Sennheiser MKH 50 Boom Microphone for indoor dialogue recording

In this week’s episode, we have a look at and listen to the Sennheiser MKH 50 supercardioid boom microphone. The film and TV industry has generally considered the MKH 50 as a staple boom microphone for many years. This microphone has the unique characteristic that it captures bass frequencies, even when used at at distance of 2 or even 3 meters. This makes it useful for wide shots in addition to more traditional booming distances of less than 50 cm. In my experience, the MKH 50 is a rich sounding mic which is well suited for indoor booming. Its RF bias design and overall build make it incredibly reliable. Its gentle roll-off filter and -10dB pad also make it useful for closer mic (10 - 40 cm) or really loud situations. The MKH 50 also holds up really well when compared to the much newer MKH 8050 and Schoeps CMC641 boom microphones which we compare it to in this episdoe. The $1200 USD price seems very fair for the quality offered by the MKH 50.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Sennheiser MKH 50 boom microphone — B&H, Trew Audio, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH 8050 boom microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Schoeps CMC641 boom microphone — B&H, Trew Audio, Sweetwater

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Trew Audio, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon

- Rycote PCS Microphone Quick-Release System — B&H

- Aputure LS 300X used for background light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Rosco Gobo creates the pattern on the back wall — B&H

- Canon C70 cinema camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L lens — B&H, Amazon

- Schneider Radiant Soft 1 diffusion filter — B&H

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd

DEITY V-Mic D4 Camera Top Microphone

In this week’s episode, we have a look at and listen to the DEITY V-Mic D4 camera-top shotgun microphone. This $99 USD microphone is at home on a camera, on a boom pole, connected to a mobile phone, or even to a Mac or PC. The D4 is powered via any AAA battery which can power it for up to 60 hours if you use a lithium battery. It automatically powers on or off with your camera, has a directional pickup pattern, and sounds best when you boom it within about 40 cm of the person you’re recording. One of my favorite features is the stemless gain dial which allows you to finesse the the gain. There is also an innovative feature — a shoe mount for a wireless transmitter on the shock mount rail. Let’s take a closer look and a listen!

Find out how to boom this mic to make it sound its best here.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- DEITY V-Mic D4 microphone — B&H, Trew Audio, DVE Store, Amazon

- DEITY V-Mic D3 Pro microphone — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 300X used for background light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store. Amazon

- Rosco Gobo creates the pattern on the back wall — B&H

- Canon C70 cinema camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L lens — B&H, Amazon

- Schneider Radiant Soft 1 diffusion filter — B&H

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2022, Curtis Judd

Xvive U6 Budget WIreless Microphone System

In this week’s episode, we have a look at the Xvive U6 wireless microphone system. This affordable consumer-grade wireless system features an in-built mic and rechargeable battery, a choice between 4 different frequency channels within the 2.4 GHz band, and simple menu-free operation. It can also send audio straight to your camera from the receiver. In this episode we walk through the U6’s feature set, test out its performance in a variety of distance tests, and demonstrate its use to help you decide whether this system is right for your audio needs. Let’s take a closer look!

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Xvive U6 Wireless Microphone System — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- RODE Wireless GO Wireless Microphone System — B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store

- Panasonic GH5 — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35 mm F2.8 Lens — B&H, Amazon

- Olympus 45 mm F1.8 Lens — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure P300C LED used as key light — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure LS 300X used for background light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Amaran P60X used for rim light — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo Cool Lavender creates the color pattern on the back wall - B&H

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2022, Curtis Judd

Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Microphone Review

In this week’s episode, we have a look at and a listen to the Sennheiser MKE 600 shotgun microphone. This medium sized shotgun mic — in Sennheiser’s words, a ‘microphone for video journalists’ — is highly directional and can be used both as a traditional shotgun mic or as a camera-top vlog microphone. The included XLR to 3.5 mm TRS cable also allows you to record from this mic directly into cameras with a 3.5mm mic input. In this video we walk through the MKE 600’s feature set and test it out in multiple environments and applications. Let’s take a closer look!

