Overhead “boom mics” for tight interiors where echo is a problem, such as bathrooms, kitchens, small offices, foyers, etc... These are what might be considered as wide angle, short overhead reach (not much more than two feet) interior problem solvers.    

AT4051 condenser 48v capsule system (cardioid head). Very mellow, smooth response literally reduces audible echo. Very low handling noise; great to use on a boompole. Built-in low cut filter. Ideal for tight 2-shots. Moderate working reach around 1.5 to 2.5 feet overhead.

AT4053-ele companion capsule provides very tight hypercardioid pattern, well suited for isolating a single actor where noise and echo are problems. Often used as a plant mic and car mic.

AT4041 condenser 48v cardioid is  pretty close in performance to the AT4051, but is priced a couple hundred dollars less.  If you can’t have a 4051 in your kit, at least have one of these!

AT3031 condenser 48v cardioid. Very affordable low-echo mic for those on a strict budget.

Senn MKH40 condenser 48v cardioid. Wider angle than the MKH60 short shotgun, making it ideal for echo reduction. Excellent audio, but requires careful mounting to avoid handling noise.

General purpose overhead “boom mics” for for soundstages, practical interiors...  These condenser mics (requiring external powering) offer more reach (up to 6 feet) but with a slight increase of  perceived echo.

AT4073a condenser 48v “short shotgun”. Tight hypercardioid pattern. Flat off-axis response facilitates using mic angle to balance dialogue levels between actors. Better front reach than “traditional” short shotguns. Built-in low cut filter. Slightly more echo than 4051, but much mellower than traditional short shotguns. Low handling noise; great on a boompole. Overhead working reach up to 5 or 6 feet. Mic can also function well exteriors, especially for 2-shots.

Sennheiser MKH60 condenser 48v “short shotgun”. Flat off-axis response. Low cut filter. tighter pattern and slightly more echo than the MKH40, but excellent reach and audio quality. Overhead working reach up to 5 or 6 feet. Mic can also function well exteriors, especially for 2-shots. This is the successor to the old venerable MKH416 short shotgun.

Sennheiser MKH416 condenser 12vT or 48vPhantom “short shotgun”. This workhorse was the standard of the industry for decades! Unlike the newer MKH60 and AT4073a, the 416 uses interference tubes and is NOT flat off-axis. Strong front reach but hollow & distant off-angle response. Early versions power from 12vT (standard and red-dot “Nagra” versions). Later mics available in 48v Phantom.

Best for exterior dialogue, sports, multi-camera audience shows, and high overhead interiors...  These “long shotguns” offer best reach (up to 8 or 9 feet overhead) but will increase interior echo if the room has any echo at all. Primarily used outdoors, where echo is not an issue but side background noise is.

AT4071a condenser 48v “full shotgun”. Very tight, ultradirectional pattern. Flat off-axis response facilitates using mic angle to balance dialogue levels between actors. Better front reach and far less echo than “traditional” long shotguns. Built-in low cut filter. Slightly more echo than 4073a, but still mellow enough to use indoors when needed. Low handling noise; great on a boompole. Overhead working reach up to 8 or 9 feet. Also used by law enforcement for long range surveillance (they don’t require broadcast quality at those ranges).

Senn MKH70 condenser 48v “full shotgun”. Flat off-axis response. Low cut filter. tighter pattern and slightly more echo than the MKH60, but excellent reach and audio quality. Overhead working reach up to 8 or 9 feet. This is the successor to the old venerable MKH816 long shotgun.

Senn MKH816 condenser 12vT or 48vPhantom “short shotgun”. This workhorse was the standard of the industry for decades! Unlike the newer MKH70 and AT4071a, the 816 uses interference tubes and is NOT flat off-axis. Strong front reach but hollow & distant off-angle response. Early versions power from 12vT (standard and red-dot “Nagra” versions). Later mics available in 48v Phantom.

ENG Shotgun Mics for broadcast news, documentaries, corporate, and film schools...  Another name for electret condenser mics that utilize either external phantom power or an internal battery (such as AA). Not as much reach as condenser mics, but more rugged and less expensive. If your school is on a limited budget or your students are rough on equipment, this would be where to start.

