Today I am testing out a microphone that helps improve your camera's audio. The Takstar SGC-598 Shotgun Microphone.
If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $30 on Amazon.
I do have to note that this is an active microphone and requires a single AA battery in order for the microphone to work.
What's In the Box
- Microphone
- Windscreen
- Carrying Pouch
- Documentation
Performance / Features
The build quality is decent. The entire build is made of plastic and nothing feels too sturdy. The cable is also permanently attached to the front of the microphone (which seems like odd placement to me) and also eliminates the possibility to attach a longer cable, or replace the cable if the provided one goes bad.
There are three switches on the side.
- Power On / Off
- +10db Audio Boost
- Low Cut Switch
The frequency response is listed as 50Hz - 16kHz which is a pretty decent response. It does seem to lack a little bit in the low end, leaving audio sounding a bit weak. But this is nothing you wouldn't expect out of a $30 microphone.
The mic offers a cardioid polar pattern which is what you would expect. It is not as directional as I would have liked. It still picks up quite a bit of audio as you move around the side and back of the microphone, but the majority of audio is picked up directly in front of the mic.
Pros
- Decent sound
- Cheap
- Portable
- Improves camera's audio
- +10db boost / Low cut options
Con
- Poor build quality
- Permanent cable (poorly placed)
- No mic stand mount
- Lacks low end
- Wide polar pattern
Conclusion
This is in no way a top of the line shotgun microphone. It will not provide you excellent audio, or clean sound. What it will do is provide decent audio, which is a huge improvement over most cameras internal microphones. So if you are a vlogger and you want to improve your camera's audio, or if you're just trying slightly increase your videos audio, this is a good option for $30.
If you have any additional questions about this headset, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.
Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TcSKO6
