DV Info Net - Isn't the included mic poor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Marriage

One of the few things that I don't like about my HD101 is the supplied mic. Quite muffled sound and a fair amount of hiss.

What have people replaced it with? I already have an MKH60, but I want something smaller to keep mounted on the camera. Any ideas?

Thanks guys!

The stock mic works just fine for its intended purpose (ENG voice interviews in the 2 - 5 ft; range). It's not meant to be a production mic. How I mark my tapes is a good indication of how most on-camera mics are used by ENG pros: "2CHs hot, -20dB, CH1 room, CH2 talent" (CH1 being the on-board, CH2 the out-board). I'm also using a Sony ECM mic off of one of my high end Betacams on one of our HD100 units. It has a little more punch but about the same pattern and dynamics as the stock mic, so it's not a huge improvement over the stock mic.

I normally use the on-board mic (CH1) for background "color/room" tone and for "drive bys" (montage shots), AND the occasional quickie sound byte. I use a Sennheiser MD46 (w/wireless cube) handheld for my on-camera reporter's use, or one of the Senn shotguns on a carbon fiber boom. Sometimes I use the boom mic on CH1 and the handheld on CH2. I use the Lectrosonics 400 for my lavs (CH1 & 2), and a Sound Devices 442 field mixer when needed. None of these units has ever let me down or failed to produce less than excellent results (except on one occasion).

I consider the Sennheiser ME series to be an excellent choice for a modular ENG system, and that's what it is, a system. Based on the K6 power capsule, you can mount a spot mic (the ME67 head), a narrow shotgun (the ME66 head), or a ME64 head for interior multi person interviews (use it on a boom). The K6/ME64 also works excellently as an on-board ENG "interview" mic and the combo is short enough so it doesn't overpower the camera.

If you purchase the ME67+K6, it usually ships in a nice large padded plastic box that can be modified to hold the K6, ME67, ME66, and ME64 along with the foam covers for each. It makes a nice compact audio kit, and every pro sound mixer is already familiar with the Senn characteristics, so there's no learning curve. The problem users have with Senns is choosing the wrong head (or mic) for the recording situation.

As an added bonus, the K6/ME system will work wireless without any problems. An important consideration when you have the boom person close to the talent but the cam 30 feet away. That combo has allowed me to get some really good and exclusive sound bytes.

I also like the Sennheiser MKH416 and Neumann KMR81i very much, but for the price of either, you can get a Senn K6 three head combo and have much more versatility.

Mic manufactures usually publish a chart that shows the pattern and dB loss or gain in different areas of that pattern. That's always a good staring point in choosing the correct mic for your intended or anticipated uses.

Good sound is just as important as good picture, and a good sound kit can equal or exceed the price of the HD100.