absound Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Hi Fellow Soundies, I am looking to add a microphone to my growing collection and would appreciate some advice. I am looking for a mic to be used specifically for interviews in noisy locations. The mic may end up on a mic stand or on the end of a boom pole, but always out of frame and will be used in situations where my trusted Neumann KMR81 does not reject enough of the ambient noise. Examples of the types of very noisy locations where I have been recently include a gold mine with lots of machinery, several construction sites and a beach with crashing waves. Often a well placed lavalier does the trick but I would like to have two clean tracks of audio. Since I always record separate ambient sound, I would like to be able to record very clean interviews and allow the editors to ambient sound in Post if the interview audio ends up being too clean or quiet. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. absound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Mic's like this are frequently discussed here, though the search function is sometimes wonky. " I would like to be able to record very clean " yes, we all would. you seem to have a good solution that works.... it is really mostly about signal to noise ratio, and that usually means get the microphone closer to the desired sound (signal)!!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gilbert Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 If MIkes advice leaves you wanting more, check out the Sanken CS3e, a good value, great sounding mic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason porter Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 The Senator said it all. The only way to get less ambience is to get the mic closer to the signal and get the subject to talk LOUDER. I like to get the off camera producer, who is conducting the interview to stand as far away from the subject as is reasonable. This helps the subject project their voice over the bg noise. No shotgun is a game-changer, although the Cs3e helps a bit in some situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 If production doesn't mind it looking like a news interview, then an EV RE50 handheld mic is the way to go. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margus Jukkum Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 I have found the Schoeps Super CMIT boom mic to be a game changer. Just yesterday I played some sections of 2 interviews I recorded from a recent shoot in London England to the folks at Trew Audio in Toronto and also Audio Services in Toronto. In both places people were amazed. One interview was done in an airplane hanger in front of a fighter jet and all hum from ventilation and lights just vanished. The second interview was done in a conservation area in a museum with loud refrigeration noise. The room was essentially a cold storage room where the artifacts we were filming were stored. In this ghastly audio environment I was able to come up with an interview that was totally useable. Because it is a digital mic it sends 2 channels of audio down a single XLR so post can always refer to the unfiltered boom mic and compare. The producers on this show are in awe of it and have kept me busy for the entire year. This is not to say that interviews should be done in sonically unsuitable places. The show I'm on essentially deals with museums and some key artifacts which in some cases cannot be moved, hence the interviews done in such places. I have also watched camera be forced to deal with restrictions on lighting and what kinds of stands are allowable etc. Margus Jukkum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margus Jukkum Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 I should add that I also own 2 Sankens CS3e's which I use frequently in documentary work when shooting verité. But when it comes down to interviews the Schoeps Super Cmit and once in awhile the Schoeps Cmit 5u come out. Margus Jukkum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absound Posted August 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 Thanks to all of you for your replies. I have been curious about the Super CMIT and will check it out. Also, I see that my much loved and trusted Neumann KMR81 has a new digital brother that I will also want to listen to before making a final decision. Thanks again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armin Siegwarth Posted September 3, 2011 Report Share Posted September 3, 2011 @Margus Do you have expierience with Super Cmit and reflective rooms e.g. small clean office or church? How about the mentioned wave sound? Do the electronics only reduce constant background noise or reflections as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich Posted September 3, 2011 Report Share Posted September 3, 2011 @Margus Do you have expierience with Super Cmit and reflective rooms e.g. small clean office or church? How about the mentioned wave sound? Do the electronics only reduce constant background noise or reflections as well? ive used my super CMIT in lively sounding rooms and it has helped to bring down the level of the reflections. its also helped in a small studio that had a fairly unpleasant echo if you clapped you hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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