soundbeard

Thanks for this - just ordered a BD-5 - should be a nice stop-gap solution. My current shockmount (Ryote INV 7HG MkIII) is good but not great. Might just end up with an OSIX-2 and hold off on the Cosi until I get the MiniCMIT. I assume the Cosi and the OSIX are similar when it comes to handling noise reduction, or is one significantly better than the other? Still think it's a shame you can't take the fur off the Cosi. Cage might scare the talent, though 😊

Does the Cosi muffle the sound too much for indoor use? I've not been able to find any ratings on how much db it cuts. I'm finding the CMC is very susceptible to wind noise from quick swings, so some indoor wind protection that's better than the included foam seems like a must. OSIX-2 + Leo 20 would be great, but is that really that much more transparent than the Cosi is? I suppose an easier way to word my initial post would have been: anyone used a Cosi and liked it? Does it muffle the sound too much for indoor use of a Schoeps CMC?

I wasn't planning on using the CMC outside, but I thought that something like the COSI might suffice for indoor use and would allow me to swap in a Mini CMIT for outdoors without having to buy another suspension/windscreen, though I'd obviously need a solution for stronger winds. Unless someone can speak for the COSI, it sounds like the consensus is that I'll have to buy separate suspensions for indoors and outdoors, which feels like a missed opportunity. Something like the Cinela Z-OSIX-2 might fit this bill, but I don't think you can buy them anymore.

Maybe the better use of my money would be foregoing wind protection for the time being (aside from the included windscreen for swinging), and put that money towards the CUT 60. I can get semi-decent results using the low cut filters in my MixPre, but I imagine that having the cut filter before any of the pre-amps would be quite a bit more effective. Anyone have any experience with the CUT 60?

I've not had the chance to try any of the Cinela mounts personally, nor do I know anyone who has one. There also aren't any dealers nearby where I can go try them out. I was under the impression that they were better shockmounts/windscreens than the Rycotes, which is why I was looking into them. I'd prefer to spend a little more now than waste extra money upgrading later. Are the Cinela not superior to the Rycotes?

Yeah, yeah, I know this gets asked a ton, but I've done a lot of research and I'm ready to make a decision, but before I did that, I wanted to make sure I had my facts straight. This is what I'm thinking: Cinela COSI Pros: Cheapest option Could use for both the CMC641 and a Mini CMIT with a cheap $30 adapter (I still need to upgrade my shotgun, and the Mini CMIT is on my short list) Possibly best at reducing handling noise, simply due to the larger amount of surface area between the pole and the mic (although there are other factors with the other mounts that may hinder this) Cons: Can't remove fur Can't add additional fur Might be too small if I added a CUT 60 Cinela OSIX-2 + Cinela Leo 20 Windshield Pros: Can remove fur for stationary booming Might be able to remove top mount and use in a Pianissimo later (it looks like this is the same suspension the Pianissimo uses - if I bought the OSIX 2 and a Pianissimo for another mic size, could I swap the suspension in for my CMC641?) Would allow for addition of a CUT 60 Cons: No full wind protection option Would have to buy a whole second suspension for another mic Cinela Pianissimo Pros: Best wind protection of the three Different levels of wind protection Possibly the most sonically transparent Would allow for addition of a CUT 60 Cons: Can't remove windscreen Harder to squeeze into tight spots indoors Most expensive Would have to buy a whole second suspension plate for another mic I know the best option is to buy separate suspensions for indoors/outdoors, but that's just not in the budget right now. I'm leaning towards the COSI, especially since it's on sale for $485 at Location Sound. Thoughts? What do I have wrong? Thanks so much!

This actually brings up another good point: maybe the best decision gear wise at the moment would be to start with mics that are the most reliable rather than the absolute best sounding. So maybe a MKH 416 + MKH 50 with COS-11D lavs. From what I've read, those seem to be the most reliable in various conditions, from EMF or RF interference to humidity. They're also reasonably affordable. I've heard stories of EMF interference with the CS3e, and stories of problems with the Schopes (or technically any pressure gradient mic) in humid conditions. Does this sound like a valid approach? I really would like a Schoeps CMC6/MK41 if nothing else, but is it really that sensitive to humidity? I've heard both that it is and that this is a myth.

No one is telling anyone they're wrong. But I must admit that the 416 does add some coloration to the talent, at least to my ears. Hard to describe, but it's like a growl - like the lows are a little aggressive. Also sounds better on male voices than female voices when I used it. It's still a highly capable mic - all the ones in this price point are, but I prefer something a little more neutral sounding. I was told microphones are like golf clubs - there's one that's perfect for every situation. As much as I hate spending the extra money, I think I will rent the Schoeps CMC6/MK41, the Sanken CS3e and some COS-11Ds.

