Audio-Technica ATR-6550 Video Camera Cardioid/Supercardioid Condenser Shotgun Microphone

I just recently picked up the Audio Technica ATR6550 shotgun mic and have nothing but positive things to say about it. I have had plenty of experience using professional shotgun mics, but this is the first I have personally owned. First off I will note, I am reviewing this mic with the price in mid. Obviously if you fork out a couple thousand dollars for a professional mic it will blow the ATR6550's perormance away (in most cases). But for a $50 entry-level shotgun mic you really can't go wrong here!I will agree with other reviews when they say the "normal" (cardioid) setting on the mic is pretty useless. Odds are if you are using a shotgun mic you are looking to focus in on one subject anyway, so the "tele" mode (supercardioid) is the only mode I use and it works great for the price. The pick-up distance from the mic is not great, but not bad either. It sounds absolutely amazing out to about 3 feet away. Any more and you start to hear more white noise and of your subject less subject...something that can be slightly corrected in post production.But as far as white noise within about 3 feet from your subject, there seems to be very little!So here is my pros and cons list...Pros:Metal ConstructionPriceRuns on AA battery (no phantom power...the base of the mic unscrews and slides down to reveal battery compartment)Little white noiseRecording distance (no more than 3 feet away is best)Lifetime WarrantyMic windscreen, stand, and hotshoe includedCons:Permanent cable (can't be disconnected from mic)No case for microphone (dust is a mic's worst enemy!!)Like most shotgun mics, this IS a mono meaning if you were to plug this straight into you camera you would only get audio out of one speaker/ear. You will need to pick up a mono-stereo adapter (not included) to get audio in both speakers. It will save a lot of editing time.

I had been wanting to upgrade from my camera's onboard mic for a long time, but could never find a shotgun mic within my budget. After extensive research, reading reviews and listening to this mic on Youtube videos, I thought I'd take the plunge despite negative reviews.This mic is fantastic. The sound quality is MUCH higher than my onboard mic, but I'd use the Tele mode, the Normal mode is too soft. Obviously, there's a bit of a hiss, which I can actually remove on my editing software anyway, but what do you expect, you're buying a 50 dollar mic, not a 400 dollar Seinshower. I'm extremely satisfied with the purchase, it's a huge upgrade from my camera's onboard mic.On a side note, the cord is very short, maybe a foot and a half, in a twisty fashion. It's meant to be mounted above your camera shotgun style, and the shorter cord makes for a higher quality, I wouldn't suggest putting an extensive cord on it and using it as a boom, for that would diminish quality. Keep that in mind, make sure you have a spot to put it.Also it comes with some nice attachments, it came with a hotshoe mount I slid right onto my X-Grip, and I was done.One last thing I'd like to address is the battery. It takes 2 AA batteries. A lot of people have issues with not knowing if the batteries are ok or not, since there is no light indicator. I don't think that this should be a serious issue.. my camera tells me if it's recording or not, and even if your doesn't a quick 2 second video test could test it. If your using a shotgun mic, you should be wearing headphones too, or monitoring the audio in some way.... if it dies in the middle of a filming, you should know. I wear noise canceling headphones listening to this mic, I know when it cuts out. Anyone using this for any serious filming should do the same.If your looking for a good mic that's better than your onboard, this is for you.

I recently purchased this mic with a Canon Rebel T2i and a host of other equipment with the intention of making films. I was skeptical about this mic's ability to perform anywhere near as well as it's big brother, the AT-875R, but I figured, for the money, it couldn't hurt to try. First, let me say, this microphone performs VERY well for a 50 dollar "shotgun." I decided to pair this with a separate preamp to avoid having to use the camera's internal preamps, or spend $300 on a Zoom H4n. The preamp I bought--the ART USB Dual Pre--has preamps that are just as quiet as the Zoom's (I actually compared it side-by-side with the Zoom), so I'm not losing out by going with this cheaper setup (besides 24 bit audio, but I can simply record to the MUCH cheaper Zoom H1 if I ever need that). I run a mini-jack to XLR shielded adapter cable to the preamp, and then run a dual 1/4 inch mono to stereo mini-jack cable to my camera. Using Magic Lantern, I've also disabled auto gain control on the T2i and set analog and digital gain to zero.My Setup:Canon T2i with Magic Lantern FirmwareART USB Dual Pre microphone preampAudio Technica ATR-6550Build qualityThe mic is built solidly out of metal, with a fairly nice built-in mini-jack cord. The cord is quite short, with a spiral-wound "spring" section in the middle, so you'll definitely need an extension if you're planning on using a boom. Overall this feels just as solid as the AT-875R.Off-axis noise rejection:This is a concern for the 6550. When set to normal mode, it's gives a very weak signal and behaves like a simple cardioid mic, picking up anything in a small sphere around the mic. I highly recommend keeping it in Tele mode at all times; It improves the signal to noise ratio, as well as the off-axis rejection, and even the bass response. That being said, you have to be careful to control off-axis noise, as this is a VERY sensitive microphone in Tele mode, and the off-axis rejection isn't as good as the 875R.Sound quality:When stacked up against the AT-875R straight off of the camera, you can definitely tell which is the more expensive microphone. The lows and mids are much weaker on the 6550, and it's a bit less sensitive all around. This isn't all bad, though, as it sounds less sibilant than the 875R, which can be nice for dialogue. The main concern, however, is the noise floor. The 875R is very quiet, with almost no noise up to 40db of gain on my preamp. The 6550 fares worse, with slight noise starting at around 18db. The result is that you have to be much more careful about how you mic your subject in order to get a good signal. I was amazed though, that when you correct for the low bass in mixing, it becomes very difficult to tell the difference between this and the 875R--The main distinction being noise levels with identical gain settings. I would say you could definitely cut this together with audio taken from the 875R if you were careful about mic placement and mixing. In short, all the audio information is there, you just need to bring it out.Overall:For 50 dollars, I'd say this mic can't be beat. At the moment, I can't afford the AT-875R or a comparable mic (i.e. the Rhode NTG-2), but I don't feel that's limiting at all. If you know how to properly work with audio, this makes and excellent poor-man's shotgun. I'm even considering buying another for stereo sound. My main complaint is the noise level, which can make it a bit difficult to work with in quiet scenes. Off axis noise can also be a problem, especially if you plan on doing event-video, or run and gun style documentary filmmaking. All the negatives weighed out, though, I'd still buy this mic--twice over.