MEGA noisy, but there will other noise around to avoid. I really need to order this today, so please get back asap with any recommendations?!

It would be handy if the microphone could also be good for other uses to, where possible!

many thanks!

[Paul R Johnson]

Beyer M58 - long handle, omni, bullet proof, sounds good close in, looks nice too!

[Romuald Martin]

A mic with a cardioid pattern will do the job.

The Sennheiser MD46 was designed for outdoor and slight wind. It picks one foot away and attenuates any sound beyond eliminating some background noise. I have seen it under $200.

[Phil Murray]

I agree with Romuald, the Sennheiser MD46 might be perfect for you. It's designed for exactly that kind of situation. I've used it in loud sports stadiums and it does a super job of getting good interview sound while not picking up off-axis sounds. B&H sells it for $200 and you can read more positive reviews on their website.

[Shaun Roemich]

We had a Senny MD46 in our satellite live truck for those occasions when NOTHING else would do except a cardioid handheld in close proximity to the speaker. Another +1.

[Michael Foo]

My vote is for the Electro Voice RE50N/D-B. Low handling noise, good indoors or outdoors and cheap ($168).

[John Willett]

Sennheiser MD 46 is the one - £176 from DV247 in the UK.

[Ansel Brandt]

i'm a big fan of the audio technica at8010 omni. it's a condenser so it has a fairly hot output, and can be battery powered so it's great for wireless. you'd have to stick it right up in the subject's face though. also comes in cardioid versions at8031 at8033 (don't ask me what the difference is).

i would actually use a handheld shotgun, like the rode ntg-2. cheap, battery powered, great for interviews.

[David Tamés]

Both the Sennheiser MD46 (cardioid) and Electro-Voice RE50 (omnidirectional) are good choices. Part of it depends on how you're going to hold the microphone. The cardioid MD46 will have better off-axis noise rejection and can operate slightly farther from the speaker than the RE50 omnidirectional, but placement is a little tricker with a cardioid. For hand-held microphone work I personally prefer an omnidirectional, so I own the RE50 for this purpose, as long as I can get close enough to the speaker, because it's less sensitive to the subject moving their head while they are talking.

[Vincent Rozenberg]

Sennheiser MD46 is cardioid, more directive so a bit more difficult. If you have a less experienced "mic user" then I would recommend the MD42, which is omni. Though a bit less useful in loud environments. I prefer the MD42 over the EV RE50, simple because it sounds way better.

[Vincent Rozenberg]

Originally Posted by Ansel Brandt

i would actually use a handheld shotgun, like the rode ntg-2. cheap, battery powered, great for interviews.

But that mic has huge handling noise so you need a shotgun grip for it..

[David Tamés]

Originally Posted by Vincent Rozenberg

[...] I prefer the MD42 over the EV RE50, simple because it sounds way better.

But the MD42 is heavier and physically longer than the RE50, so while the MD42 might sound a little bit better (it's a subjective thing after all), I ended up choosing the smaller and lighter and less expensive of the two to carry in my backpack. Both are excellent microphones and will provide a good solution for a professional, rock-solid hand-held reporters microphone with minimal handling noise.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Vincent Rozenberg

Sennheiser MD46 is cardioid, more directive so a bit more difficult. If you have a less experienced "mic user" then I would recommend the MD42, which is omni. Though a bit less useful in loud environments. I prefer the MD42 over the EV RE50, simple because it sounds way better.

Yes, the MD 42 omni is the one the BBC tend to prefer.

But if you hold the MD 46 properly - ie: vertically between yourself and the interviewee, then it will be almost omni where you want it to be, but reject reflections from the ground.

[Paul R Johnson]

I love the typo in Sennheiser's blurb

* ply sound inlet basket provides increased protection from wind and pop noise
* metal housing
* mount capsule ensures low sensitivity to handling noise
* directional pick-up pattern ensures excellent speech intelligibility without having to point the microphone directly at your interview partner

my italics

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Ansel Brandt

i would actually use a handheld shotgun, like the rode ntg-2. cheap, battery powered, great for interviews.

Originally Posted by Vincent Rozenberg

But that mic has huge handling noise so you need a shotgun grip for it..

Although not NEARLY as much handling noise as the Sennheiser ME66/K6 mic that is ubiquitous in Canadian television news.