70hz-18khz mic and upto 96khz recorder

A recorder doesn't record "up to 96k" but it "samples" the audio 96,000 times a second. What that basically means is that it can record up to 48 kHz. Human beings can hear from ~20Hz - 20kHz. So most people record at 48k (set on the recorder), which translates into recording everything below 24kHz, still higher than anyone can hear.

Can you list the mic and recorder specifically? (Generally you just need an XLR cable to connect them)

Hi Gohanto,

ive read many of your posts on imdb.

Yes, let me list what im planning to buy. I know i should be spending atleast 250 on a mic and atleast 400 on a recorder. But i simply cant. And instead of waiting to get the money or the investment ive decided to go ahead and make what i can with what little i can spend.

The doc im making intercuts between street interviews and interviews held in a room.

I can borrow a pro grade camera at my old uni. But theyre only letting me use it in a room in the university itself. So ill use that for filming the seated interviews.

But for the street im using a camcorder which doesnt even have input jacks so im planning on buying the following mic and recorder to interview random ppl on the street.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...8_00_MicroTrack_II_Professional.html#features

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...denser_Shotgun_Microphone.html#specifications

What do you think? Keep in mind, im just trying to get by here. I want the audio to be better than your regular youtube vid but i dont expect it to be as professional a big budget production.

Thanks for replying!

96K is pretty much the highest quality people are recording now-a-days.

192K is even better, but gets pretty unwieldy on hard drives because the files are so big.

If I remember correctly, a 1 hour stereo audio file at 96K 24BIT is 2 gigs.

48K will be half of that.

The studio I work at has an extremely high quality standard and we mix everything at 96K, including films.

To my knowledge the top film studios still work at 48K because that's what the eventual release will be on (DVD).

The mic doesn't sound like it's that great of a mic for studio use but for man-on-the-street application it will probably work - it sounds like it's a dynamic mic.

What model is it? Audio Technica usually makes good mics.

It's this mic

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...denser_Shotgun_Microphone.html#specifications

And this is the recorder:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...8_00_MicroTrack_II_Professional.html#features

Im just wondering if the recorder and mic will work well together and if theres anything else i need to maximize the quality i can get out of these products.

Thanks for replying!

I've heard good things about the Microtrack II, but I've never heard anything about that mic before. Audio-Technica makes good stuff though, so it's likely to be at least decent for the budget.

You'll also want a boom pole to get the mic in close (VERY important, the mic should always be within an inch or two of the frame line to be as close to the talent's mouth as possible). I would suggest wind protection as I can virtually guarantee that the included foam windscreen won't be enough, but good wind protection goes beyond your budget. Try to shoot on non-windy days and always monitor the audio?

Option 2: Find a sound guy/gal with their own gear and try to negotiate rates. The above gear will work, but also isn't going to be too great...

Thanks Gohanto!

I've already figured in a boom pole and i know how important the technique is for using the pole correctly.

But yeah, ur right, the wind is going to be a problem. Im just hoping there wont be any when im shooting. Driving on fumes here. But its better than not driving at all.

Thanks for you help!

So plugging this mic into this recorder should be ok as long as there is no wind and the boom is pointed in the right direction at the closest distance possible?

Seems like I'm always the rain on everyones parade...

I am always very leery of using high impedance gear, especially in an urban setting; there is just to much chance of RF (Radio Frequency) interference and other noise problems. Anything over 10' and the cable will act as a big antenna.

You are aware that the AT mic is stereo, right? You may have phasing problems in post.

I am not one to try to prevent someone from pursuing their ambitions, but I do want you to be aware of the potential problems that you may have.

I always wonder why doc shooters don't want the interview mic in the shot; it's a friggin' interview for cripes sake! Even the field reporters for the huge news networks use handheld mics and put them right in the face of the interviewee. Many of the print reporters just shove their handheld digital recorder into the faces of their target.

My point is that all of your hard work will be wasted if your audio comes out like crap, and there is no chance for a retake or ADR when doing a doc; it has to be perfect first time, every time. As you are obviously on an extremely tight budget you won't be able to afford someone like me, nor the software/plug-ins to do it yourself if your audio needs extensive clean-up in order to be intelligible.

So give us all of the details, the specific camera you are using and what types of interviews you a will be conducting, and we'll be able to give you better advice.

Hey Alcove,

Don't worry about it. I didnt take anything negatively. I appreciate knowing the reality of the situation. You're not preventing me from pursuing my ambition but helping me out immensely with all this information.

So lets see if ive got this right. You would recommend that i use a mono mic, plugged into the recorder, and hold the mic up to the interviewer so the cable can be less than 10". That way it wont pick up interference?

For the street interviews i will be using Sony miniDV cam. It has no audio inputs.

The street interviews should be about 10 to 30 secs long. We just ask them a simple question about their city and record the answer.

These interviews will be intercut with other interviews held in a room. Those will be shot on Panasonic ag100a.

Thanks for your help!!

I would just get a budget hand-held mic, something like the Shure VP64 or the Audio-Technica AT8004, and plug it into the MicroTrack. You'll need an XLR cable and an adapter, like the Pearstone LMT100. Please note that I've never tried this particular combination so I don't really know how well it would work. So do what I would do, call B&H; they are very helpful. I use them for all of my field recording and video interfacing gear. Tell them what you want to do and your budget; they may have some great suggestions and might be able to save you a few bucks with a package deal. It's also a good idea to develop a relationship with one person at a reputable vendor; it's worth a lot more than the few dollars you'll save buying cheaper from other sources.

Sounds great!

Thanks lot for the advice! I really appreciate it!