Mic Suspension Mount - What Are You Using?
 

I'm just demo-ing this right now:

Audio-Technica AT8415 Low Profile Universal Shock Mount
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...rToReadReviews

Rycote 037302 Hot Shoe Adaptor with 3/8" Male Thread
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Shoe_3_8_.html

Using it with a Sennheiser 416

No camera handling noise.

The mic hangs out in front of the native EX1 lens but is not picked up in the field of view. I wonder what will happen with a .6x wide???

What are you using?

That shockmount is about average for profile. I use this one, which appears to be equivalent, although it includes the hot shoe mount.

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

A lower profile shockmount is the Light Wave model. It's pricy, but it is lower profile. I used one for a while until the little plastic foot mount broke, which it should have. Have to find some parts though. I wish Lightwave would make it easy and include or offer replacement parts for this "designed to be broken" hot shoe foot.

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

I don't see the hotshoe mount configuration that I bought, so you'll need to put together your own mount to the camera.

I'm using the K-Tek mic isolator and an adapter they also make that uses the stock mic location for mounting. This way you can keep your hot/cold shoe free for other things.

http://www.ktekbooms.com/products.php?id=47

http://www.ktekbooms.com/products.php?id=81

- Don

Lightwave Mini Mount; just figured out how to mount this onto the EX1 in a very easy way (same place where the current mic holder is).

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

Rode Adjustable shockmount
 

I bought this one last NAB http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...hockmount.html and my production guys love it. It's shoe and boom mountable and the angle is very adjustable. It sits high enough off the camcorder that is out of the line of sight and can have a softie on the mic still. It's also very inexpensive!

Rode SM5
 

Anyone have experience with this?

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

I like that it keeps the shoe free, and is adjustable as well. I hear that this style is hard on the existing mic mount, though.

Nice work guys.

So far..... I like Michael's offerings:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...icrophone.html

Leaves the cold shoe free.

But yes, one does wonder if would stress the mount.

I understand that some folks have broken their mounts. Can anyone tell me what specifically broke? Did the plastic that the screws thread into on the camera body let go? Or was it the plastic mic mount itself? Or was it just the plastic plastic plastic plastic plastic? ;)

Wind Issues
 

I've got our Sennheiser 416 mounted in a K-tek mount. They make a converter plug that screws into the end of this that allows it to be clamped into the EX-1 (after 2 wraps of gaffers tape). This works pretty well.

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

We also have both a K-tek and Rycote softies for the 416.

What I'd point out, because we work in a lot of higher winds (10-20 mph are pretty common) the microphone causes the camera to vibrate (it acts like a sail). So, I got one of these Cardellini Mini Mic clamps, so we can clamp the K-tek mount to a tripod leg and get it away from the camera.

http://www.cardelliniclamp.com/products.htm

We are only recording ambient volcano noise, not voices, so this may not apply to many folks. But it sure has made our camera a lot more stable.

Aloha,

Ken

Hi Jonathan,

If you want to save $$$, you might consider making your own.

I've made up two for about $1.50 a piece.

They work well.

Check my posts for other Pics and explanation.

Harold

I have these two:

• Audio Technica AT8415
• Rycote Softie Shockmount

I use the Rode SM5.
It works very well.

Paul.

I'm considering the Sen ME66 for the EX1 in future, may I know if the mic holder is too large for the mic? If yes, how can this be solved? Actually I do not understand y we need shock mounts, I presume it is for use with the boom pole only rite?

Ok..... Paul.
Let me ask you.
Say your're doing an interview.
The camera is in close to the subject and the lens is wide.
You've framed the subject to one side of the frame.

Will the Rode SM5 allow you to pan your mic over so that it aiming at the subject? It does not look like it swivels.

Know what I mean?

Johnathan...
No the mic holder doesn't swivel but if the subject is in the frame then he/she is not so far to one side that the mic won't pic up the voice.

Sean.
EX1 and ME66,which i'm using,
the standard on camera mic holder is slightly too big for the ME66,but i have a thin rubber sleeve which i put round the mic/inside the clamp mount to correct this.

Suspension mount is not only for booming, a suspension mount also isolates the mic from other sounds such as flicking buttons on the cam,they can easily be transfered through to the mic,however,use a suspension mount practically cures this,try it,plug headphones in the cam and put them on,now play around with the joystick on top of the cam,click click click !!
Do that with a sus mount and you won't hear it.

Also i've been filming on a tripod before now in very packed venue's,people walk past and bump their feet on the tripod legs,this travels up to the mike and can be heard,again a sus mount will help with this.

Also with the Rode SM5,i have a rycote softie on my mic and when on full wide,with the mic in the cam holder i can see the mic,however the SM5 moves the mic over and up to the side so i no longer have the mic in the shot.

