Shotgun Mic for VoiceOvers - Bassy

c4etech said:

I read some very +ve reviews of the NTG-3 and ended up picking one up. Now the mic is quite good but is extremely boomy/bassy

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The NTG-3 is a very good shotgun mic for the money. However, being a shotgun, it's best suited to recording outdoor production sound. It can be used to very good effect indoors but it requires more skilled use/placement and also depends on the indoor space/acoustic.

c4etech said:

... am almost sure that am missing something basic...

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Yes, you are. A shotgun mic is unsuited for the task of recording voice overs and are rarely used for that purpose. Place a shotgun too close to the talent and you will get too much bass (proximity effect), record further away and you will get too much room acoustic unless the room is damped and the mic precisely positioned. For this reason, a standard music studio condenser mic with a pop-shield is most commonly used to record voice-overs/narration.

G

Thanks a ton for your reply, really appreciate it!

AudioPostExpert said:

The NTG-3 is a very good shotgun mic for the money. However, being a shotgun, it's best suited to recording outdoor production sound. It can be used to very good effect indoors but it requires more skilled use/placement and also depends on the indoor space/acoustic.

I live in India and stores here don't carry anything over $200 - the rest need to be back ordered, so I can't test and buy but have to rely on word of mouth... it has nothing to do with your reply, just giving you some background info.


Yes, you are. A shotgun mic is unsuited for the task of recording voice overs and are rarely used for that purpose. Place a shotgun too close to the talent and you will get too much bass (proximity effect), record further away and you will get too much room acoustic unless the room is damped and the mic precisely positioned. For this reason, a standard music studio condenser mic with a pop-shield is most commonly used to record voice-overs/narration.

G

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The problem here is that I am on camera being recorded... If I don't want a mic in frame I thought I'd have to get a lapel, got the sony uwp-d11 and the results were disastrous - after moths of trying to get the audio right I ended up buying a ntg-3...

My question to you - if the ntg-3 cannot suit my current shooting environment (https://www.instagram.com/p/0IZvEtzI8a/?taken-by=c4etech)
Are any of my other mics better suited...

Equipment I have
Blue Spark Digital
Zoom H6 w/ the LR & MS modules (I've gotten the best audio w/ the LR so far)
Rode NTG-3
Sony ECM-44B
Sony UWP D11

As you can see theres been a lot of trial and error for me... really struggling to get the audio right, so if me buying a new mic is the only solution, am willing to do that as well... just need any suggestions possible from people who have much more knowledge than I do

Ash

c4etech said:

The problem here is that I am on camera being recorded...
My question to you - if the ntg-3 cannot suit my current shooting environment ... Are any of my other mics better suited...

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The NTG-3 is a good mic, far better than anything else in your list but it needs to be positioned independently from the camera, IE. On a boom. Even the most expensive mics available are not going to get you decent sound if mounted on the camera, probably only a little better than a home video using built-in mics.

Lavs could solve your problem if you really can't do it properly with someone booming. The cheapest I would recommend is the Sennheiser G3 system, not as good as the Lectrasonics stuff but substantially cheaper. It's still a fair chunk of change though and like any tool, it needs to be used with at least some knowledge/skill to get decent results.

G

If you're going wireless, the Rode Wireless Lav may also be worth considering. They're significantly cheaper than the Sennheiser G3 (at least here in Australia they are) and surprisingly good value for simple setups. They're very bulky and their range isn't great.

Perhaps for Voiceovers a wired lav may be a better option. The microphone in the Rode Wireless with a cheap attachment can become XLR wired.

Also, listen to AudioPostExpert. He knows his stuff.

AudioPostExpert said:

The NTG-3 is a good mic, far better than anything else in your list but it needs to be positioned independently from the camera, IE. On a boom. Even the most expensive mics available are not going to get you decent sound if mounted on the camera, probably only a little better than a home video using built-in mics.

Lavs could solve your problem if you really can't do it properly with someone booming. The cheapest I would recommend is the Sennheiser G3 system, not as good as the Lectrasonics stuff but substantially cheaper. It's still a fair chunk of change though and like any tool, it needs to be used with at least some knowledge/skill to get decent results.

