Azden SMX 15 and 30 Shotgun Microphones Review
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- čas přidán 5. 03. 2016
- If you’re looking for a shotgun microphone for your camera, there has never been a time with so many great choices. Azden recently released two more microphones in the $200 to $250 USD range called the SMX-15 and SMX-30. These are short shotgun microphones designed to mount to the cold-shoe of your rig and have a cable with a 3.5mm plug to record directly to your camera.
Both of these microphones are good for recording dialogue sound when you need to travel light. I like to boom the mic even close to the talent for even better sound. The SMX-30 also has an additional set of stereo cardioid microphones for recording detailed ambient sound making this microphone particularly versatile. Both microphones are very light weight so you don’t add a lot of heft to your camera rig. An most importantly, the SMX-15 and 30 sound quite nice for their price!
If you’d like to improve your sound recording skills for film, please have a look at our Sound Recording for Video course over at school.learnlightandsound.com
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Gear used to create this episode:
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Azden SMX-15 Camera Shotgun Microphone
Amazon: Coming Soon
B&H Photo: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product...
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Azden SMX-30 Camera Shotgun Microphone
Amazon: geni.us/BOKcSg
B&H Photo: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product...
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Microphone Stand (On-Stage Stands Boom)
Amazon: geni.us/lKQXK
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5/8” to 1/4” Thread Adapter (so that you can mount the Azden Mics on a standard 5/8” microphone stand)
Amazon: geni.us/qXDBPOo
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Copyright 2016 by Curtis Judd
Ethics statement: Some of the links above are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links.
As always Curtis-GREAT REVIEW! I have not tried this mic but will have to-I currently use the RODE Videomic.
+Charlie Sill Thanks Charlie. Not sure whether you've already seen it, but in this previous episode you can hear the RODE and Azden up against each other: czcams.com/video/qRyUvMGVjis/video.html I hope that helps!
Curtis Judd No, I have not seen this one-you are so prolific with these reviews-so well done too! No wonder Dave Dugdale recommended you a few years back! :-)
Nice review Curtis. Mine came in this afternoon and is waiting for me to open up.
+Royston Kane Thanks, I hope it works out well for you!
Another great video thanks Curtis!
+Sully Cortez thanks Sully!
Thanks for the video. Just bought the SMX 30 after returning the SMX 10 as it wad awful sound quality and the on/off swith broke after 1 use. Had a look at some reviews before buying but saw this video pop up in my feed after buying and was quite nervous it wouldn't be good. Can't wait to receive the mic now and give it a try.
+urbanshadow777 thanks and I hope it works well for you!
excellent review Curtis
+ItsKapow Thank you!
This video was really helpful and well done, thank you!
👍
Curtis, a general word of thanks for all your videos. A lot of time and trouble has gone into them. As I'm in the UK, I especially like that you are loudness normalising to EBU R128. If only all CZcams videos were correctly normalised.
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate that!
Excellent video Curtis, very informative.
How do you think these mics would pair with a preamp like a juicedlink?
+dans-hobbies Hi Dan, They'd do great (not that you'd need a 3.5mm TRS to XLR adapter), but the mic has its own in-built amplifier so the juicedlink preamp isn't necessary.
Excellent review as always. The mics are quite good. Though the sound is a little muffled. maybe a characteristic of the mic itself.
Do you think you do a review of the Shure LensHopper 83F. It has some extra features including headphone monitoring and dual sound.
+Sanveer Meelwal I've heard that one but liked the sound of it less than this.
+Curtis Judd Oh ok. Thanks for the reply, and keep up the unbiased and highly informative reviews :-)
Very interested in side rejection characteristics.
this review has convinced me to grab the SMX 15, and it's under 100 $ in my country
I hope it works out well for you! Best wishes!
i am sure it will, thanks again Curtis Judd
Great! For documentaries and interviews should I get the SMX30 or the Deity V3 Pro?
I personally prefer the sound of the Deity D3 Pro: czcams.com/video/W9Sde3ey2kc/video.html
Great review! The shoe mount of SMX-30 is plastic? I worry about its durability of the mount.
+Fook Von Yes, plastic. I haven't run into any problems but if it gets hit or jarred hard enough, it will break. I'd rather have the shoe mount on the mic break and not damage the camera hotshoe. That's one way to think of it.
Great video. How do you think it compares with the Rode Video Mic Pro? I'm using it mainly for weddings. I love the AA batteries instead of a 9 volt. Thanks!
+63MacGuy In terms of build quality, its very close, it does sound a little less bass heavy. You can hear the difference where we compared the two: czcams.com/video/qRyUvMGVjis/video.html I hope that helps!
