Let's Talk Audio: Boom Mics | Sennheiser

Not too long ago, the only way you could expect to get professional sound for picture was on film sets or in television studios. Today, the technology to capture great audio has made its way to content creators of all types so anyone can find the right tools to create high quality recordings. And while you can get great results from on-camera mics and wireless lavs, you're going to want a boom mic to capture the most professional sound. Join us in this video as we go over all you need to know when getting started with a boom microphone. From mic selection and placement to overcoming environmental challenges and capturing room tone, we'll cover the basics and even go a bit deeper to ensure you'll be recording professional sound in no time.
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[@georgefromgreece4119]

I can hardly think of any better value for money shotgun microphone other than the MKE 600.

[@irohitnagra]

True

[@ashhabashi8453]

I have MK 50 as well and for dialogue. It'sby far the best I have ever used.

[@corymayomedia]

This video was super helpful and well produced! I use the MKH 416 paired with the G4 lav system! It’s been my favorite!

[@sennheiser]

Amazing! Thank you for your support. Please let us know if there are ever any questions we can help with.

[@rastAsia]

After 20 odd years... Still in love with my 416s. Thanks for making them reliable mics!

[@doylelacrua]

This is a superbly created video. Cadence of the speaker is great. Doesn't speak too fast nor too lifeless. The lighting is great and the mix is as well. Didn't even notice the background music until you went to record room tone. And the occasion behind scenes shots are a great touch.

[@TheWhiskeyShow]

Been missing Alex's information. Super happy to see these videos. Thank you for picking the right guy Sennheiser

[@montclairfilmboy]

Fantastic video! Extremely well-produced and super informative! Love this entire series

[@ArticulateDesignASMR]

So curious to see how i could position x2 8060s for an asmr style set-up with the mics out of frame. Thanks for the suggestions and tips btw!

[@saidcisneros2933]

Whoo sound! thank you Sennheiser and Alex Knickerbocker!

[@QJDWG]

another video w/ Alex? yes please.

[@julienajarry]

Yes!! 🎉

[@Kevlexicon]

nice overview. been a big fan of sennheiser mics for years. the mke 600 is so solid and a good price, use it all the time. mkh 416 sounds gorgeous for v.o. in my acoustically treated studio. tried the mkh50 which seems to be a standard for an indoor boom, but maybe i got a lemon. didnt sound much different from my mkh 416 in terms of reducing reflections. gonna try the mkh8050 now its back in stock, have a feeling itll be better for cramped indoors. anyway, appreciate the work sennheiser and zoom are doing, making solid and user friendly audio equipment. its so much easier now than it was a few yrs ago

[@sennheiser]

Thank you so much! Seems like you know your way around our product portfolio but please let us know if there are any questions we can answer.

[@Kevlexicon]

@@sennheiser sure. noticed in this video the mics were boomed almost directly overhead of the talent, is it better to boom these mics overhead w only a slight angle towards the mouth (less than 45 degrees)...or, is it preferable to have the mic a bit more in front of the subject (approx 1ft) and angled more severely (like a 45 degree angle?) ((also a video on mic position would be great as well))

[@sennheiser]

@@Kevlexicon In general, a great place to start is to aim the boom mic just below the chin towards the upper part of the chest, regardless of the angle - an example can be seen starting at 3:50. You can see the angle is actually quite shallow and around two feet away from the talent's mouth so it can be as close as possible without getting in the frame of the shot. The boom operator only approaches 45 degrees when the mic gets further away from the sound source. Depending on the voice of the talent, you can position the mic differently to help shape the sound, too. Another great example of this is in the intro video to this series found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIqxm6hvZ9iaqrM. You can position the mic from any angle or direction, it's really all about working with the environment and finding the spot that sounds best. Remember, "whatever sounds good, is good." Hope that helps!

[@Kevlexicon]

@@sennheiser very helpful, thanks for the leads and thoughtful explanation!

[@syriagrapher]

Great info❤

[@ryanlam1635]

Great video! Curious as to which microphone was used to capture the audio for this video?