Any recommendations instead of the 416? I've worked with the NTG3 and the 416 both and preferred the sound on the 416 (though the pickup pattern is tighter, and it's a little less forgiving when booming two people at once). Part of me thinks that if I were to get a boom for indoors (Schoeps MK41 / CMC6, MKH 50 or even something cheap like a Shure KSM-141) I'd be better off getting something like a Sanken CS3e for outdoors (though I know that's even more directional than the 416 - or so it seems) to help with those situations you just can't control. Also, as for the 416, I've seen some folks recommend trying to get a used one and almost pulled the trigger on a few, but got nervous when I heard about the counterfeit ones that are in the mix. Some are supposedly hard to spot. There are even some threads on this site about them: I've got a couple of shoots coming up in July, and I think my plan for now is just to stick with my ME66 and upgrade my lavs. My goal is clean sound, and the ME66 isn't standing in the way of that right now, where as the ME2's are. I might just go with the Oscar Sound Tech 801, which sound good and are cheap, but were a little hard for me to isolate. On the feature I used B6's, OST 801's and in a pinch, the ME2 lavs, and I greatly preferred the B6 due to how easy they were to isolate, but I feel like if I were to splurge for the B6 I might as well get the COS-11Ds - they're roughly the same price. Hopefully these upcoming jobs will lead to more jobs, in which case it might make sense to upgrade my boom mic.

Some great advice here. Thanks so much. I think I will stick with most of the gear I have currently and look into getting more experience. However, I did want to clarify "self taught." By self taught, I mean I didn't go to school for sound or video work. I bought a camera in 2003 and started playing around, made short films, made lots of mistakes, and learned from them. I met and worked with other videographers. For them, with them. Made lots more mistakes, and learned from those. Met other sound guys. Talked with them. Worked for them, with them. Made tons of mistakes. And learned from them. Schooling is certainly not the only way to learn something. Failure is often the best teacher, so long as you learn from it. I'm asking about getting into my market, which has lots of videographers but a small, dwindling supply of sound people. All the people who would be initial clients are videographers who I personally know and have worked with before. I'm not planning on putting my hat in the ring for film/tv work until I get a lot more experience. All that being said, I really don't like the ME2 lavs, and would like to replace them with something better. I'm guessing the COS-11Ds would be the go-to if upgrading?

I had looked at the 50, but was under the impression that the Schoeps matched the DPA lavs better, while the 50 was a better match with something like the Sanken COS-11D. I'd also heard the handling noise on the 50 was as bad if not worse than the Schoeps. Also, the Cut 60 seems to do exactly the same thing as the Cut 1, and it's half price and smaller. MK41 + CMC6 + CUT 60 is only about $1950.

Was planning on getting the Microdot terminated DPAs so I didn't have to do this. Is this a bad idea? Is this only because the G3 IEMs have a gain control knob or am I missing something else? Also, any idea if my G3's even have enough voltage to run the DPA 6060s? Know anyone who has used this combo? Couldn't find anything online about it. Thanks again!

So I've been moonlighting videography for about 15 years now and am self-taught when it comes to sound, though I've always strived to get the best sound I possibly can when I do videography (I'm a one-man-band setup). I'm looking to start doing sound work for local videographers and possibly other small features. So far I've done a few shorts as "location sound mixer," meaning I'm the whole sound department: wiring talent, mixing, booming and post, and I'm lucky enough to have just finished my first indie feature film, so I have a very small amount of experience doing this for real. What I don't have is experience with a lot of the pro gear, and I'm trying to make sure I don't run into any pitfalls as I build my first sound kit. I just came into a little unexpected money to spend and I tend to be of the mind that it's cheaper in the long run to make an investment in decent gear rather than buying low to mid-range stuff and upgrading. I was wondering if I would run into any problems with this setup: Right now I'm running: MixPre-3 in an Orca OR-30, with BDS run from a slim gold mount battery (this battery and bag are big, I know, but I wanted a bag I could grow into, and the gold mount battery is nice as it doubles as a battery for my camera) 2x Sennheiser G3 Wireless systems 2x Sennheiser ME2 lavs that came with the G3's (these sound awful to me and they're very difficult to hide) 1x Sennheiser ME66 / K6 shotgun on my boom (not crazy about the sound of this, either) And I was thinking about adding these: 2x DPA 6060 lav mics 1x Schoeps CMC6 / MK41 for indoor booming + windscreen (Rycote maybe? Cinela? how bad is the handling noise on this mic?) 1x Sennheiser 416 for outdoor booming + Rycote windscreen system 2x Timecode Sync Ultrasync Ones Lectro or Zaxcomm wireless would be great, but they're out of my price range at the moment. I also know I need an IFB solution of some sort soon, but so far the clients I've talked to aren't overly concerned about monitoring what I hear - if I ever get the money to upgrade to Lectros, I was thinking about using the G3s as sound out / director's monitor devices. So here's what I'm wondering: Will the G3's have enough voltage to run the DPA 6060s? The sensitivity on the 6060s seem really high compared to the Sanken COS-11D or the Countryman B6's. I'm planning on recording dialogue only. Would the 6061s be a better choice? Should I opt for another mic altogether? (the DPA lavs, like the Schoeps mic, seem like good investments - things I won't have to buy again in the near future, if you're wondering why I'm asking about expensive gear to start with). Should I opt for another outdoor shotgun over the 416? Any other pitfalls I might be missing in this setup? Thanks so much!