Tech Tips:
Choosing a Shotgun Microphone For Your Project
By Rule Broadcast SystemsHere at Rule, we have three choices for renting a shotgun mic. They are all condenser mics but each one has its own unique attributes. It’s not quite as simple as that by paying more you’ll get more, because the most expensive mic might not work for your application. I’ll briefly describe each of our shotguns and what it does or doesn’t do best.
1. Sennheiser ME 66
The ME 66 is a short gun microphone head with a power module. This mic is an electret condenser microphone which means that it carries its own battery on board. In this case, it is a AA battery which is housed in the K6 power module. While the on board battery is convenient, especially in the field, it does make for a reduction in quality. You see, in order for Sennheiser to make a mic with a battery, they have to use cheaper components to make the whole microphone (to keep the cost down). This means fewer features, cheaper materials, and compromised performance. It’s a highly directional super-cardioid pick up pattern and has an on/off switch and a bass roll-off filter. The ME 66 is best used for news gathering and other situations where highest quality isn’t as important as portability and ease of use. It’s definitely a workhorse mic that’s been used in all sorts of weather and climates.
2. Sennheiser MKH 60
The MKH 60 is also a short gun microphone with super-cardioid pick-up pattern. However, this one’s a true condenser mic which means that you have to provide it with an external power source or phantom power. Most mixers (our Shure FP33 and Mackie mixers) will provide you with this option; 48v phantom power. If you aren’t planning on using a mixer, we send this mic out with a stand alone battery powered supply. The fact that it doesn’t contain it’s own power means better electronics and better frequency response. The MKH 60 has very high directivity through the full frequency range. This mic comes equipped with 3 roll-off filters for bass, treble, and -10db. It’s well suited for an “on set” or controlled type of shoot situation, where a mixer is used.
3. Schoeps MK41
Finally we have the Schoeps MK 41. This is a small capsule type condenser mic which comes with a bass roll off filter and a CMC 4 amplifier for use with 12T parallel power. We provide an external battery operated power supply for use with the Schoeps. This microphone is definitely the high end mic here at Rule. It’s also a highly directional super-cardioid microphone. The Schoeps’ directivity is HIGHLY independent of frequency. Even sounds arriving off-axis (from the sides) and reverberant sound are registered without colouration. Our other mics are extremely sensitive to their placement in a room because shifting patterns of reflection cause corresponding shifts in the colour (what the mic hears). Not so with Schoeps. Even distant placement produces an extremely natural sound placement. This mic is definitely the choice for dialogue, sound effects, music, any kind of critical audio.
