GEAR REVIEW
SONY ECM-674 SHOTGUN MICROPHONE | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• Phantom or Battery Powered
• Super Cardioid Pattern
• Accessory Bundle Included
• 40Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response
• Low Cut Filter
• 10 5 / 8 ”
• 6.5oz
Over the past year , video has become an integral part of how churches ‘ do church ’. While livestreaming may have been the most urgent need , creating engaging content with a high production value has and will continue to be important to the dual mission of engaging our congregation and reaching the unchurched .
I ’ ve spent hundreds of hours over the years on both sides of the camera , and it is from that dual perspective with which I ’ ll proclaim my love for shotgun mics , and in turn how impressed I was with the ECM-674 . Although this mic has been on the market for a while , the below customer quote from its product page on a well-known ‘ photo video ’ retailer ’ s site sums up my sentiments , “ This is one of THE BEST short shotgun mics for the price . Especially if you already have Sony gear ... It works well with other Sony equipment . Better than mics twice the price .”
THE SOUND Before we get to the numerous reasons that I love using a shotgun mic for dialog ( exclusively or in combination with a lavalier mic ), let ’ s start with the quality of the sound this mic produces .
Sporting a frequency response that ranges from 40Hz to 20kHz , this mic has a sound that is inherently natural , key to capturing great dialog that requires next to no sweetening in post . I tested and actively used this mic for live streams , gear demos , and product reviews including the companion video below . As the above quote points out , this mic delivers great sound and value when compared to other mics in its price range and above . This became painfully clear when I went back to using my other shotguns . It ’ s highly probable that the first ‘ customer ’ of this review will be me , as I ’ m increasingly missing the clarity and natural sound of this mic with every shoot .
Although you can sweeten audio in post , you really can ’ t hide the character of the mic , or its ability to accurately capture sounds sources . If you ’ re looking for natural sounding audio that requires but the smallest amount of leveling to sound great in post , this mic delivers in spades . The onboard low-cut switch ( high pass filter ) is set at 120Hz with a slope of -12dB per octave , making it easy to filter our room rumble and HVAC ( heating , ventilation , and air conditioning ) noise on input .
WHY A SHOTGUN ? In years past , the boundaries that separated video and audio techs were more defined than they are today , which is a good thing . That downside is that there are many folks coming in from the photo and video side who are having to get up to speed on the nuances of capturing audio that sounds as good as the images they capture . In the same way that aperture and bitrates are foreign terms to many