It would be interesting to see a comparison between this, and the Deity V-mic D3 pro and maybe the Rode VideoMic Pro Plus
Thanks Daniel. I actually ended up giving the Azden microphones away because I preferred the sound of the RODE VideoMic Pro+ so much more. And the D3 Pro and VideoMic Pro+ sound very, very similar. I hope that helps!
@@curtisjudd do you think the D3 have similar sound of D3 Pro?
Curtis, I know you don't like to rank these mics but would I be wrong to interpret that you personally prefer this mic over the other competing shotgun mikes at this similar price range? I've heard many Rode Video Mike Pro sound reviews and while it does sound deeper, it also sounds the most unclear (muffled) to me. Between the SMX-15, the Shure VP83, and the Saramonic vMic, do you prefer the SMX-15 for the most neutral sound profile?
But there is something I don't like about this mic. The wiring that comes out of the backend of the mic seems to be situated such that it would be difficult for you shoot through the viewfinder on most DSLR type cameras. Is my read correct? Or can you shoot with the viewfinder easily despite the placement of the wire coming out of the mic.
Thanks! Love your balanced and objective reviews! So useful!
Yes, if clarity is your.goal the SMX-15 is a great choice. I prefer it over the Saramonic and the Shure.
An off topic question... For your outro slate, are you compiling it during the video edit and then adding the annotations after upload? I've been loathe to go this route for the extra time it adds. However, I just became aware of OutroMaker.com and its service streamlines the process considerably - for $7/month. :) If you are using them, or another similar service I would love to hear your experiences.
But it looks like your just banging it out yourself, and have kept the template rather simple. Still, creating the pip, finding the time mark for the outro slate in CZcams edit, lining up the annotation boxes, finding the url for the pip video, etc. I spend way too much time on my videos already. ;) I'm hoping you have an easier method I can emulate. Always love what you do.
+Terranscapes Thanks. I am sorry to say that I'm doing it all manually just like you asked - compiling the PIPs during edit and manually adding the annotations after upload. Time consuming for sure but I'm glad you tipped me of about outromaker.com. I'll have to check that out! Keep up the good work!
+Curtis Judd Thanks for sharing, and if you do use outromaker, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on it.
BTW, enjoying your recent boom mic videos. :)
Hi Chris- great review. Can you connect the Smx 15 into a Sony camcorder? The input on Sony is a 3.5. Thank- you.
Hi Terry, thanks. Yes, should work great with the 3.5mm mic input. Happy recording!
You mentioned the microphone being rich on the low end. Do you think it would pick up too much rumbling at a small concert that would be difficult to clean up in post?
No, shouldn't be a problem at all. If the concert will be really loud, the biggest concern I'd have is whether we can reduce the gain/input level enough so that it doesn't distort the recording. So depends on the concert and the sound pressure levels they push into the venue.
Great video Curtis! Only thing is how do you think this compares to a rode videomic pro? (specifically the slightly older one, which I have).
Thanks,
Philippos Slicher
+Philippos Slicher We did do a comparison with the newer version of the RODE VideoMic Pro here: czcams.com/video/qRyUvMGVjis/video.html Unfortunately I don't have the older version of the VMP but experience is that the old one sounds very similar to the new one.
Curtis Judd Ah ok thanks! I really don't know how I missed that :)
Hi Curtis, hello from France, i'm new to your channel, it is well hidden gem. I understand that the SMX-30 gives the choice between mono or stereo. Is there a product with the same configuration but which does mix both then output stereo ? A kind a 3-to-2 embedded mixer? It would be desirable in my opinion to get a shotguned voice in the center with some adjustable stereo background, still record in two-track (to avoid an external 3 channel recorder). Thanks.
Hi, thank you. I'm not aware of one but there is a technique called mid-side stereo recording which accomplishes what you describe. You use a directional microphone and also a figure-of-8 microphone perpendicular to the directional mic. Then in post you can adjust how "wide" you want the stereo field to be.
@@curtisjudd Thanks a lot for your answer, I had considered this technique but as far as I understand the SIDE channel is mono or false stereo actually, so I can differentiate FRONT from SIDE, but not LEFT side to RIGHT side (maybe what I want does not exist because of lack of mono compatibility ?)
The updated model of the SMX-30 is the SMX-30V and has a dial to mix the amount of stereo vs mono (ie, stereo mics vs shotgun mic). The only potential downside that i see is that the amount is baked into the audio track so no adjusting in post.
@@jgr757 Thanks for the update, much appreciated James !
Nice review. So if you wanted a mic like this, but more or less augmented the lower end on voice (vs. being clean/ natural), what would you recommend?
