RODE NTG2 as hand-held mic?

[danielnaville]

Hi there!

I am about to buy the Rode NTG2 for some field interviews and some indoor interviews as well.

I was just wondering if I can use this mic WITHOUT a boom pole and just have my interviewer HOLD the mic directly in his hands.

I know the question might sound odd but would noise be detected if someone held it instead of mounting it on something?

I don't want to purchase a dynamic mic because then the mic has to be held close to the mouth and that might be awkward.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[bigbossbmb]

shotguns are not designed to be hand held... you would be better off with a cardioid mic. their sound field is better suited for hand held.

 

[danielnaville]

In that case which cardioid mic would you recommend?

thanks

 

[zimv20]

for handhelds, your main concern is handling noise. you need a mic meant for handheld ENG use, like a shure SM63 or an EV RE50.

check out this page.

 

[zimv20]

I was just wondering if I can use this mic WITHOUT a boom pole and just have my interviewer HOLD the mic directly in his hands.

your other option is to get a pistol grip, like this, and use your shotgun mic.

I don't want to purchase a dynamic mic because then the mic has to be held close to the mouth and that might be awkward.

dunno who told you that dynamics must be close to their source, but that's wrong. placement has to do with a lot of factors, like source, pickup pattern, ambient noise, the mic pre used, etc etc, but little to do with dynamic vs condensor vs ribbon etc.

you'll note that most of those handheld ENG mics are dynamics. and those lav mics (i.e. lapel mics) you see on camera? those are (afaik) always condensors.

 

[danielnaville]

Thanks for your help, I'll look into those mics.

Also, what is the main difference in sound, if any, between a shotgun mic and a handheld? I know the price for a shotgun mic is usually higher but why?

 

[zimv20]

I know the price for a shotgun mic is usually higher but why?

good shotguns take a bit more design and engineering to get them right. the farther you want a mic to "reach", the more off-axis rejection you have to design into it, and the more careful attention you have to pay to ensuring the on-axis signal sounds good.

the best dialog mic i've used is the schoeps with the mk41 (hyper-cardioid) capsule. it's not as ridiculously long as other shotguns, but those longer shotguns give you better signal from a distance. but honestly, if you're 10+' from the source, you should be using a wireless lav, anyway.

any comment i make on differences in sound between a dynamic and a shotgun, such as differences in pickup pattern and off-axis rejection, will be overshadowed by the sound of the particular mic in question and how it's being used.

if you want someone on camera holding a mic, you should get a handheld. if you want the mic off camera, you should get a shotgun.

 

[danielnaville]

what about the ME66 Sennheiser/K6 as a hand-held on camera mic?

 

[zimv20]

what about the ME66 Sennheiser/K6 as a hand-held on camera mic?

that things got tons of handling noise.

 

[bigbossbmb]

what about the ME66 Sennheiser/K6 as a hand-held on camera mic?

are you going to hand hold the mic or put it on camera? Don't mount a shotgun on camera unless you absolutely need to. It is much better to put it on a boom pole.