Additional microphone reviews:

- Audio Technica AT875R

- RODE NTG4

- RODE NTG2

- RODE VideoMic NTG

- Sony ECM 674

- Deity S-Mic 2S

- Deity S-Mic 2

- Deity D3 Pro

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Microphone – Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun microphone — Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon

- DEITY S-Mic 2 shotgun microphone — Trew Audio, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure 600D PRO LED Light — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Impact Luxbank softbox - B&H

- Aputure Amaran 100D - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo Cool Lavender creates the color pattern on the back wall - B&H

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K — B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Canon C70 camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L lens — B&H, Amazon

- SoundDevices 888 Audio Recorder – Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2022, Curtis Judd

100K & Microphone Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone for helping build this community where we focus on lighting and sound for video. Get yourself registered at the link above for the chance to win a Deity S-Mic 2 shotgun microphone. This is my favorite shotgun mic in the $350-ish price range and definitely a great mic for any filmmaker's kit.

And here's to 100K more joining our community!

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F8 and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.

Links to gear used in this video:

Deity S-Mic 2 Shotgun Microphone (Amazon)

Golden Age Project R1 Active mk III Ribbon Microphone (Amazon) - the big mic you see that I used to record this episode

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - I used this to record most of this episode

Aputure COB120t (Amazon) - Key light in the talking head clips

Aputure Light Dome Mini II (Amazon) - Newer version of the smaller soft box with faster setup

Lupo Superpanel Full Color 30 - RGB 1x1 panel light for the background

Panasonic 12-35mm F/2.8 OIS Lens (Amazon) - Used on the Pocket 4K camera

Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd

Music Copyright 2018 by Cary Judd. Used with permission.

Deity S-Mic 2 Shotgun Microphone: Initial Impressions

At NAB 2018, Deity Microphones announced their S-Mic 2, an affordable shotgun microphone targeted at independent filmmakers with some important improvements over the original Aputure Deity Shotgun Microphone. Deity refined the voicing on the S-Mic 2 for a fuller, more balanced sound. They also coated the circuit board to reduce the microphone’s self noise. Let’s take a closer look and a listen, and even compare it to the RODE NTG-4+, a similarly priced shotgun microphone, as well as a pro-level shotgun mic, the DPA 4017b.

Links to gear discussed and used to shoot this episode:

Deity S-Mic 2 Shotgun Microphone - Coming Soon, ships July 2018

Sound Devices 633 Audio Recorder/Mixer

Aputure COB 120d - This is the light I used as a key in the talking head clips

Aputure Light Dome Soft Box - Used to soften the key light

Panasonic GH5 - My favorite small camera for video

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5 most of the time

Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd 

Music - Elegance in Entropy - Copyright 2017 by The Vacationist, used with permission

Consumer vs Pro Wireless Microphone Systems

Why do professional level wireless microphone systems cost so much? Do they just have audio quality that is that much better? Or are there other features that pros need that enthusiast filmmakers don’t need? What am I missing if I go for one of the consumer/prosumer wireless systems?

In this episode we explore these questions by talking about 3 wireless microphone systems I use: RODELink, Sennheiser G3 (and now G4), and the Audio Limited A10 system.  We clarify the important differences so you can understand when a consumer grade wireless system is everything you need for your projects and when it might make sense to rent or buy a pro-level wireless system.

Links to gear discussed and used to shoot this episode:

RODELink Filmmaker Kit - Good digital wireless consumer/prosumer system - Been a useful part of my kit for 3 years.

Sennheiser G4 112P - Good analogue prosumer wireless system (If you buy this, be sure to choose the block that is legal to use in your locality. Buy through a dealer that can help you if you’re not sure. Also, it does not appear that the older G3 is retailing for less at this point. I’d go for the G4. The technical differences are negligible):

Audio Limited A10 Dual Channel Receiver - Pro level all-digital wireless system for lavalier and boom microphones. This receiver supports two channels (i.e., two separate transmitters can transmit to this receiver which then sends two separate audio channels to your audio mixer/recorder).

Audio Limited A10 Transmitter - body pack transmitter for the all-digital A10 wireless microphone system. This supports lavalier microphones plus boom microphones, even those needing phantom power (via 3-pin lemo to XLR adapter cable)

Sennheiser MKH 8050 Microphone - used to record this entire episode

Aputure COB 120t - This is the light I used as a key in the talking head clips

Aputure Light Dome Soft Box - Used to soften the key light

Lupo DayLED Fresnel Light with Barn Doors - Used for the “rim/hair” light

650, 1000, & 2000 in daylight, tungsten, or bi-color

Blackmagic design Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera - used for the talking head shots in this episode

Sigma ART 24-70mm f/2.8 OS Lens (Canon EF Mount)

Panasonic GH5 - Used for some of the product shots

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5 most of the time

Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd 

Music - MzA by Cary Judd, used with permission