Also, suppose you had 3 speakers lined up and sitting on stools, maybe 8-10 feet apart total, do you think the stereo mic at - oh say, 5-7 feet away - would be a decent way to record the dialogue?
Hi Doug, the RODE VideoMic Pro definitely has more bass response: czcams.com/video/qRyUvMGVjis/video.html
Yes, you could capture all three, but the recording will pick up a lot of room ambience as well. I'd try to keep it a little closer. Most of the camera-top shotgun microphones do not have super tight pickup patterns so backing the mic up four or five feet would be better if you can get away with that.
Okay ... is the "spread" (i.e., "not focused) enough that at 4-5 feet it would pick up all three voices pretty well, assuming the distance from voice on the left to voice on the right was approx 8 feet?
If that worked, I could plug the mic into an XLR cable, and then run it via an xlr cable back to my recorder (Tascam DR70D). And I could put the G3 wireless lav mic I have on the MC/ moderator.
(Just thinking out loud about how to pull this off with the equipment I have. I get that ideally I'd like to add another G3 with a hand mic to my gear quiver.)
Also what's your take on the Rode Videomic Shotgun Mic (the one with the red lycro holder) vs. the Rode Videomic Pro? Is there a significant difference in sound quality and/ or "spread" on what they capture? (I already own the Rode Videomic Shotgun Mic.)
(And thanks for your responses on this. You're one of the "gear guys" I tend to trust the most. Your reviews are thorough, good, and seem very unbiased.)
Hmm, that's probably too wide. You can back off more, but it will sound far away, not very present and rich.
I would definitely go for the pro, much more clean gain.
Is it possible to detach the 3.5mm cable from the mics?
Unfortunately no.
Would you say that the Azden SMX-30 or the Deity D3 Pro has better audio quality?? 🤔
Definitely the Deity D3 Pro for my ears.
Curtis Judd
Thank you! One more quick question if you don’t mind! 😅 Do you think that the Deity S-Mic 2 or the Sennheiser MKE 600 would be worth the extra cost over the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro?? Like can you tell a big improvement in sound quality between the two price groups?? And if so, would you recommend the Deity S-Mic 2 or the Sennheiser MKE 600?? Thank you again for the help! It’s really really appreciated!
@@Matthewac1 Depends on a few factors: Does your camera have an XLR input? Do you plan to mount the microphone on the camera or boomed over the person speaking (off the camera)? If you're going to mount the mic on camera, I'd just go with the D3 Pro which is better suited to that - comes with a good shock mount, can output to a 3.5mm mic input on camera or be adapted to XLR.
Curtis Judd Audio
I was going to mount it on the Sony a6400, so it sounds like the D3 Pro will work really well. :-) Thank you for the advice!
Will this mic work with Nikon d7100
Yes, it should. But it wouldn't be my first choice in 2020. I'd look instead at the DEITY D3 Pro or RODE VideoMic NTG: czcams.com/video/W9Sde3ey2kc/video.html czcams.com/video/c4Pu72J5BRE/video.html
Is the stereo option on the smx 30 needed if one has a zoom h1 anyway mounted on the rig?
Nope, unless you want to feed that stereo audio directly to camera without an extra cable.
Curtis Judd Thanks a lot, do you have any idea how they compare quality-wise?
Studio Corax In terms of audio quality, they're nearly identical. The H1 has the ability to record on its own if you ever need to do that.
Curtis Judd Thanks a lot for your taking your time, I really appreciate it. Now I know that I will settle for the smx-15.
good audio
+Trevers phone reviews Thanks!
Welcome bro keep don't what your doing
Do you know if you might be reviewing the brand new Sennheiser mke 440 stereo mic for DSLR's? I just saw the post on Sennheiser's Facebook page: facebook.com/SennheiserUSA/photos/a.80001549816.64905.65693774816/10154095644414817/?type=3
Here is also the Sennheiser mke 440 on the Sennheiser website: en-us.sennheiser.com/news-best-video-sound-for-your-dslr
+RocKofNine I just saw this at NAB where they had it at their booth. I will add it to my list to review.
Great!
That high pass filter is so aggressive that it destroys your vocals.
Agreed. Only for emergencies when you don't have wind protection and you can't miss the shot.
I am sorry but that mic does not sound very good. For good sound I would not use a shotgun mic, I got a rode shotgun think it is the cheaper one and it sucks I never use it. I did a test playing and singing with it vs another brand shotgun mic but they both sucked worse than I did singing and playing. If you would put the mic on a boom there are tons of mics to use instead even cheap ones and you can use phantom powered mics.
Hahaha! Microphones need to be close to the sound source to produce the best quality. I agree 100%