I need a mic, it will be used exclusively for indoor recording, spoken word, and some low volume acoustic guitar as well. I'll also be getting a boom to get it as close as possible to the subject (presumably overhead) without compromising the video.

I was pretty much sold on the Rode VideoMic, but started reading opinions about shotguns being poor for indoor use. Any suggestions or comments? The camera is a Canon HG10.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I'm hoping for the sub-$200 range, but if there's a model that's vastly superior and nudges over that, i'm ok with splurging.

-Nick

Best Bang for your buck - Bar none. I have 2. They are a "Hypercardioid" which is great for rejecting sound to the left, right, and back of the mic. Also they are a true condenser mic that runs on 9v battery or 48v Phantom. So you don't need to have Phantom power to use these. You can plug them straight in. The are going for 250.00, but B&H will email you a better price. I just did that and they go for 179.00.

Great for voice on a boom, vo, acoustic guitar, use 2 for stereo to record a play. Great all around mic. Yes there are better, but not for this price.

Rode NT3
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...densor_Mic.html

Dear Valued Customer,

Our current selling price for the: Rode - NT3 - Condensor Mic is $179.95.

__________________
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You can probably get it cheaper at Jack's Music Factory. You have to email for the price. A few months ago I checked and it was $119 with free shipping to NJ. I don't know if the price has changed.

Good luck.

Dennis

Interesting...I can't seem to find any info/reviews on that mic here in the forums. But I did do some reading elsewhere about it online, and was able to find some videos on youtube where people utilized it.

Looks like a good choice, and a nice mic. But i'm wondering if it would be too hot for the HG10, which as I understand it, does not have adjustable gain.

Any experience with how this compares to the VideoMic? I was able to listen that that being compared to a lot of other mics in a thread with sound samples that I found, and I much preferred it even compared to more expensive mics, like the AT897. I can't seem to find the thread now, to see if the NT3 is up there.
Thanks Dennis...that's a nice price, definitely good to know if I go with the VideoMic!

-Nick

Hey Nick

As I said: The NT3 is best used for INDOOR, and the VdeoMic is best used for OUTDOOR.

Here's a Shotgun Shootout with the VideoMic & NT3 & NTG-2 included:
http://dvestore.com/theatre/mics.html

And here is the key that shows you what you are listening to.

I have a Sennheiser ME66 and a Rode NTG-2 shotguns. I like the Senn better. That being said, I almost NEVER use a shotgun. My go-to mic is the Rode NT-3 because I am mostly shooting indoor stuff. And if there is no wind I'll use the NT-3 outside too. At this stage of the game I may look for a better Hypercardioid than the NT-3, but it's hard to drop 500.00 or more on a mic when I have guitars on my wish list!

Ultimately, if you consider yourself a videographer you will be buying a Hypercardioid, a Shotgun, and a wireless system to cover most situations. Expect to pay more for audio than for the camera. You should look into a mixer like a Beachtek for your consumer camera to have some volume adjustment.

I don't think the NT-3 will be too hot for your camera. But that is easily dealt with (if it does happen) with an in-line attenuator. Every sound person must have at least one, but 2 is better:

AT8202 43.00
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...oughType=search

This will turn down the signal BEFORE it gets to your camera's preamp. But these are used even with totally pro gear. If I am recording a guitar amp with a condenser mic, this will keep the signal from distorting the preamps.


Good luck

Chad

__________________
My Rig:
www.precisionintermedia.com/chadsVX2100pics/

My Work(Except for the 3D animation):
http://www.precisionintermedia.com/video_sample.html

My Music: http://www.humboldtmusic.com/chadjohnson

Fun Video:www.youtube.com/chadfish

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."

Willy Wonka

You'll find a review here and you'll find some discussion about it here. A search should turn up some stuff to help you decide.

Good luck.

Dennis

Chad,

Thanks a bunch for the additional info. I think i'm going to go with the NT3. I was perusing websites and eBay auctions and saw a NIB one sell for $120 yesterday. I was watching the auction, and missed it. Grr.

I appreciate all the info. I'm glad I asked, as this mic seems like it's better suited than the VideoMic for me.

Thanks Dennis, but I was referring to the NT3. There's oodles of info on the VideoMic that i've read through! The links are appreciated either way though. Thanks again!

-Nick

Glad to help Nick.

I think you will probably end up getting a Shotgun Mic as well. The Rode ideoMic is cool, but the Rode NTG-2 is a more pro version of the video mic. You get XLR connectors with the NTG-2, which is what you want if you ever want to put your mic on a boom with a long cable. XLR keeps the noise down on long runs. The NTG-2 also can run on one AA battery. But remember that any mic will sound better running on 48v Phantom rather than on a battery. Use Phantom when you can.

I think you'll love the NT3. It does really well with voices.

Chad

__________________
My Rig:
www.precisionintermedia.com/chadsVX2100pics/

My Work(Except for the 3D animation):
http://www.precisionintermedia.com/video_sample.html

My Music: http://www.humboldtmusic.com/chadjohnson

Fun Video:www.youtube.com/chadfish

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."

Willy Wonka

Thanks Chad. I'll be using it mostly for indoor voice at close range. I'll be making a tutorial video for guitar setup and instruction. Most of it will be just voice, explanations on theory, setup, ect. There will be a minimal amount of audio from the instrument, but in order to get the best sound quality from that, i'll most likely use a Shure SM57, or another tried and true guitar amp mic.

I'm just looking for something that will have a nice clear, present voice presence indoors. It'll be sitting on a boom above me, as close as I can get it without compromising the video.

Sounds like the NT3 will fit the bill. I'm not sure i'll even need a shotgun, but i'll see what kinds of results I get with the NT3 and an SM57 (which I already have0 on the amp when needed.

-Nick

The Location audio was done here with an NT3. I'm the guy that dies...

Last Love on Earth 7Min

Last Love On Earth

__________________
My Rig:
www.precisionintermedia.com/chadsVX2100pics/

My Work(Except for the 3D animation):
http://www.precisionintermedia.com/video_sample.html

My Music: http://www.humboldtmusic.com/chadjohnson

Fun Video:www.youtube.com/chadfish

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."

Willy Wonka