Best Field Sound Mixer?

[krisjprice]

I'm looking to branch my services out to audio on sets and am now looking for some good Shotgun mics, lavs, and a field mixer. Does anyone have any advice on this position or which gear universally sounds/works best (think the SM57 of shotguns or field mixers).

Thanks!

 

[Bobbsy]

Well, the "SM57 of shotguns" is still the Sennheiser 416 on a nice lightweight fishpole with a furry hamster wind gag, probably a Rycote one. However, more a more location sound is now recorded in M-S stereo--I don't think there's a universal solution yet but the Shure VP-88 turns up on a lot of sets.

However, if you want to be fully equipped, you'll need several lav style radio mics that can be taped on and hidden under clothing and with battery powered receivers. My personal favourite are the ones by Audio Ltd.--the transmitters and receivers I bought in 1984 are still going strong with the guy I sold them to when I retired.

Mixers...do you really mean "on set" or are you looking for a more portable documentary style thing?

For real "on set" use (mainly dramas, something from the AUDIO DEVELOPMENTS range is pretty much the industry workhorse. For big, fully-featured stuff, the AD149 is pretty commonly used--but it needs a source of mains power (not an issue on big sets with generators). However, just a bit smaller is the AD245 pico mixer which can run off internal batteries. Both have truly excellent pre amps and the sort of features you'll want on a set. I used the AD145 pico (predecessor to the 245) for years and it was built like a brick outhouse, never failed and sounded great.

If you mean the more documentary style with a mixer you can hang round your neck, SQN is the common fully professional mixer...probably the larger stereo model.

Other things...for real "on set" stuff you'll likely want a trolley to carry the mixer, equipped with storage for mics, cables, etc. It's also now very common to be asked to provide a basic form of in ear monitoring for other members of the production team (producer, director, continuity, etc) to listen to dialogue on. You'll need a good set of headphones with excellent isolation so you hear what's being recorded, not spill from the live sound.

One tip. Make sure you're sitting down when you see what all this costs. FYI, there are cheaper options but you asked about the "best".

 

[krisjprice]

Holy crap... Yeah, good thing I WAS sitting down. I was looking at the Rode NTG2 and when I saw the price of the MKH416, I about yelped. In-ears isn't something I thought about. Probably looking at the NTG2 just to get started, and once more work comes in, I'll definitely get the 416.

Are there any downsides to using a cheaper mixer like a Azden FMX-42?

 

[Bobbsy]

The NTG 2 is a good mic. I used to carry one as a backup to my 416, both for safety and also for times when cramped conditions or what ever made it desirable to bypass the mixer and work without phantom.

Differences between the Azden and other mixers? Well, sound quality is a small part of it but a bigger thing would be channel count and facilities. You mentioned working on a "set" which implied to me drama in a studio. The Azden is aimed more at news and documentary work (as is the SQN I mentioned).

A big difference that could be a drawback is the fact that you can't gang two inputs for simple stereo and M-S Stereo would be tricky. How serious this might be would depend on the projects you're working on.

The other differences would be build quality, reliability and longevity. It can be a rough life on location and gear failures don't make you popular. Also, a mixer that costs twice as much but lasts 4 times as long is the better investment.

Finally, just as bands have riders, so too will production companies have an idea of what sort of gear they want you to bring. Using non industry standard stuff will restrict you to smaller productions and a lower day rate.