AT897 electret condenser short shotgun. Uses internal AA battery or 48v Phantom (improved performance with 48v). Excellent general purpose shotgun mic for interiors or exteriors. Tight hypercardioid pattern. Lightweight, ideal for camcorders or boompole. Built-in low cut filter.  “35mm Feature quality” dialogue from  1.5 to 4  feet overhead; ENG audio from greater distances.  Comparable to modular systems costing nearly twice as much!

AT835b electret condenser short shotgun. Uses internal AA battery or 48v Phantom (improved performance with 48v). Excellent general purpose shotgun mic for interiors or exteriors. Tight hypercardioid pattern. Moderate echo indoors, typical of interference tube shotguns. Very low handling noise; great to use on camcorder or boompole. Built-in low cut filter.  “35mm Feature quality” dialogue from  1.5 to 2.5 feet overhead; ENG audio from greater distances. Very rugged construction.

AT815b electret condenser long shotgun. Uses internal AA battery or 48v Phantom (improved performance with 48v). Excellent  long reach mic for exteriors, sports, and documentary. Possible increase of echo when used indoors. Very tight ultradirectional pattern. Very low handling noise; great to use on camcorder or boompole. Built-in low cut filter.  Very rugged construction. Good companion mic to AT835b.

Senn K6/ME66 electret condenser capsule short shotgun. Uses internal AA battery or 48v Phantom (improved performance with 48v). Excellent general purpose shotgun mic for interiors or exteriors. Tight hypercardioid pattern. Moderate echo indoors, typical of interference tube shotguns. Very low handling noise; great to use on camcorder or boompole. Built-in low cut filter.  “35mm Feature quality” dialogue from  1.5 to 2.5 feet overhead; ENG audio from greater distances. Very rugged construction. Part of Sennheiser's K6 modular system, that allows use of screw-on various capsule “mic heads” onto the K6 powering base.

K6/ME67 electret condenser long shotgun. Uses internal AA battery or 48v Phantom (improved performance with 48v). Excellent  long reach mic for exteriors, sports, and documentary. Possible increase of echo when used indoors. Very tight ultradirectional pattern.  Built-in low cut filter.  Very rugged construction.

K6/ME64 electret condenser cardioid configuration. The ME64 head is a cardioid pattern. Not enough reach for most boom applications, but an excellent choice for handheld interview, narration, subtle sound effects, and music.

K6/ME62  electret condenser omnidirectional configuration. Excellent choice for handheld interview, narration, subtle sound effects, and music.

General purpose dynamic handheld mics...   short range, but best for handheld interviews, news reporting, loud sound effects, narration. Not for dramatic dialogue.

AT804 dynamic omni handheld. Good for interviews, location narration, sound effects (especially loud crashes/explosions, since dynamic mic tends to compress these sounds for better recording).

    ATM29HE dynamic hypercardioid handheld. Good for interviews where background noise is a problem (used during SuperBowl broadcast). Excellent narration mic. Great for “stand-up” vocal performances (music/comedy).

ElectroVoice RE50 dynamic omni handheld. Broadcast industry favorite reporters mic for decades. Good wind suppression and internal shockmounting.

Shure VP64AL dynamic omni handheld. Sleek, long handled omni mic for handheld reporting & interviews.

Shure SM58 dynamic cardioid handheld. Classic silver-domed rock 'n roll favorite. Great for on-stage singers, but lacks the reach for interview work.

Shure SM57 cardioid is intended for acoustic instruments, though some performers favor them for warm vocals.

Stereo music and sound effects

AT825 electret condenser X-Y wide pattern stereo. Uses AA battery. Terminates in a pair of balanced XLR 3-pin connectors.  Simple Left/Right outputs eliminates M-S decoding and future phasing problems when mixing to surround sound formats.

AT822 is similar to above, but mic head uses only one standard XLR 3-pin mic cable. Adapter cable converts from XLR to unbalanced 3.5 stereo or dual 1/4” plugs for direct use with small format video or DAT.

AT835ST looks like a shotgun mic, but is a 48v condenser stereo mic offering M-S, wide X-Y, and narrow X-Y. The AT815ST is similar, but more reach and narrower pattern.

AT849 boundary mic is a UniPlate® 48v condenser mic X-Y stereo pattern.

Shure VP88 is a stereo shotgun mic.

Narration, vocals, music, radio spots, animation dialogue, books on tape

AT3035 is a lower cost, excellent cardioid condenser mic with the appeal and appearance of a studio mic. The AT2020 is very inexpensive and popular for pod-casting and less demanding studio applications.