I got my mount on ebay,and it's definately one of those cheap little accessories that i wouldn't be without now.

Hope this helps.

Paul.

Thanks Paul!

Did you have to use some tape or rubber bands to get it snug inside the EX1's mount?

I had a bit of rubber sleeve,i can't remember if it came with the mic or the softie kit.

It's like the peices of rubber that you get with cycle lights so that when you put the light round different size seat posts you can get the clamp to fit.
Do you know what i mean ?

Paul

I know exactly what you mean.
Thanks again Paul :)

thks 4 the headsup Paul. Looks like its quite impt to get the shockmnt!

We've been using the Rode SM5 with our Z1s. Because of the weight we've had two mic holders break. The situation with the EX1 is much worse, so far one of our two EX1s mic holders have broken. All it took was the slightest brush of the mic and snap. Unlike the mic holder on the Z1 which cracks through the clamp with the EX1 the holder will break away from the camera's audio pod. There's the potential for the mic getting damaged in the process.

I've just bought an unneeded Sanken CS-1 and will mount that in a K-Tek shock mount. I'll remove the Sony supplied mic mount and replace it with a simple aluminium plate with a cold shoe fitted to that. This will make it very easy to fit and remove the mic and mount when the camera goes into its case.

If you have the Rode SM5 you can remove the shock mount from the aluminium tube and again make a simple aluminium plate with 4 holes to replace the existing mic holder and then mount the mic and shock mount into the same screw holes as the original mic holder. I did post a photo of this setup here some time ago:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...8&d=1199343627

I just ordered the SM5 and will follow Bob's design for my Sanken CS-3e. That should work great and make for a much stronger system. While my cam was at Sony getting firmware updated and backfocus repaired they said they could replace my broken mic mount for 80 bucks. That seemed silly since I figured it'd break again, so I spent less on the Rode mount which will be much stronger.

B

Thanks Bob,i'll look into that.

Paul.

Very nice work Bob!

So my question is:

Where can I get the aluminum plate that you use?

mkh60
 

we use this lightwave cradle on our camera

PD150 to the rescue!
 

The mic mount from my old battle scared Sony PD150 fits perfectly with even the srew holes in the same place.

The PD150's mount is a much better/ stronger design.

Just need to pick up some longer screws as the 150's are too wide and the EX1's are too short.

Bang!

Looks great. Is that a custom plate? If not, where did you get it?

I just cutoff a short length of 40mm x 3mm aluminium bar I had on hand, drilled 4 holes, rounded off the corners with a file and painted it with matte black engine enamel. I could have had it black anodised but my anodiser has a minimum $50 charge.
You don't have to use aluminium. You could probably use a small piece of many different materials such as 2mm perspex or fibreglass that'd do just as well. Actually something slightly flexible could be better so if the thing does get a belt it'd protect the audio pod to some extent.
The hardest thing is getting the shock mount off the aluminium tube of the SM5. Rode have glued the screws so a good Philips head screwdrive is in order or else drill the heads off the screws and then use bull nose pliers to unscrew the long screws out the shock mount. It's all easier than it sounds once you get started.

If anyone needs any help feel free to PM me.

Thanks for the explanation. I guess I have some work to do. I was hoping to buy the part form somewhere as such pieces are evidently the product of the inventive.

For people who want to put their Lightwave onto their EX1, this is what I did:

-Unscrewed the stock EX1 mic mount and took a thin nail, hammered out the two pins that hold together the mount (the two metal pins that the mount pivots on). Had to hammer one out so that it was sticking out a bit on the other side, then pulled it out with pliers, then stuck the nail through the newly opened end and did the same to the other pin. This will separate the stock mic mount into two halves, a lower and upper one.

-Take the lower half of the stock mic mount and screw it back onto the EX1 where it belongs. I found a thumbscrew from an old flash bracket that fits perfectly into the screwhole in the EX1 stock mic mount, so I just put that through one of the holes in the Lightwave mount and screwed it down, and it holds securely.

The size and thread of the screw that fits the mic mount is pretty standard for camera related gear in my experience so shouldn't be that hard to find, but a worst case scenario is you need a trip to the hardware store to buy one screw of appropriate length. Below are photos of my mount so that people can see what I'm talking about.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/ex1mount.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2.../ex1mount4.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2.../ex1mount2.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2.../ex1mount3.jpg

Jonathan,

I am jumping on this a little late.

I have a product that will solve your mounting issue and will also give you a second mount for your radio receiver. I think that you will see that you can also move the microphone back 4 inches, so even a long mic like an ME66 will not be in the shot with a wide lens attached. You can also use the shock mount of your choice--I like the Azden which is available on the site too. Please take a look at www.thej-rod.com

Good solutions from Bob and Akira !

Hi Jeff,

Very nice! Perfect in fact...... But how is the camera handling noise?

