Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Dave O'Heare[_2_] Dave O'Heare[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 20
Default New (to me) microphone!

I have just been loaned an AKG D900 microphone, and I'm wondering about
folks' thoughts on it.

I know it's a dynamic shotgun-type microphone, but beyond that, I'm a
little boggled. I mean, it's bigger than some of my mic stands!

What is this thing likely to be useful for, besides a stand-in for a light
saber? What did folks use it for?

Thanks,

Dave O'H
  #2   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Scott Dorsey Scott Dorsey is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16,853
Default New (to me) microphone!

Dave O'Heare dave.oheareATgmail.com wrote:
I have just been loaned an AKG D900 microphone, and I'm wondering about
folks' thoughts on it.

I know it's a dynamic shotgun-type microphone, but beyond that, I'm a
little boggled. I mean, it's bigger than some of my mic stands!

What is this thing likely to be useful for, besides a stand-in for a light
saber? What did folks use it for?


They were mostly used for film and video work in the field, on long booms.
Since they won't do anything about room reflections they aren't really a
good choice in a TV studio, but some of them turned up there as well.

They're pretty nasty off-axis, even by shotgun standards, and shotgun standards
are pretty bad.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
  #4   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Scott Dorsey Scott Dorsey is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16,853
Default New (to me) microphone!

Dave O'Heare dave.oheareATgmail.com wrote about the AKG D900:

It is really kind of peculiar sounding off-axis. And in the small studio
where I initially tried it, it was essentially unusable.


Yeah, they're not for that.

A lot of people have this idea that a shotgun is super directional, but
in fact it's a trick, and it's a trick that only removes specular sounds
off-axis. Sounds coming from a lot of directions at once, like room
ambience, get reproduced.... but because they're all off-axis, they get
reproduced in a horrible and unpleasant way.

It might have been kind of interesting on a film shoot I did recently,
but I can't imagine trying to manhandle this thing, on a long boom,
while wearing snowshoes :-/


You need a Starbird, and three operators for it!
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
  #5   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Marc Wielage[_2_] Marc Wielage[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 249
Default New (to me) microphone!

On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:13:01 -0800, Scott Dorsey wrote
(in article ):

A lot of people have this idea that a shotgun is super directional, but
in fact it's a trick, and it's a trick that only removes specular sounds
off-axis. Sounds coming from a lot of directions at once, like room
ambience, get reproduced.... but because they're all off-axis, they get
reproduced in a horrible and unpleasant way.
------------------------------snip------------------------------


I blame the 1981 Brian De Palma movie BLOW OUT for perpetuating the myth that
a shotgun microphone works like a flashlight: a super-narrow "beam" of sound
pickup that excludes everything else, like a laser beam. It doesn't work
nearly that way. And, as Scott says here, in certain situations, shotgun
microphones sound very bad with off-axis reflections and ambience.

--MFW



  #6   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
mcp6453[_2_] mcp6453[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 749
Default New (to me) microphone!

On 2/24/2012 12:06 AM, Marc Wielage wrote:
On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:13:01 -0800, Scott Dorsey wrote
(in article ):

A lot of people have this idea that a shotgun is super directional, but
in fact it's a trick, and it's a trick that only removes specular sounds
off-axis. Sounds coming from a lot of directions at once, like room
ambience, get reproduced.... but because they're all off-axis, they get
reproduced in a horrible and unpleasant way.
------------------------------snip------------------------------


I blame the 1981 Brian De Palma movie BLOW OUT for perpetuating the myth that
a shotgun microphone works like a flashlight: a super-narrow "beam" of sound
pickup that excludes everything else, like a laser beam. It doesn't work
nearly that way. And, as Scott says here, in certain situations, shotgun
microphones sound very bad with off-axis reflections and ambience.


What are the best uses for a shotgun? I was surprised to watch a video recently
that said that shotguns were not good for indoor applications because of
off-axis reflections. The video recommended an Audio Technica AT4053B and
demonstrated how much better it performed inside. I have an MKH416 and a 4053,
but I have not yet done a comparison.
  #7   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Tobiah Tobiah is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 666
Default New (to me) microphone!

I blame the 1981 Brian De Palma movie BLOW OUT for perpetuating the myth that
a shotgun microphone works like a flashlight: a super-narrow "beam" of sound
pickup that excludes everything else, like a laser beam.


I am that guy! I've always wanted a shotgun mic because of that movie.

Still, if I did want to go outside and catch the hooting of that owl in
the tree, wouldn't a shotgun mic be my best bet?

Thanks,

Toby

  #8   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Cyberserf[_2_] Cyberserf[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 67
Default New (to me) microphone!

On Feb 24, 12:09*pm, Tobiah wrote:
I blame the 1981 Brian De Palma movie BLOW OUT for perpetuating the myth that
a shotgun microphone works like a flashlight: *a super-narrow "beam" of sound
pickup that excludes everything else, like a laser beam.


I am that guy! *I've always wanted a shotgun mic because of that movie.

