Pro Boom Op Reaction: Cheap vs Expensive Gear Package

There are many videos online talking about audio equipment and some compare inexpensive kits to expensive sound equipment packages. In this video we're going to watch and react to a video from Parker Walbeck and see what I think of this.

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[charlesisrecording]

Schoeps did an upgrade to their mics "Generation D0: microphone is now humidity resistant (CMIT Upgrade: Older microphones can be upgraded with a Generation D capsule)"

[bloodybrit]

For the budget kit i would personally recommend the ntg5. At $500 it performs exceedingly well compared to the ntg3 and includes shock mount and wind protection. I believe it was reviewed highly by sound speeds as well.

However @Sound Speeds i would LOVE to see you make a $1000/$5000/$10, 000 audio kit video of your own and possible later videos focused more on using that gear if you ever had the time.

[JosThoSul]

"If you really want something to be out of focus, of course you need your Panasonic cameras" I choked on my soda - not even joking!

[powermfp]

Thank you for putting these videos out. I'm just getting in to sound and I appreciate the critique of these guru's, lol. Thanks for the content. Im learning a lot.

[chakerian]

You asked why he had a F6. I found a use for the F6 despite other similar equipment.

I wired a car that I couldn't monitor. It was a bag drop, with a wired mic, along with some lavs and a receiver. There was no follow van, so I had to trust whatever I got without monitoring. F6 makes an excellent bag drop.

[Dustbrigade]

There is something to be said about buying quality stuff 2nd hand tho.

Most of my stuff was obtained by notoriously looking for deals of the kit I really wanted. I had to make some exceptions, especially if there all of a sudden was a film or situation that required something special.

[EugenBrinzoiu]

I just love your style. We need more people like you because this is the best way to learn something. Thank you ❤

[kengoodwin]

My carefully budgeted beginner kit was bought piece by piece. I would take boom-only jobs before I could afford to buy wireless. I would rent, borrow, and buy used from other local mixers. I don't think a lot of early career you-tubers don't know they don't have to spend $1K on crap. Gotham rents MixPre/G4 kits at $250/day and thats a great way to build a career without dropping $6000 all at once. BTW Allen, Any chance you can review the Rycote SC-08 supercardioid? that seems like its potentially a nice budget friendly indoor mic.

[jaimerivera]

I appreciate you going through this with a critical eye/ear. I'm about to upgrade my ~$1000 kit to a more professional one, somewhere between $10k to $20k and this is great food for thought.

[IamCurrentlyAscending]

I'm pretty sure he's in Utah, which doesn't have much humidity. But that's a good tip to be aware of in case you travel to a job somewhere humid. Being a desert dweller myself, I don't think I would have thought of that right off.

[lam.]

I was recommended this channel today and as a Panasonic shooter (with their new offerings that have great AF) it’s hilarious to hear all the digs about their focusing issues lol! Subscribed!

[FilmCamera_Vlog]

I started building my YouTube set three years ago with a $20 mic plugged directly into my computer motherboard. I knew nothing about audio recording. I was worse than a newbie. I found out that audio recording is hard, much harder than video recording. It takes years of equipment use and audio testing to get a very basic understanding of audio recording for a YouTube channel.

My biggest mistake was confusing audio Studio recording with on-location audio recording while I was building my YouTube recording setup. All solo YouTubers have an on-location audio recording situation, whether they realize it or not, not a Studio recording location, but they keep buying studio recording equipment in a vain attempt to build a Studio recording setup for their YouTube channels. Solo YouTubers also confuse the dead silence of a studio recording location situation with the natural ambient background sounds of an on-location audio situation. Each has to be treated differently. Studios add the ambient sounds after recording. YouTubers on-location audio record their ambient background sounds during their recording.

The subject would cover a book. You might want to make a video on the subject and explain the difference to Solo YouTubers, so they will buy the correct equipment and find solutions to on-location ambient recording vs Studio recording.

[theneutralgroundpodcast]

Hey! Let's not blame Panasonic for these guys' inability to set up focus correctly. 😆 Honestly, when I saw the NTG3 in the budget set, I immediately thought that this might go a bit sideways.

[WyantWin]

Hey Sound Speed,

Would you recommend the MKE 600 for all purpose mic for a 1 man band videographer?

Thanks!

[jaimefish]

i call people who constantly buying the new best things when it comes out, magazine people. They see something new in a magazine they buy it. His gear can be in some aspect an overkill. I was once reminded that you either buy gear and write it off your taxes or the government takes your money. I would rather have the gear and i can sell it when i dont want it. Or you can spread out the wear and tear to different equipment, so that one set of equipment doesnt take the brute force of production.

[aleckunkel]

I'm a student AV technician and I primarily record sound for classical, jazz, and marching band for my university--I'm very new to boom operating and just bought a beginner setup, but it is both capable of both sound design and boom op (cheaper than $1000). I have some gigs with some film students later this summer, the first is indoors and the next is outdoors, so here's what I bought:

-Zoom h4n pro (used) ~$140
-rechargeable AA batteries ~$13
-K-Tek KE-89CC ~$180
-Auray DUSM-1 Shock mount ~$30
-Audio Technica AT-875R (used) ~$150
-one 3ft XLR cable ~$12

For the outdoor shoot:
-MOVO BWS1000 blimp ~$100

I had a compatible 32GB SD card and a pair of Audio Technica m40x headphones already so I didn't need to purchase those. I do have to buy some bedsheets and maybe I'll mod a fanny pack for the h4n pro.

In the future I may look into mics with more side rejection but until then I'm just testing the waters to see if this proves fruitful.

With the h4n pro, *in theory* you could potentially do 2 lav mics and one (or two?) shotgun mics, you just need to use the external 3.5mm input on the back of the recorder and power it with something like a Saramonic SmartRig preamp (single or dual channel). Not sure how good those preamps are though.

[toddweaversound]

The wifi transmission stuff is for zaxnet. Remote control of the transmitters.

[grahambinoreviews]

Hello Allen! I am curious about entering into a sound career, specifically to become either a mixer, boom op, or someone that deals mostly with recording dialogue or sound effects. I really have no interest in music whatsoever at this point, but I've been looking at options for an education or training in my area (St. Louis) and have been having trouble finding a decent option.

Do you have any recommendation on education or training for a prospective student like me?

Thank you for the info and guidance you provide on your channel as well! I find it inspiring!

[ZeginMakesMusic]

New sub here. I just built my first boom kit. An $80 Boya BY6060 shotgun mic, a zoom h2n, a zoom r4, a pyle boom mic, a rode lav...gear all for under $400. Now all i need to do is find a filmmaker that needs a boom operator. I practice with my kids. How do i get gigs?

[PyroKalfje]

In the netherlands the ntg3 cost €599 including sales tax, for the usa would be $520 (excluding saletax) that is the only thing i know of that is cheaper in europe then in the usa video releated