[@GusAlZabri]

Can we get some room time please 😂 - When and How often do I need to get room tone? After every scene? After every location? After every shot, every take?

[@sennheiser]

Great question! Fortunately, not after every shot or take. Only at some point during the time you're rolling at each location you shoot, so long as the environment sounds the same as it did while you were recording the scene. The more you have the more helpful it can be, but you really only need around 30 seconds or so per location. Best practice is to record room tone right after your favorite take, before you move onto the next scene. This way, the sound of the location will be closest to the take you end up using.

[@datalaforge]

Ditto to that. I think the best thing to do is to consider room tone when you’re in pre production. Imagine what problems could arise in your shoot and record coverage accordingly. During this shoot, we had a fork lift beeping outside. Having that backup room tone to layer was helpful. Also, the actual part were Kelly says, “quiet for room tone” had a noise right after. It was the best take visually so I used actual room tone to cover that section. We used room tone in all of these episodes to improve the audio experience.

[@GusAlZabri]

@@sennheiser Thank you for the reply. Super helpful.

[@rumorscameras]

@@datalaforge do you have audio course

[@Gio-cg8yz]

Amazing

[@mitchellaji]

The audio in this video is incredible. I recently bought the MKE 600 and want my audio to sound similar. Can you share the audio mixing workflow?

[@TheGirlSkateBoardCo]

Can you please make a 416 like the MKE 600… PLEASE!!!!!

[@NecroNicki]

Hello! I have the MKE 600. I noticed that in the video you don’t have the wind cover on. Do you only recommend the wind cover for outdoor use?

[@sennheiser]

Great question! We always recommend using a wind cover when the MKE 600 is mobile, whether on top of a handheld camera or at the end of an actively moving boom pole. However, if the location is indoors and if the microphone is stationary, a wind cover is not needed. As soon as you use the MKE 600 in a mobile application or use it outdoors, the included foam windshield (MZW 600) works great. And when it's really windy outside, the furry windshield (MZH 600) works best.

[@insidethebox102]

I REALLY LIKE MKE 600

[@sololu8922]

不错啊

[@AndrewMucci]

Room tone please :)

[@skakdosmer]

Why was the wonderful Sennheiser K6 system discontinued? Personally I'm alright as I own the ME62, 64, 65, 67 and two ME66 as well as two K6 and two K6p. But it seems sad that future content creators are deprived of these options.

[@hanielroswell1981]

can i use the Sennheiser MKE 600 for indoor audio work in an untreated room?

[@sennheiser]

Yes, of course! Just remember, the closer you get the mic to the sound source, the less of the room you'll hear in the recording. The MKE 600 is a fantastic shotgun microphone and will do a great job at rejecting unwanted background noise, but it's best to place the mic between one to three feet (or under one meter) away from your subject to capture the best sound. Always try to get the mic as close as possible while staying out of frame.

[@hanielroswell1981]

@@sennheiser thank you for the clarification. i was on the fence about getting a shotgun mic for indoor audio. but your suggestion to bring the mic closer make a lot sense. i was considering getting a pencil condenser microphone before due to the concern i have about reverb with shotgun microphone.

[@hanielroswell1981]

@@sennheiser is the MKE consider a supercardiod or hypercardiod microphone?

[@datalaforge]

There’s a lot you can do to reduce reverb. Put some blankets down. I like to leave them lumpy instead of smooth when possible. Pillows, towels, sheets, and so on. Just do whatever you can do soften the space.

[@MangumCo]

I may have missed it but what mic was used for the voiceover in this video?

[@robb.blumenreder]

The dialogue was captured on set and we used the iconic Sennheiser MKH 416 for capturing Alex's voice - you can see the shotgun during the "Room Tone" section of the video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqGpiox6i5J2m6c There was also an MKE 2 omnidirectional lav hidden in his shirt that was used to highlight the phase issues you can experience when using two audio sources that start to get further away from each other: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqGpiox6i5J2m6c

[@stoeger-film]

does Sennheiser sell Low Profile 90° XLR Cables/Adapters seen at 02:25 at the right side?