Still, if I did want to go outside and catch the hooting of that owl in
the tree, wouldn't a shotgun mic be my best bet?

Thanks,

Toby


Well, if you can figure out a way to clip it on, I think a lavalier
would work best fo that ;-)

-CS
  #9   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
John Williamson John Williamson is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,753
Default New (to me) microphone!

Cyberserf wrote:
On Feb 24, 12:09 pm, Tobiah wrote:
I blame the 1981 Brian De Palma movie BLOW OUT for perpetuating the myth that
a shotgun microphone works like a flashlight: a super-narrow "beam" of sound
pickup that excludes everything else, like a laser beam.

I am that guy! I've always wanted a shotgun mic because of that movie.

Still, if I did want to go outside and catch the hooting of that owl in
the tree, wouldn't a shotgun mic be my best bet?

Thanks,

Toby


Well, if you can figure out a way to clip it on, I think a lavalier
would work best fo that ;-)

Or, if the owl is there on a regular basis, any small, inconspicuous
microphone planted in the right place will beat both the shotgun and a
parabolic for quality. Just make sure it doesn't smell of human, or you
may scare the owl away.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.
  #10   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Scott Dorsey Scott Dorsey is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16,853
Default New (to me) microphone!

mcp6453 wrote:

What are the best uses for a shotgun? I was surprised to watch a video recently
that said that shotguns were not good for indoor applications because of
off-axis reflections. The video recommended an Audio Technica AT4053B and
demonstrated how much better it performed inside. I have an MKH416 and a 4053,
but I have not yet done a comparison.


Use it outdoors, and you'll find the ability to pull a vocal out of the noise
is often better than with a hypercardioid. It's very good at dealing with
individual coherent noise sources like airplanes overhead and cars driving by.

It's a matter of using the right tool for the job.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."


  #11   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Scott Dorsey Scott Dorsey is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16,853
Default New (to me) microphone!

John Williamson wrote:

Or, if the owl is there on a regular basis, any small, inconspicuous
microphone planted in the right place will beat both the shotgun and a
parabolic for quality. Just make sure it doesn't smell of human, or you
may scare the owl away.


I don't know about your owls but around here we have screech owls that
are loud enough to rattle the windows. It's hard not to record them.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
  #12   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
John Williamson John Williamson is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,753
Default New (to me) microphone!

Scott Dorsey wrote:
John Williamson wrote:
Or, if the owl is there on a regular basis, any small, inconspicuous
microphone planted in the right place will beat both the shotgun and a
parabolic for quality. Just make sure it doesn't smell of human, or you
may scare the owl away.


I don't know about your owls but around here we have screech owls that
are loud enough to rattle the windows. It's hard not to record them.


Some samples. (Not mine)

http://www.barnowl.co.uk/page34.asp

The Tawny Owl adult call 1 is about as loud as a quiet conversation.
There are very few places in the UK where you can use a distant
microphone to record birdsong. There are just too many of us in too
small a space, making too much noise. There is virtually nowhere in
England that you can't hear traffic noise or a generator, even in the
middle of the night.

For an insight into the problems with background noise we have here,
read the stories behind the Springwatch and Autumnwatch series on the BBC.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.
  #13   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Marc Wielage[_2_] Marc Wielage[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 249
Default New (to me) microphone!

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:18:33 -0800, mcp6453 wrote
(in article ):

What are the best uses for a shotgun?
------------------------------snip------------------------------


Very useful for pulling dialog out of a noisy location. A lot depends on
placement and position. Some basics at these links:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/new...un_jan2007.jsp

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage...tgun_mics.html

I like the Sennheiser MKH60 and MKH70 for exteriors, and (as others have
noted) a hypercardioid is generally better for interiors. The Schoeps CMC641
is in a class by itself.

--MFW

  #14   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.pro
Scott Dorsey Scott Dorsey is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16,853
Default New (to me) microphone!

Ty Ford wrote:

But, yes a shotgun would be more directional. The Sennheiser MKH60 has a
pretty quiet selfnoise, but it has small diaphragms I don't think it's as
quiet as the BP4025


The MKH20 is 6 dB quieter than the theoretically quietest conventional 2"
capsule. The MKH60 electronics are the same and I am not sure that the
interference tube assembly really changes anything.

So if the BP4025 _is_ actually quieter, they are doing some noise shaping
trickery (like the MKH60 does).
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Reply
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
My Next Microphone Julien BH Pro Audio 40 August 5th 07 05:09 AM
What are the main difference between dynamic microphone and condenser microphone? guitara Pro Audio 3 July 8th 07 08:27 PM
Microphone recording question: "Tube" sound from a microphone? [email protected] Pro Audio 106 January 22nd 07 06:25 AM
Microphone for an RTA? MOSFET Car Audio 15 March 16th 06 07:51 PM
microphone [email protected] Pro Audio 9 November 29th 05 06:10 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:43 AM.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AudioBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Audio and hi-fi"