G

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The NTG3 is not on the camera, its mounted to a mic stand right next to me... quite similar to what a boom operator would do since I dont really move much but sit and talk from one point.

The Senheiser G3 is supposed to be similar to the Sony UWP-D11 ( from my research prior to buying the Sony) - given that the UWP-D11 isn't giving me good results will the G3 fare any better?

Ash

Sweetie said:

If you're going wireless, the Rode Wireless Lav may also be worth considering. They're significantly cheaper than the Sennheiser G3 (at least here in Australia they are) and surprisingly good value for simple setups. They're very bulky and their range isn't great.

Perhaps for Voiceovers a wired lav may be a better option. The microphone in the Rode Wireless with a cheap attachment can become XLR wired.

Also, listen to AudioPostExpert. He knows his stuff.

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Thank you

Read my prev. msg on the G3 (sorry not sure how to multi quote hence the separate reply )

c4etech said:

The NTG3 is not on the camera, its mounted to a mic stand right next to me... quite similar to what a boom operator would do since I dont really move much but sit and talk from one point.

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The correct position for a boomed shotgun would be above and in front of you, pointed at your throat/top of your chest at a distance of at least 18" (45cms) or slightly more. When used indoors, a shotgun mic is affected by room acoustics and particularly by any acoustically reflective surfaces near the mic (walls, ceiling, etc.). Not just near where the mic is pointed but also near the sides and rear of the mic. When using a shotgun mic indoors, some form of acoustic dampening is usually required, sound blankets placed a foot or so from the walls for example. For this reason, a hyper-cardioid mic is often preferred over a shotgun mic for indoor use.

c4etech said:

The Senheiser G3 is supposed to be similar to the Sony UWP-D11 ( from my research prior to buying the Sony) - given that the UWP-D11 isn't giving me good results will the G3 fare any better?

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I can't really comment on the Sony lavs as I have no experience of them. As you are seated and not moving much, a wired lav would be the cheapest and least error prone option, if going the lav route rather than a boomed mic. Again though, positioning is crucial and even then, lav mics do commonly require substantial EQ correction due to their close proximity to the chest. The Sanken Cos 11 is favoured by many professionals as it's frequency response is more tuned specifically for recording speech and is more forgiving of being positioned near/against the chest. This is a pro lav though, so it's not cheap by lav standards (but still quite a bit cheaper than an NTG-3). It can be found with either 3.5mm or XLR output connectors (the latter being much better if you have the option of XLR inputs). Before buying one, I would very strongly recommend hiring/borrowing one, testing and comparing it with what you are already using. This should eliminate the possibility that it's your positioning, use or some other variable which is at fault rather than the mic being unsuitable for your particular situation.

G

APE is going to be turning in his grave, but... try the relatively new lav from Rode made for the iPhone. I don't remember the name. They have a 3.5mm connector and are designed to plug straight into the iPhone.

If you don't have an iPhone, you can use it with an adapter cable (so it can be used with other items than the iphone). I plug it into a Zoom H1 into a computer for temp voice overs. It gets you 80% of quality without needing to break out my better equipment. I guess it'll probably suit you for your Youtube stuff.

The Senheiser G3 is supposed to be similar to the Sony UWP-D11 ( from my research prior to buying the Sony) - given that the UWP-D11 isn't giving me good results will the G3 fare any better?

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This is where experience comes in. The audio pros are experienced, not that I'm a professional. The pro's use professional equipment as it's needed to get professional results. By the sound of it, you don't have a budget for professional results. What I suggested above is a cheap alternative. You'll have to invest and test it to find out if it'll suit your needs.

NTG-3 and ended up picking one up. Now the mic is quite good but is extremely boomy/bassy

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If could have something to do with what you're plugging the NTG-3 / UWP into. I'm in the same boat as APE, I have never used a UWP, let alone the stock microphone they use.

I suggest you list your setup and your workflow.