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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Sennheiser MD 46 is the one - £176 from DV247 (http://www.dv247.com/microphones/sennheiser-md-46-dynamic-cardioid-reporters-microphone--32573) in the UK.

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.

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.

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.

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..

[...] 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.

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.

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

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..

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

Any shotty such as Rode NTG-2 with a dead rat furry cover, and a plug-in transmitter. Good for any ENG situation. If its too windy, place it in the Rode Blimp.

Standard ENG setup down here.

Ben

someone mention the Senny ME66, seems to be getting a pretty bad press hereabouts lately.

Last used mine at a mammoth street party (The Victorian Festival) "up the coast" aways in Omarou. The missus held the mic and did the interviewing whilst I shot camera and gave directions for questions over the wireless intercom (we were guests of the district Mayor, so pretty well had the run of the place [very cool indeed and did we out - shoot and out audio the local TV bods or what] - did we heck! The "locals" damn near had heart attacks when they saw the contents of my wagon, never seen kit like it).

Used with a Rycote hand held shock mount, no handling noise whatsoever and it even kept an adjacent "Oompah" band at bay despite being only 3 metres away!

Totally too late for our original poster and infinately beyond the stated budget, but I won't be trading mine in any time soon.

It's an oldun but a goodun (bit like me, really).


CS

Chris, don't get me wrong, the ME66 is a great mic BUT it is RIFE with handling noise AND is "growly" in the upper mids compared to the Rode NTG1 & 2 at less than half the price. Sold my ME66 a couple of weeks ago and two NTG1's will be going on camera and an NTG3 will be going on the pole.

EV Re50 or 635a or the beyer M58, I personally use the AT875r in a rode pistol grip and softie via a sennheiser butt plug as it is more sensitive than the dynamic mics but not for in vision, I have a small EV 635a for that.

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

It is actually missing the first word from each line:-

Two-ply sound inlet basket...
Rugged metal housing...
Rubber-mounted capsule...
Omni-directional.....

The first line shows you that as "ply" on its own does not really mean anything.

In fact the same error is on the MD 46 page as well.

I have dropped Sennheiser a line to let them know.

Talking about handling noise.....

I have never had handling noise problems with any mic.

Most handling noise actually comes up the cable - the remedy is to use a flexible cable and to loop the cable round and hold it against the mic. body making sure it exits through a finger.

This stops handling noise - an old trick I learned in my radio reporting days. Unfortunately broadcasters do not seem to teach reporters mic. technique nowadays, as you can see from all the bad practice on-screen.