Blackmagic Forum

Hi

I thought I posted a similar question yesterday but now I can't find it so apologies if this is a repetition.

I am hoping someone could recommend a mid-priced microphone for use in a church to record singing which will plug straight into the mic sockets on the Mini Pro without the need for any additional power supply, convertor or adaptor. I've been reading up on this but the more I read the more confused I become!

Any recommendations gratefully received.Thank you.

Hi everyone.

I have had no responses which could suggest a few things, one being that it was a daft question, or possibly that there was no clear answer. Anyway, I have discovered that the Audio Technica ATR6250x condenser microphone (which is battery powered and can also be fitted to a video camera) works a treat for my purposes - although obviously its suitability will depend on what you want to record. It's available from Amazon UK for £55. You plug it in and it works! I hope this might help someone else whose recording needs are simple and who is on a limited budget.

I have used a Rode VideoMic NTG. There should be an abundance of usable microphones that will work.

Most microphones work best when placed close to the subject. I am assuming that you will be recording a choir, which will make this impossible. The farther you are from the subject, the more you will lose the articulation because the reflections of the room will color the sound. Unless you are recording slow Gregorian chants in a Cathedral that was constructed for vocal reverberation, you want to avoid the "wetness" of this coloration and want to track it dry. Reverb can be added later in post if needed.

I have found that boundary microphones, sometimes called PZM, Pressure Zone Microphones, are useful in these situations. Since they are recording the excitement of air molecules within an air gap, it seldom clips on loud sounds, making it ideal for dynamic singers. It lowers reflections by 6 dB, almost cancelling them out, making for a much clearer and articulate sound. Bass response is excellent when it is placed on a table, as it turns it into a sounding board, the larger the better. It is very sensitive to distant sounds, so the audience sounds will be part of the production. The downside is that it will not record if something in the line of sight gets in the way, as it casts an acoustical shadow. It is also highly sensitive to shuffling of footsteps if placed on the floor as well as rustling of paper nearby.

Radio Shack sold a lot of these very cheaply ($49.95) decades ago (with a 1/4" plug), and quality pre-amp upgrades are available on eBay since there is a cult following for them. I have had good results with the updated Crown Sound Grabber II (new $119.95). Unfortunately it is a mono mic, with an unbalanced 3.5mm plug. It comes with a battery powered pre-amp that could damage one of the channels of the ATEM (if there is no protective circuitry inside) if plugged into a stereo jack. You have to use a cable that only sends the mono signal to either the left or the right channel. Ideally you would use two Sound Grabber IIs, going to each channel.

Although it is not longer made, several are still available on eBay cheaply.

They are popular for recording musical instruments since the frequency response is ruler flat and very wide. Although it requires little post processing for dialog, it does not sculpt the sound to enhance a vocalist's performance.

If boundary mics are your thing check out https://www.bartlettaudio.com/. Dude designed the original PCC160 and is now selling a refresh under his own label. Both the original and the updated version are balanced, condenser mics, which are not AMP plug and play solutions.

Good Luck

I would always add a small mixer to any setup that involves more than a single microphone on a very short cable. With a mixer, you get balanced XLR microphone inputs, phantom power, proper microphone preamps, physical faders, headphone output etc.