Is This Article For You?
Take a deep breath; we are about to embark on an epic journey through the world of location sound microphones. Yeah, I know, sounds like a bit of hyperbole, right? If you read all of the ads in the trade magazines, hang out on some Internet sound forums and talk to sound mixers, perhaps you have reached a sublime level of crystalline understanding about location sound microphones OR more likely, you may be a little confused by all of the conflicting information out there like most us.

That's what makes this an epic journey; there are so many microphones out there and so much conflicting information. Everyone seems to have his or her favorites and everyone disputes how much you need to spend to buy a great microphone. I decided to wade into this article with an open mind and some audio knowledge but I am decidedly not a professional location sound mixer. Since I produce and shoot video myself, and often do my own sound recording, I am writing this article for an audience of camera owners like myself who may know a little about location sound, but may not have the chance to audition this many microphones in person before buying one. If you are a cameraperson, director or producer who buys, rents and uses professional sound gear, this article will provide some good starting points in your search for the right microphone. I hope that by reading about my experience with these microphones and listening to some samples I have recorded in several different types of situations, you will be armed with knowledge that will help you make an intelligent buying or rental decision so that your projects will have a polished professional sound mix.

I am not an engineer and I don't know all of the answers but I can tell you that after reading this article and carefully listening to the recorded samples, you will have saved yourself several days of shopping, internet research to hunt down disparate sound samples and lots of misinformation that you might hear from uninformed sound forum posters, salespeople or retailers who just didn't do their research or have a vested interest in not being unbiased. There are no clear-cut winners and losers amongst these microphones; this review is not a contest. All of the microphones I tested and reviewed are capable of excellent sound. Not a single one of the microphones sounded "bad". Some were better than others or stood out from the rest for specific sound qualities though, the purpose of this article is to help you find the best microphones for your needs, taste and budget. This is why I decided to review microphones that range from U.S. $259.00 in cost to almost U.S. $2,000.00. It's all about discovering which microphones suit your needs as well as your finances.

THE WHOLE ARTICLE:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/right_mic_brockett.html