Looking for some good tips on how to become a soundman for ENG & EFP

[DannyL]

I think Doug T would be best able to answer this but I'll give it my best:

You will need a small mixer, at a minimum 3 inputs that can accept mic and line level and have phantom power. Perhaps a Sound Devices 302:
302 Compact Production Mixer | Sound Devices, LLC
Or a Shure FP33:
Shure - Mixers and DSP - FP33 3-Channel Stereo Mixer

There are others available.

You will need a good pair of headphones. Expect to pay a bare minimum of $100.00 for a pair. The Sony MDR V6's are quite popular, but need a bit of TLC. I would not mix records on them, but they are adequate for your needs. Keep them dry and take care of the cable, they should last.

You will want a decent fishpole boom with a decent shockmount for the shotgun mic.

You will need a decent shotgun. You could use a Sennheiser MK66 w/ a K6 power module. Actually, the K6 module will also power some of the Sennheiser lavalier mics. Talk to a dealer

You will need at least 2 lavaliers. Either the Sennheiser (above) or Sony ECM 77's which are small, durable and good for speech.

You will need some carrying bags, velcro ties, appropriate cabling, gaffer tape, sharpies, waterproofing and labeling tape. You will also need ways to attach mics to clothing and/or skin or hair.

Schoeps mics are great to have,but most efp/eng work does not require them. You will most likely need to get some wireless gear before you need to buy Schoeps mics. I would seriously consider the Lectrosonics mics for wireless.

Contact a pro audio dealer, as opposed to a music/prosumer dealer.
I like Dale Audio in New York. B&H have decent prices but are not very knowledgeable about your particular needs.

Good Luck;

Danny

[Karl_Lohninger]

I think you start at the wrong end. Why not trying to get any kind of job (PA, yes) on tv or film shoots and see how things run respectively are run.
Just owning 'equipment doesn't get you jobs. Using wireless systems and mounting lavs is a bit of an art...
Start simple, never buy cheap and mediocre equipment. Buy good stuff second hand. Sennheiser Mk66 etc. is cheap stuff in my book. Sennheiser 415T i.e. can be found for very good prices and are exactly the same as the 416, they need T-power though.

[DannyL]

Karl does bring up a good point. I had assumed that you already had some experience in audio and television and were looking for advice on gear. If you are lacking experience, just owning gear will not guarantee you any work. In fact your lack of experience could significantly harm your career.

That being said, the Sennheiser K6 system with an ME66 or ME67 capsule is not "cheap stuff" at around $650.00 US. It is not expensive either.
A Senn 416 is a better mic. It certainly costs more. About twice as much.
A 416T is a "t" powered mic requiring either a t power unit (usually battery) or a "P to T" adapter, which you can make. Having seen and used many different mics, I can tell you that the ME66 is perfectly ok. It has low self noise and good directionality. I have some that see regular use in lower end productions that cannot afford the 416's and 816's. BTW they are also popular in auto racing and horse racing. The AudioTechnica 4071 is also ok, but is not self powered.
The Audiotechnica 835 and 815 are horrible mics that are good only for paperweights. IMHO.

Best;
Danny

Originally Posted by Karl_Lohninger

I think you start at the wrong end. Why not trying to get any kind of job (PA, yes) on tv or film shoots and see how things run respectively are run.
Just owning 'equipment doesn't get you jobs. Using wireless systems and mounting lavs is a bit of an art...
Start simple, never buy cheap and mediocre equipment. Buy good stuff second hand. Sennheiser Mk66 etc. is cheap stuff in my book. Sennheiser 415T i.e. can be found for very good prices and are exactly the same as the 416, they need T-power though.

[Matti]

ME series are electret mics, MKH series are true condenser and much better.

Matti