Suggestions on a Mic for my new A1
 

My old camera was a GL2 and I used a Canon shotgun mic.
I liked this setup.

Now that I have an A1 I was looking at this setup

Rode NTG-1 mic
Rode SM-5 mount
And then I need a short right angled XLR cable.
Does the rode mic come with a wind screen or do I need that also?

My primary use for the shotgun mic is outdoors with the kids.
On my GL2 without the shotgun mic I would pick up people talking next to me, but the action was farther out. And I need to stop any wind noise.

Indoors on the GL2 the canon shotgun mic had a switch for closer quarters.

You might take a look at the Azden SGM-2X. It comes with two interchangeable barrels, giving you the flexibility of using it as either an omni or a supercardioid. It comes with a shock mount and 2 windscreens (one for each barrel). I have one. I haven't used it a lot, but I do like it. Good sound for the price.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...dioid_Mic.html

Will the Azden fit in the Canon mic holder?
Or do I have to use the shoe?
I might have something else that will go into the shoe.

I don't have an A1 (at least not yet), so I don't know if it would fit the Canon mic holder. The diameter of the SGM-2X is 21mm (got that from B&H's site - I didn't measure it myself).

I have both the Sennheiser me66/k6 and the AT 897 on my two A1s. The me66 is my main mic now. When I am shooting handheld and using the handle my hand rubs the mic if I am not careful. I don't know if a shorter mic would alleviate this or not but it can be annoying. As far as which mic is better. I like both. I have not had the me66 as long but it has a very nice sound. However I have put the AT through hell and it still sounds great. I have frozen it, soaked it, buried it in snow, covered it in mud, clogged it with dust, dropped it, kicked it...just plain beat the thing and it still sounds great. I like that I don't have to remember to shut the power off on the AT. I kill a battery on every shoot with the me66 because the power button is facing down and I never remember to shut it off. If the mic's diameter is too small just roll some electrical tape around to snug the fit up.

I use the ME66/K6 and have had some really good results. It's a good entry level mic. I bought a used one for $300 so it wasn't too expensive. It does not fit into the mic holder on the A1 but I don't think there are any of the shotgun mic will. I wouldn't stick it on the built in holder anyway as it will pick up minor brushes and knocks against the camera. Azden makes a resonably priced shock mount (around $45 I think) that either fits onto the hot shoe or in the built in holder. I made one from some pvc pipes and plumber's gasgets that works great.

There are a lot of good choices out there and they all have a slightly different sound. I'd suggest trying them out or at least hearing what each you are considering sounds like.

Part of the which-mic decision is your budget. How much do you want to spend, and is this strictly hobby video taping the family, or is there a possibility of serious or professional use?

Also check the Rode NTG-2 . It is similar to th NTG-1 but also offers a battery power option, which might prove handy if you still have the GL2 or possibility of other use where phantom power is not available.

If considering an Azden (or other low cost mic) check other users experiences carefully. Search the forums on the brand/model (here and elsewhere). Some folks have reported difficulty with some Azden models.

The mic holder diameter on the A1 is a bit large for many mics. But that is easily addressed (too small would be a much more difficult problem). There are many threads with simple solutions to this issue.

This is just for family type stuff and I no longer have the GL2.

If I get the NTG-1 will it only operate as a shotgun mic?
If I need to not use the shotgun function do I have to unplug it from the camera or can I switch over to the camera mic?

If you can tell I am rather new to all of this.

I pretty much use that setup, but with the NTG-2 instead. I rarely use the built in mic since getting the Rode mic - it has a directed, but none the less fairly wide pickup pattern.

Apart from providing some isolation from handling noise, the SM-5 attaches nicely into the mic clamp, whereas the mic on its own will not (it is too narrow to be clamped).

The NTG-2 comes with a black foam 'Rode' branded windshield. I assume the NTG-1 does too. For outside recording, I'd recommend adding the Rode 'Deadcat', with fits over the top of the foam windshield.

I use a 12" XLR cable. It has no right angles, but I do not find that an issue.

I ended up buying a rubber ring from Sony's parts website. It goes around the shotgun and then you can tighten down the mic-mount on the XHA1 (or the XL2 for that matter).

The ring works with both my Sennheiser ME67 and my Azden SGM 2X.

The Azden also comes with a shoe-mounted shockmount. (which I've also used with the Sennheiser at times.

JR

I use the Rode NTG-2 with my A-1. This mic is very sensitive to wind noise, even light wind, with the foam and Deadcat installed over the mic. Seems that I remember someone saying on this forum that the NTG-2 is a hot mic.

Don Jones
Knoxville, Tn.

I'm also using a NTG-2 with deadcat and SM5 shockmount on an A1.
I agree with Don, the mic is very sensitive to wind. If you can feel the wind, you definiately hear it. For outside you always have to use the deadcat.

There's also some terrible noise when the wind is coming from behind the mic. (try blowing in the back of the mic and you hear what i mean.)
Otherwise, i always have the NTG on top and really love it.

In the menu, you can switch to the onboard mic without unplugging the shotgun.

Rode NTG1 or NTG2 are a good budget choice for the XH-A1. IMHO, the K6/ME66 combination sounds just a tiny bit more natural but most people would be hard-put to hear the difference, especially when played back through even quite a good TV. You have to spend A LOT more on something like an MKH416 to really notice an improvement. (Based on a fairly brief A/B test of the NTG1 and K6/ME66; I chose the NTG1.) The k6/ME66 is rather "hotter" than the Rode - you trade some extra sensitivity for more problems if you ever use auto-level control.

If I was buying again, I'd go for the NTG2. The small increase in price and weight is worth it for the option of battery power when needed.

All of these mics are single pattern: "short shot-gun". That's a good compomise outdoors or in large rooms, but may give problems with side-reflections in smaller spaces. A "hyper-cardioid" pattern may be better indoors.

The standard foam cover + Rode's "dead cat" is not good enough wind protection if there's anything more than a gentle breeze. A Rycote Softie will be fine a lot of the time, but if the wind gets up a bit you'll need a second cover over it (which is what I use - creates a bit more "dead air" around the mic) or a proper basket.

For a cheap, effective shock mount, have a look at the Beyer Dynamic EA-86.

Have a good browse around the "Now Hear This" section. This debate has been reheased many times over there by people who have far more experience than I have. ;-)

Basket is what you actually need. Doesn't work on the camera i guess.
I have an Reinhardt softie, wich looks the same as the Rycote. Don't know if it is as good. I'm afraid not.
What do you mean with second cover? What do you put on top of the softie?

I own the NTG2 with my A1 and also had considered the ME66/K2 system.

I recently had the chance to get my hands on the ME66 for a day and recorded a shoot switching the shotguns out every so often.

And I am honestly glad I stuck with the NTG2. I found they had nearly the same sensitivity (especially in wind) and were dead on indoors. Saving the extra $200 or so seems worth it now more than ever.

I would recommend the NTG2 over the NTG1 as well for the battery backup.