Cardiod vs. Hyper/Super Cardoid for inside speach

Question

I'm researching about what microphone I should pick up as my first mic. I've boomed on several short films and am at the point where picking up a portable mixer and mic collection come in handy. Theres a lady who wants me to record approximately 8 hours of audio for her. She is going to read 100 pages of text to me and make an audio book. If I am recording in say a living room, what mic will reveal the better results? Cardiod won't pick up any rear reflections and that might not the the best approach. Super/Hypercardiod will pick up some of those rear reflections which might give a more full sound. Personally, I'm leaning toward a super/hypercardiod, maybe a short shotgun. Due to budget restrictions, I'm also planning on using this mic for other interviews/indoor shoots. Does the rear pickup of a super/hypercardiod less of a disconcerting sound than a cardiod for something like an audio book recorded inside?

Answer 1

I learned the hard way that just starting out, I'd have benefited most from having a hyper as my first mic. Directional but more forgiving than a shotgun. A shotgun mic's interference tube design makes it sound odd indoors, generally speaking, unless you drop $2k on a Schoeps CMIT5u or similar. Or unless you have a really dead room. IMO, I think that what rear lobe a hyper might have can usually be addressed by room treatment (hanging sound blankets, opening closets to expose clothing, or similar) and mic placement.

That said, if you can get a cardioid close enough and the sound outside the room is minimal, that'd get the job done, too. I saw Randy Thom once write, "any mic close enough to its source becomes directional."

Answer 2

At that price range, assuming you're using USD, the Oktava 012 comes to mind, though I'm not a fan of it's over-sensitivity. A good shock mount is essential. I do like it's sound though.

A bit more and you can get the AudioTechnica 4035B.

Personally I started with an Rode NTG-3, but that was largely because it was on sale with a $1 Blimp. :D

Answer 3

For the described purpose I would go for a cardioid, because it will sound more natural and you should not have any problems getting close enough. For film use as your first mic a super cardioid might give you a broader palette also for outdoors.

Be careful even with the CMIT-5U! It's a great sounding mic and does tolerate a lot, but if you have a lot of movement in a scene it'll take a lot of work in the mix to eq the different presence of the voices. So coming from the post side of things I would like to advise for try to get close first. Then try to get the room quiet and dampened. And if none of this is sufficient, try a more directional mic.

Answer 4

I decided to go with either a "break the bank" Sanken CS-1 or a AKG Blue-line HC. Was going for an audix sx-hc due to the reccomendations from interwebz. After reviewing a frequency response chart from the Audix website, I changed my mind. The wild midrange rise and drastic mid-high/high drop confused me as to why this mic is reccomended for indoor boom operations. AKG Blueline is much more attractive to me for price and noise floor (28 db, isn't that a little high?) Sanken CS-1 "break the bank" microphone attracts me for the versatility of indoor/outdoor recording ability as well as the low noise floor.

With the amount of money I spend on a Blueline compared to a Sanken, you can invest in a lav