Anyone know a way to ghetto-rig a shotgun mic?

Beezoboy · 11th August 2003

Ok so I have some friends in college who are making a sitcom pilot and actually have a really really funny concept. I was going to lone them some mics for overdubs, but they said they don't want to do over dubs. Soooo. . .

Does anyone know a trick to rigging a "ghetto" shotgun mic? I have thought of taping the center of a paper towel roll to the end of the mics, but I thought it might make movements kind of swirly.
If kept statioary could this me viable?

I also suggested lapel mics concealed by clothing, but they aren't interested.

Anyone have other ideas?

Beez

Bob Olhsson · 11th August 2003

That kind of show is typically shot with 1 or 2 supercardioids on moving booms in addition to body mikes. If they want anybody to be able to hear their jokes, they'd better get VERY interested in decent sound!

joeq · 11th August 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Olhsson
If they want anybody to be able to hear their jokes, they'd better get VERY interested in decent sound!

right on. there is nothing worse to sit through than a student comedy video with bad sound. As an instructor at a community college I have sat through more than my share.

Frankly, from what you have said, it's almost like they think they are doing you a favor by "letting" you get good audio for them. If your friends "aren't interested" in putting out the minimal effort to make their own product decent, perhaps you would be wise to withdraw and leave them to their own devices.

Neddy Seagoon · 11th August 2003

A basic video shoot set up for me is a pair of static Senn. K3s with ME 80 capsules and Levaliers on everyone who speaks. If budget allows an MKH412 on a hand-held boom is nice. If I could only use one thing it would be the Levaliers.

I don't think there is much you can do to mod. a general purpose studio mic for video application. You really need at least a hypercardoid preferably a lobar pattern to pick wild vox's well.

In the application you're talking about the sound is really more important than the video (unless they are a mine troupe

) Could be 'the talent' needs to re-think their priorities.

De chromium cob · 11th August 2003

I've never done this but I suppose it would be simple to experiment with making a parabolic mic...Just rig yourself a 2 foot dish with a cardioid mic in the middle pointing at the center of the dish....I would think that would work, but I've only seen parabolics used for NFL games and the like....Anyone else out there ever use a parabolic mic and care to share?

wolfhound · 12th August 2003

I had a cool parabolic mic when I was a kid.

The output went directly to a pair of headphones so you could listen in on people....and it was shaped like a ray-gun! cool.

Bob Olhsson · 14th August 2003

Unless you've got a minimum of 10-15 feet of open space above the mike, forget about shotguns. They need that much space just to develop their pattern. If they don't have it, you won't get the rejection AND it sounds crappy at best because it's a shotgun.

Something like an EV RE-15 or a Schoeps supercardioid, if you've got the budget, will sound way better than ANY shotgun in most situations.

11th August 2003	#1
Beezoboy Gear addict Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 495 Thread Starter	Anyone know a way to ghetto-rig a shotgun mic? Ok so I have some friends in college who are making a sitcom pilot and actually have a really really funny concept. I was going to lone them some mics for overdubs, but they said they don't want to do over dubs. Soooo. . . Does anyone know a trick to rigging a "ghetto" shotgun mic? I have thought of taping the center of a paper towel roll to the end of the mics, but I thought it might make movements kind of swirly. If kept statioary could this me viable? I also suggested lapel mics concealed by clothing, but they aren't interested. Anyone have other ideas? Beez

11th August 2003	#2
Bob Olhsson Motown legend Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Songwriter Gulch, Nashville TN Posts: 10,879	That kind of show is typically shot with 1 or 2 supercardioids on moving booms in addition to body mikes. If they want anybody to be able to hear their jokes, they'd better get VERY interested in decent sound! __________________ Bob's room 615 562-4346 Georgetown Masters 615 254-3233 Music Industry 2.0 Interview

11th August 2003	#5
De chromium cob Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2003 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,659	I've never done this but I suppose it would be simple to experiment with making a parabolic mic...Just rig yourself a 2 foot dish with a cardioid mic in the middle pointing at the center of the dish....I would think that would work, but I've only seen parabolics used for NFL games and the like....Anyone else out there ever use a parabolic mic and care to share? __________________ "I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives." Tolstoy

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11th August 2003	#4
Neddy Seagoon Gear nut Joined: Jul 2003 Location: Los Angeles Ca. Posts: 133	A basic video shoot set up for me is a pair of static Senn. K3s with ME 80 capsules and Levaliers on everyone who speaks. If budget allows an MKH412 on a hand-held boom is nice. If I could only use one thing it would be the Levaliers. I don't think there is much you can do to mod. a general purpose studio mic for video application. You really need at least a hypercardoid preferably a lobar pattern to pick wild vox's well. In the application you're talking about the sound is really more important than the video (unless they are a mine troupe ) Could be 'the talent' needs to re-think their priorities.

12th August 2003	#6
wolfhound Gear maniac Joined: Jun 2003 Location: nyc Posts: 220	I had a cool parabolic mic when I was a kid. The output went directly to a pair of headphones so you could listen in on people....and it was shaped like a ray-gun! cool.

14th August 2003	#7
Bob Olhsson Motown legend Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Songwriter Gulch, Nashville TN Posts: 10,879	Unless you've got a minimum of 10-15 feet of open space above the mike, forget about shotguns. They need that much space just to develop their pattern. If they don't have it, you won't get the rejection AND it sounds crappy at best because it's a shotgun. Something like an EV RE-15 or a Schoeps supercardioid, if you've got the budget, will sound way better than ANY shotgun in most situations.