I know this topic has been covered many times in general, but specifically, I need a shotgun for $200 or less that I can mount on a VX2100 and on a boom. I typically do weddings and corporate films (training and the like) but I have a dance recital coming up next month and I need a new mic. I currently use an Archer, yes the old rat shack brand, and it has worked well for the past 15 years - but now it is time for something else. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Trey
hgnacik
Member
I'm also looking for a shotgun for the VX2100. I'm considering the the Rode NTG-2 which I'll connect through an XLR adapter but I'm wondering if it's too long (almost 11") to be mounted on this camera. Is anyone out there using this mic with this camera? Other suggestions gladly accepted as well.
After much research, I decided to go with the Rode Videomic. It's not a great shotgun, but it is very good. Given the niosey audio circuitry on the 2100, I don't think a really expensive mic would make all that much difference. If how ever you invest in a mix-pre, then the quality would get much much better. I'm just not financially ready to go with the Greg Winter modification. Good luck in your search, hgnacik. Let us know what you get and how it works out.
Trey
brandon0409
Member
Make sure you are careful, even with a really nice, expensive mic to watch out for mechanical hum vibrating through the mic base.
I have a couple $300 AZDEN boom mics. I had to learn the hard way about the hum. During a wedding, wehn i got done, the sound was recorded with a LOUD hum. I later found out that it was from the mechanical sound of the camera while it was turned on.
I have the mic attached to the accessory shoe and connected through the 1/8" connection.
After some tests, I found that the only was to completely eliminate the hum was to un-mount the mic and either hold it...
or
I ended up riging a contraption for $5.00, like the AZDEN one in the link (@ $40.00) with rubber bands.
That dampens the sound perfectly. Or you can buy one of those harnesses that jet the mic off to the side. I'm not sure what they're called.
http://www.azdencorp.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=93275&cat=1&page=2
A decent shock mount is ESSENTIAL for any external mic. I accually made one from PVC pipe, a modified shoe mount and rubber orings. I spray painted it in a flat black and it looks and works great. I'm such a cheap ba$#%rd that I just hate spending money on something I can make. But having said that, shock mounts can be cheap and plentiful (ebay, B&H photo, etc)
brandon0409
Member
Could you post a picture of it. I'd like to see your variation of this.
Thanks
Could you post a picture of it. I'd like to see your variation of this. Thanks
I'd be glad to along with the way I made it. I think the whole thing set me back about $5. Just give a day to get a picture together. I tried to copy the design of this shock mount. (more or less)
 Could you post a picture of it. I'd like to see your variation of this. Thanks
Ok, here it is.
I started with a 2 inch PVC pipe, cut 2 slices for the front and back rings Next I cut a bottom cross piece and 2 thinner side supports. In the outside edges of the rings I cut grooves for the rubber o-rings. All pieces were cemented together using PVC cement. The most crucial part was the shoe mount. I had the mount that came with this microphone and I modified it (cut the sides off that held the barrel of the mic) and used a plastic epoxy to cement that to the bottom of the shock mount. All parts were spray painted in a flat black And last I used some black rubber o-rings to hold the mic in place. The o-rings were kind of hard to find, but finally found them at an obscure auto supply store.
I know it's kind of bootleg, but it works and actually, it works much better than the shock mount that came intergrated with my new Rode Videomic.
