Rode nt3 or AT4053b?

Aston · 31st January 2012

What do you think would be a better fit for indoor booming applications, nt3 or audio technica AT4053b? Also, would you consider just using a Sennheiser 416 shotgun to boom indoors.

njrsound · 31st January 2012

Hi Aston, Do you rally mean a Rode NT3 ( a mid-sized diaphragm cardioid mic that can run off an internal 9v battery) or the NTG3 ( their shotgun mic that is quite similar to a Sennheiser 416? If the NT3, I would not recommend it for a boom mic as it is very susceptible to handling noise and wind / movement noise, plus having quite high self-noise. It is really a budget project studio mic. The NTG3 shotgun on the other hand is quite arguably in the same league as other professional level shotguns like the 416. Serious film sound types would probably lean towards using a hypercardioid mic indoors rather than a short shotgun, but most News/Documentary recordists would be more than happy with the NTG3. Just be careful of getting the back of the mic close to hard surfaces like the ceiling as they can pick up destructive reflections. The Audio Technica you mention is a large diaphragm studio mic I think - not really suited to boom use for a number of reasons, weight and susceptibility to movement noise for example.

Aston · 31st January 2012

Well I have the 416 that I use for outdoor boom. What type of hyper cardioid would anybody recommend for indoor boom? I thought the nt3 was a hyper cardioid Mic?

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Brian B · 31st January 2012

The 4053b is a short hyper. It's very deep, even becoming too heavy in the bass range, but a far better mic for indoor applications than (I assume he meant) the NTG-3. It's not as hot as the NTG-3 but has a much better pickup pattern for indoor recording.

Gohanto · 1st February 2012

The Rode NT3 sounds great, but it's really heavy on a boom pole so I wouldn't recommend it. The AT 4053b works great indoors and I know a lot of people that use it (haven't used it personally, but the tracks they get indoors are generally very good).

The 416 and NTG-3 are hit or miss indoors. In some rooms they work, others they don't (depends a lot on room size and how much acoustical absorption is in the room like curtains, couches, carpet, ect...). 4053b is a much safer goto mic for most indoor boom jobs.

31st January 2012	#1
Aston Gear interested Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 20 Thread Starter	Rode nt3 or AT4053b? What do you think would be a better fit for indoor booming applications, nt3 or audio technica AT4053b? Also, would you consider just using a Sennheiser 416 shotgun to boom indoors.

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31st January 2012	#2
njrsound Gear Head Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 33	Hi Aston, Do you rally mean a Rode NT3 ( a mid-sized diaphragm cardioid mic that can run off an internal 9v battery) or the NTG3 ( their shotgun mic that is quite similar to a Sennheiser 416? If the NT3, I would not recommend it for a boom mic as it is very susceptible to handling noise and wind / movement noise, plus having quite high self-noise. It is really a budget project studio mic. The NTG3 shotgun on the other hand is quite arguably in the same league as other professional level shotguns like the 416. Serious film sound types would probably lean towards using a hypercardioid mic indoors rather than a short shotgun, but most News/Documentary recordists would be more than happy with the NTG3. Just be careful of getting the back of the mic close to hard surfaces like the ceiling as they can pick up destructive reflections. The Audio Technica you mention is a large diaphragm studio mic I think - not really suited to boom use for a number of reasons, weight and susceptibility to movement noise for example.

31st January 2012	#4
Brian B Gear nut Joined: Sep 2010 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 116	The 4053b is a short hyper. It's very deep, even becoming too heavy in the bass range, but a far better mic for indoor applications than (I assume he meant) the NTG-3. It's not as hot as the NTG-3 but has a much better pickup pattern for indoor recording.

1st February 2012	#5
Gohanto Gear nut Joined: Mar 2009 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Posts: 97	The Rode NT3 sounds great, but it's really heavy on a boom pole so I wouldn't recommend it. The AT 4053b works great indoors and I know a lot of people that use it (haven't used it personally, but the tracks they get indoors are generally very good). The 416 and NTG-3 are hit or miss indoors. In some rooms they work, others they don't (depends a lot on room size and how much acoustical absorption is in the room like curtains, couches, carpet, ect...). 4053b is a much safer goto mic for most indoor boom jobs.