This might be a dumb question but im new so bare with me. Im comparing the Rode Ntg-2 and a rode Nt5. They both are cardioid pick up patterns, both condenser mics, both have alot of similar features. Is the difference only the distance you can be from the source? Can I just use a Nt5 and be a foot away and get the same sound as the Ntg-2 3 feet away? Or am I missing something here?
2
-
I was looking at the specs for the NTG-2 and it is called a shotgun mic but the polar pattern is labeled as super cardioid. rodemic.com/microphone.php?product=NTG-2 I am getting more confused.– ShaunKellyNov 17, 2010 at 6:28
-
Not all shotgun mics are the same. Some have more of a supercardioid pattern, some have more of a lobar pattern. Take the time to research online and compare the pickup pattern diagrams of different shotguns - and most importantly, learn how to read those diagrams - you can see where they attenuate what frequencies and by how much. That's what you should be comparing, not the marketing terms used by the manufacturer(s), which are not as consistent as they should be.– NoiseJockeyNov 17, 2010 at 15:25
Add a comment
|
3 Answers
Shaun, it's not about how "far away" you are fro the sound source, necessarily. Different mics and their pick up patterns are not designed to scoop up, or zoom into, sounds from a distance, but rather to attenuate, or lessen, the sounds coming from directions other than the front of the microphone. This article covers the basics and has some good diagrams to get you thinking about the principles.
The NTG-2 is a shotgun mic, not a cardioid, and its special "interference tube" construction gives it a very different pickup pattern, with some tradeoffs (no such thing as a free lunch or a perfect mic). This epic and often-cited article has some of the best descriptions about these real-world differences and their practical uses, under the section heading "What Are The Most Common Microphone Types and Pickup Patterns For Location Sound?", about three pages' worth of scrolling down from the top.
Both are decent inexpensive mics, but read the articles above and see if they help determine which is right for your needs.
-
@NoiseJockey thanks for posting that article, it's been awhile since I've last read it. Now I want a Colette all over again. Nov 18, 2010 at 18:11
-
No. You will probably not get the same sound. NTG-2 is shotgun microphone (super cardioid) and NT5 is small-diaphragm cardioid. NTG-2 will catch less ambience noise then NT5.
Anyway, if you can you should do some test to see which one best fit your needs.
so the NT5 is going to be better indoors for dialogue it's basically modelled lon that famous little scheops
