DIY Shotgun Microphone (with wind shield & in-built shock mount)

[MatthewP]

Hello chaps :) Ages ago I made a shotgun mic for my camcorder. It has its own wind shield (which works VERY well), and an in-built shock mount. Anyway, a few people have requested that I make a video of how it was done, which I've finally gotten around to doing! :) It's cheap too! It only cost £12 to build, and that's pennies in the shotgun microphone world.

I thought I'd share this here (and on a couple of other forums) as many of you might find it interesting (DIY stuff's always cool!). :)

Anyway, please take a look at the video and let me know what you think:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoW5JZexfNE[/media]

[jgharding]

That's pretty ingenious! :) I'm impressed. I'd probably set myself on fire trying to make this.

If you want to increase the directionality of the mic have a look at creating an "interference tube", which is what makes a shotgun mic a shotgun mic, at the moment this is a cardioid mic in shock mount and windshield, but it wouldn't be hard for you to make a DIY interference tube and perhaps use a hypercardioid capsule.

Then if you redo the running shot, you'd hear less of the footsteps, for example, and be able to isolate actors form a greater distance. Then after that you can go into business ;)

[XXX]

Yeah awesome DIY project, but technically no shotgun...

[MatthewP]

Ahh, yes, a few other people have said about it not technically being a shotgun mic... I didn't really know what else to call it. :) But, thanks for your suggestion J, I will look into making an interference tube sometime. Would be a fun project! I wonder how it technically works. Do you know if the capsule is at the end of the tube, or if it is nearer the back with the tube extending in front of it?