[@robb.blumenreder]

We don’t, but the cable you’re referencing is actually from the K-Tek KlassicPro boom pole. Check out “Cable Techniques” for low profile, right angle adapter cables.

[@luigicipolla2613]

I want to use Sennheiser for my content. Does the MKE 600 work with a Smartphone? (Google Pixel 7 pro)

[@robb.blumenreder]

Absolutely! This is one of the reasons I bring the MKE 600 with me in my bag... since it can be powered via Phantom Power - or - an AA battery, I can use it with portable recorders, on camera or even with my smartphone. You'll need the KA 600i adapter cable and a USB-C to Headset adapter; I'd recommend getting a USB-C headset adapter that also allows you to charge your device while in use, too.

[@BenjaminTemplar]

Serj Tankian?

[@blackbugmedia]

Learned from Alex a lot. But this background music was unnecessary.

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

What’s your best boom mic for corporate videos?

[@robb.blumenreder]

There's quite a few choices here and it depends a bit on your rig and the environment, just to name a few variables. If there's no issue providing phantom power - either via your camera or a dedicated recorder - check out the iconic MKH 416 shotgun microphone. This has been used on countless interviews, documentaries, broadcasts, voiceovers... the list goes on and on - this is a mic you'll have for a lifetime. Another option for a short shotgun would be the MKH 8060, which is a little more forgiving as it has a slightly wider pattern than the MKH 416 and it's also a bit quieter (11dB(A) self-noise vs 16 dB(A) of the 416). There are sonic differences as well, some people prefer one over the other, but they're both professional, high quality microphones. If you're looking for something that you can use with either 48V phantom power or battery power, the MKE 600 is hard to beat since it's at home on top of a camera with an included XLR to 3.5 mm adapter or at the end of a boom pole with a standard XLR connection... if you want to share more about your set-up, I'd be happy to comment more. Of course, we have quite a few more mics for consideration, but those three are a great place to start.

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

what is about the mkh50?@@robb.blumenreder

[@robb.blumenreder]

@@creativegreatsvisualsMKH 50 would be a fantastic choice as well - it's been a staple for production mixers, works particularly well when you have rooms that don't have ideal acoustics (i.e. rooms with low ceilings... which can happen frequently in corporate video) and has found its way into many a KZbin video, too. There isn't a single mic that's perfect in all situations, so being able to build out your kit and having a few options on hand is always worthwhile. The MKH 50 would also be a bit more forgiving than any of the other mics previously mentioned as it doesn't have an interference tube, but this also means it won't isolate the subject as much from the environment. It's also worth checking out the more recent additions to the MKH portfolio: MKH 8050 (supercardioid) and MKH 8040 (cardioid). Best piece of advice is to rent a couple so you can have them side by side to evaluate which might be the most appropriate to be first on your list... but just like we have multiple lenses for different applications, you'll need different microphones, too! Be thankful that they aren't nearly as expensive as that 85mm f1.2 🙂

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

@@robb.blumenreder what do u mean by "it won't isolate the subject as much from the environment"?

[@robb.blumenreder]

@@creativegreatsvisuals shotgun microphones - like the MKH 416 - utilize an interference tube placed in front of the microphone capsule that enables a higher level of directivity. This can help isolate dialogue that is on-axis (i.e. what you’re pointing the mic at), while off-axis sounds are more attenuated - this works particularly well outdoors. However, when it comes to indoor dialogue capture (which I assume would be a fair amount of your corporate videos), a shotgun may not be the most appropriate choice… for example, a highly reverberant room that isn’t treated (I.e. sound blankets, absorption from carpets, couches, drapes, etc) can be problematic for shotguns. Regardless, many people use the MKH 416 for sit down interviews every day with excellent results. A location sound recordist would probably use the MKH 50 indoors as it’s easier to work with in reflective environments and a bit more forgiving on a boom since its pattern isn’t as narrow - this also makes it easier to cover multiple people when booming overhead.