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Best indoor mic for under $1,000?
  • acuriousmanacuriousman

    I'm going to get some serious gear soon and I have to upgrade my current shotgun.

    I'll be shooting a lot of interior diagloue shots in small to medium sized rooms. From what I've been told, a shotgun mic like the MKH 416 is terrible for indoors, correct?

    What's the best indoor mic for $1,000 and under?

  • 116 Replies sorted by
  • rempenrempen

    My 3 most favourite all around videomics are: Sennhiser MKH 416, Røde NTG3 and Oktava MK-012 Hyper.

  • MikeLinnMikeLinn

  • squigsquig

    I meant to say NT3, obviously.

  • squigsquig

    @shian Looks kinda heavy. I started out with an NTG3, heavy, but nice sound. I don't mind heavy though because I like to make my sound boy suffer (he loves it). I picked up a pair of Jim William's custom modded AKG C 460 Bs which sound really nice, but I still yearn for a Schoeps.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    now vk you might be right ,it may only be eq algorithms ,but each mic emulation is distinct enough to have a lot of options in post

    Actually using equalizer can be more useful as it teaches you universal things.

  • sammysammy

    I was also skeptical about slate vms,I have owned it for a year now ..although I never owned the real microphones it emulating ,I can say the vms is a great tool and provides many options for post (rather than one flavor fit all for a vocals for example) .. now vk you might be right ,it may only be eq algorithms ,but each mic emulation is distinct enough to have a lot of options in post

  • shianshian

    Sure... but the only thing that matters is how it sounds... if it sounds like the real deal, and characteristically does to the signal what the real deal does... in a mix, at the end of the day it does not matter.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @shian

    Thanks, but it is still subjective. Proper way is to connect padded linear output instead of mike, generate known signal and observe result after emulation.

  • shianshian

    There's plenty of videos on Youtube comparing it to the real thing some with different performances and others with the mics mounted so they're right next to each other capturing the same performance.... and it's almost indistinguishable. The mic itself is perfectly neutral and flat in its response. The color comes from the algorithms created from intensive analysis of the real thing, not too different from the routine a Kemper profiling amp uses to profile an amplifier accurately.

    (like this one

    )

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @shian

    It'll be interesting to see real scientific objective review.

    As it is just condenser mike with added software, and something tells me that aside from added IMD and noise from preamp simulator all you have is EQ settings.

    But it'll be interesting if you can compare padded generated linear input and output from software.

  • shianshian

    The Slate Virtual Mic is utterly amazing. Best money I ever spent. About $75,000 worth of microphones for $999.

  • DrDaveDrDave

    Ummm maybe eight or nine--some ppl don't return them, not sure exactly.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @DrDave

    Do you have multiple hypercardioid mikes?

  • DrDaveDrDave

    I think it is ridiculous, absurd, really, that they did this test without using the Oktava hypercardioid. Although the Oktava cardioid is clearly better than the other two.

  • MikeLinnMikeLinn

  • caveportcaveport

    ISK polar patterns.

    Screen Shot 2017-07-27 at 12.13.25 PM.png
    1183 x 746 - 241K
  • MikeLinnMikeLinn

  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    Finally tried out the ISK- CM20C I bought a year ago and I like it. Sound quality is good. Amazing for $35 (USD). I had mic about 15" from actor's mouth. Used it indoors. Footage by @Rambo shows it's quite good outdoors too. Thanks @Rambo for turning me on to this mic. On a budget?..give this mic a try. Shipping from Australia to US was pretty quick too.

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/201312998375 Well drat... it has arrived. But.... they shipped the CM61, not the CM60! Messaged the seller to now send the CM60 that I want. They're totally different microphones. As the CM61 is an omni-directional microphone.

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    Purchased both now! :-P

    iSK and Takstar

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @IronFilm

    Yep. This is that you need.

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    Ah, so I need the Super Cardioid: http://www.ebay.com/itm/iSK-Super-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone-Cymbal-Mic-/311471025892

    Would that make it a better choice over the Takstar CM60 which is a normal cardioid? (also goes under the name of "CAD C9" or "Pronomic SCM-1") http://www.ebay.com/itm/Takstar-Professional-CM60-Small-Diaphragm-Condenser-Microphone-Anti-humidity-/201312998375

    This is for booming indoor dialogue for films.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    And is this the one everybody referring to (it is the cheapest one I can see online)

    This one is cardioid, you need CM-20C

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    @Tjabo what do you use to handle wind noise outdoors with the CM20C?

    And is this the one everybody referring to (it is the cheapest one I can see online): http://www.ebay.com/itm/111658557196

  • mrbillmrbill

    I bought a CM20C, and tried recording a voice over in one of our dubbing suites. It's a great sounding mic, but what's amazing is the noise floor, which is subjectively comparable to an SE Electronics product costing several hundred pounds more. Astonishing value for money.

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