I found that using a Sennheiser MKH 416 in the camera's mic mount the handling noise was terrible!

The J-Rod mount doesn't look like it "suspends" the mic very well compaired to something like the Rode SM5
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...icrophone.html

or the

Audio Thechnica AT8415
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...rToReadReviews

where the mics are actually suspended using rubber.

Please comment on the handling noise using the J-Rod. It looks like you've found the best design so far!

After going over the site a bit more I now see that one can choose the mic suspension one wants.

You got it--The J-Rod uses a rubber band shock mount, which is sold separately (and available on the site). It is not included because many people already own a shock mount and some do not use The J-Rod for a mic, but for 2 radio receivers. The J-Rod has 2 cold shoe mounts which will accept a rubber band shock mount or radio receiver with a shoe mount on it, like the Azden . http://tinyurl.com/52qufa

There is no handling or motor noise when using The J-Rod & a shock mount, plus there is still room for a radio reciever and the camera shoe is still open for a light !

Jeff,
have you had a good look at the mic holder on the EX1 and how it attaches to the camera?
I think your J-Rod is going to cause the holder to break away very quickly, it simply is not strong enough to hold any mic other than those plastic Sony ones. Add a mic like a 416 or ME66 plus the weight of the J-Rod and sorry to say but you'll have some unhappy clients. If you hung a wireless mic receiver off there as well then it'll probably snap the first time you pan the camera.
Don't get me wrong, I like your idea and it'd be fine on the PD-170s, their mic holder is way, way stronger. The EX1 is another beast entirely.

I have seen the mount Bob--if memory serves me--it's the same as the V1 with the flap of rubber between the clamp and the camera ? We have used them on the V1 long term without a problem. The weight of the J-Rod is actually less than 2 ounces !
I am sure though that the rubber could be broken with or without The J-Rod in place.

I can't confirm how similar the mic holder on the EX1 is to the V1's immediately however I can confirm that it's very different to the Z1's holder. The total cross sectional area of plastic holding the clamp to the audio pod would be under 8mm sq or 4mm per screw. This is what breaks, not the rubber! It breaks and the whole thing, clamp, mic etc, could fall off the camera although hopefully the XLR cable will stop it falling too far. Several people here have already had this happen and without much effort. We've had it happen as well, in our case only one section of the plastic sheared where the screw goes through it. Simply putting the camera back into a bag has done it. This is with the clamp just holding a mic.

Adding another 2oz load and extending the turning moment on those very small sections of plastic is going to make the problem worse. Yes this happens without using a Rode SM5 or the J-Rod. My point is exactly that. The mic clamp is too weak to start with at the point where it attaches to the camera. What's needed is a solution that improves the situation by bypassing the Sony clamp, not adds to the problem.

Wow ! If the mount is that flimsy it's unfortunate. Sony dropped the ball on that one. The Z1 was strong, but transferred handling noise. The EX is weak, but insulated.

EX1 Mic mount reinforcement
 

It's hard to imagine why Sony would want to save less than a nickel by designing the mount's screw holes in thin strips of fragile plastic.

These strips span rectangular spaces that are just that: spaces.

Could not someone devise a way to fill the rectangular spaces with an epoxy resin that would turn them into solid blocks? Then longer screws of appropriate thread could hold the whole thing properly. You'd have to protect the screw pathways when pouring in the resin, of course. Then the thin strips could not twist and break off as has happened for so many people already.

Anybody out there want to chime in?

Dave McCallister

Even if you beef up how the mount connects to the camera the circular clamp isn't that strong either. So I've replaced the whole plastic mic holder with a metal plate. Then mounted a shock mount onto the plate, problem solved if you have a regular shotgun. I've posted a link to an old thread with a photo of my mount earlier on in this thread.

Except I just got a Sanken CS-1. It needs the K-Tek K-CAM-SSM mount as it is a very short shotgun. I'll use the same plate to hold a cold shoe and mount the K-Tek mount into that. That makes it very easy to take the mic with the mount on and off the camera.

I have a J-Rod (with the Azden shockmount replaced by an SM3, which is more suitable for my short shotguns), and must say Bob is right.

However, what I do to avoid overloading the EX1's mount is... use my Senny receiver as a support! Yes, it so happens that while attached to the J-Rod, its bottom edge can lean against the XLR connectors nicely, thus relieving the flimsy mic mount of the camera - see pictures here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost....96&postcount=9

Sounds scary. Anyone had a broken mic holder with the ME66 so far?

Yep,

Started weakening the plastic after several weeks then broke it just getting it out of the the bag.

Got a very good and cheap mic holder now.

BLACK GAFFER TAPE, luxury model, with the 2nd piece of tape across to the strap anchor, gives it a very good support!

Bob, if you have a spare clip you want to sell me, please let me know.

Cheers Vaughan