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Buying Sound Equipment at Used Car Prices

Before you buy, start by learning the basics of location sound. I started writing and realized that I was just repeating what I learned from an article by Dan Brockett at kenstone.net. It is very thorough (and long), but will help give you a bigger picture to location sound in general. Dan is a sound purist (God bless him) so don’t get scarred when you read the most basic audio kit costs $2,745. I’ll try and prioritize the equipment if you can’t quite spend that much. Be sure and check out the bottom of the article where he talks about “Renting vs. Owning” and then “Putting It All to Work.” Read this article now!

Of all that equipment Dan talked about, what do you actually need? In truth, all of it. But some is better than nothing. Priority #1 is getting a microphone and cable. If you’re doing dramatic movies you should get a boom mic setup first. Get the Sennheiser ME66 ($380) if you can afford it. Otherwise, get the Audio Technica AT 835b ($240). The cheapest zeppelin is the Lightwave windscreen ($140 or $150, depending on which mic you buy). Then you’ll need a shock mount and a fish pole. The AT8415 ($50) is the cheapest universal shock mount and the Gitzo G-557 ($120) is a decent aluminum boompole that extends 9 feet. Now, get two 25 foot XLR balanced mic cables ($20 each). Now you’ve spent more money on microphone accessories than you have on the microphone itself. Unfortunately, it all really is necessary. How do you connect it to your camera? It depends on the camera. If you’re fortunate enough to have a camera with built-in XLR connectors (Sony PD-150/170, Panasonic DVX100), just plug in the cable. If you have a camera with a miniplug (similar to a headphone jack), it gets a little more complicated because an adapter is needed. The best adapter is the BeachTek DXA6 ($250). It allows two different mics to be plugged in at once, has volume levels, and also provides 48v phantom power (many Lavs and condenser shotguns require this). This will work on any camcorder with a miniplug and any mic you ever buy. If you don’t need phantom power, the DXA4 ($175) is a great adapter. If these are still out of range, Equipment Emporium sells cables ($18-$80) that will work with your specific camera and mic (ask about DC interference). Don’t buy an off-the-shelf adapter cable–they are wired wrong. Lastly, get some headphones to identify potential sound problems on set. The Sennhieser eh2270 ($70) are great for the price. Sony also makes some good brands for around a hundred dollars. That’s it! For $750-$1200, you have a basic boom mic setup that is relatively versatile and will give you good sound when used properly.

After the basic boom mic audio kit is together, the next purchase should be a plant/lavalier mic. You’ll probably need phantom power (should have bought the Beachtek DXA6), but you won’t need any of the accessories the boom mic required. Plan on spending 200-400 for a decent mic. The wonderful people at Equipment Emporium have a great article on the Selection and Use of Lavalier Microphones. I own a Countryman B-6 Lav. It works great, is super tiny, but I sometimes wish it had a little greater proximity when using it as a plant mic (however, this is also an advantage). The next purchase could be a long-range shotgun (maybe a real condenser type–$900+) or another lav (maybe wireless-–$600+)? And at some point, consider buying a field mixer ($400). The XLR to miniplug adapters have volume controls, but they don’t nearly give the control of a real mixer. Also consider getting a sound recording device to use in dual system sound or as a backup. This will also be great when you’re hunting sound effects and don’t want to lug around a camera. Finally, whoever is operating the boompole will thank you greatly for buying a lighter carbon fiber boompole ($300+) and if you’re shooting in winds faster than 10 mph, get a windsock ($150) to go over the zeppelin on your boom mic.

All the equipment previously discussed is what I consider to be a great compromise between price and performance. You can always spend more to get more and you can spend less to get less. This is merely my recommendation. Prices listed are approximated street pricing. Actual costs will vary.

Now lets put this equipment to use capturing dialog.

Agree or disagree with what I've said? Questions? Let me know!

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