Azden SGM-1X Review
Shotgun Microphone
- Supercardioid Polar Pattern
- 12.3" in Length
- XLR Output Connector
- Powered by a Single AAA Battery
- Up to 1000 Hours of Battery Life
- Wide Frequency Response
- Includes SMH-1 Shockmount
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 140 Reviews
Good for Serious Work
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by JerManski on B&H Photo Video
I bought this to get better sound from my Canon HV20. I am a professional photographer expanding into filmmaking. I am not a video pro, but the improvement in sound recording is fantastic. The mic almost totally eliminates the sound of my fingers fumbling for and using camera controls: the very slightest noise can be heard when clicking the joystick control on the camera, and this was only noticeable while monitoring sound with over-ear headphones. The Azden's low-pass filter reduces greatly background sounds that the built-in mic would pick up, such as motors, fans, etc. The camera's motor noise (my HV20 is a tape-based camcorder) is eliminated with the Azden. These successes are due in part to the shock mount and the shotgun design. However, these features are what makes it's size a bit more than I expected. Shooters who use the LCD screen when filming will not have much trouble with size. However, I use the eyepiece viewfinder on my Canon, and that is nearly totally impossible with the Azden mounted on the accessory shoe. I dug out a 1960's vintage flash bracket from my collection and modified it to elevate the Azden about 4 higher, and I am a happy camper, although I must be very careful to not bump the whole rig for fear of breaking a mount. You must have a cable to use this mic, and for my Canon the B&H rep made a good suggestion in the Hosa MIT-156 microphone cable. Luckily, it is JUST long enough to use with my extension bracket. (I plan to buy a long cable so I can put the mic on a boom pole or stand.) This is not a compact package to use for everyday shooting. The mic, cable and bracket take up a lot of space both in the camera bag and on the camera. If the shooter plans to just film casually around the house, films in rugged situations or does not anticipate needing to get the mic off-camera, I would recommend Canon's external mic, which is smaller and needs no cable. (I will consider getting one of these for situations where my Azden rig is too bulky.) The only other con I see is the power switch, which is very easy to forget to turn on or off. If monitoring through headphones, remembering to turn it on will not be an issue. Thanks to long battery life, my forgetfulness in turning it off has not yet been an issue. An auto-off feature would be nice. ... More
Bang for your buck, but a few caveats
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Aser S. on B&H Photo Video
I am by no means an audio buff, and audiophile, or a professional sound designer, but I do do some video-work for some cliental and audio is an area which needs to be taken extremely seriously.With that being said, this product works. It is worlds above on-camera audio on my 7D, and it is fairly easy to get setup.I have the SGM-1X connected to my Tascam DR-40 and it works, however there seems to be a loud noise floor. This is easily fixed in Premiere Pro or Audacity using their respective noise removal tools. There is no noticeable drop in audio quality after correction, but it is an extra step in the workflow that would be nice to avoid.Through some googling, it might be the impedance that is causing this loud noise to appear. However because it is easily removable, I opted to not go through the process of returning my DR-40 for an H4n which may solve the problem. Saves me $ and a week or so without a recorder.Although it is miles above on-camera audio, compared to other mics, it does sound a bit electronic and limited in dynamic range. Though when using just this mic on a project, it isn't noticeable at all to my novice-ears.To summarize, this shotgun is a great deal for the price. Although it may have a few solvable issues with certain setups and it has a weaker sound when compared to its more expensive counterparts, the most important aspect of it checks out. It works. ... More
People who are not pros noticed..
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by NoiseBird on B&H Photo Video
I bought these mics because of reading their praise in Sound on Sound magazine recently. They held true to words about their warm sound. In the field I was able to capture door slams, footsteps, ambient sounds all very clearly without that feeling that something is missing.. I even held one of the Mics in hand at time without a boom and on playpack I didn't notice any handling noise... surprising. Also the AAA battery claims to last 1000 hours, there is an ON/OFF... And I should mention there is a low freq roll off switch PROS: 1.)Very good sounding mic, clean, low noise, and it has a nice warm subtle character. 2.)It runs on batteries, and it lasts very long. AAA batteries don't take up much room either. 3.)Bang-for-the-buck.. hard to find a better shotgun mic in this range. My last shotgun cost double and I'd prefer this mic in terms of sound quality/handling noise/character.. 4.)Windscreen and case included CONS: 1.) The shckmount included doesn't have thread for pro mic stands (the fat ones) It only has smaller threads, one worked on my consumer camera tripod, but its a cheaply made shockmount and I wouldn't trust it. Pretty much the PROS of this mic far outweight the CONS. If you don't have a high budget for shotgun mics, this is your best bet! ... More
This mic is a true workhorse
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Dancing Crow Media on B&H Photo Video
I teach high school film classes in addition to owning and running my own media production company and for the money, this mic is a real trooper. It's tough and takes the rough handling that teens put equipment through but light enough so that it doesn't add a lot of unnecessary weight to a boom pole or camera mount. It's also sensitive enough to pick up good sound even when it's not being placed in the right position. The only drawback I have found is that the low-cut feature doesn't prevent clipping as much as I would like, but again, for the price, it's a great mic, useful for on-camera mounting, boom pole ops or as a VO mic hanging in the studio. I own one myself and it works great as an on-location boom mic or as a back-up mic capturing all the audio in the scene. I really like that it has a power switch so you don't drain the battery. The problem is that the switch is mounted very close to where the mic mounts on the shock mount. What I have found with this particular mic is that even if you forget to switch it off, the battery drain is extremely slow. It's a well priced piece of sound equipment that I will be purchasing again. ... More
No frills Shotgun that hits the mark
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by xmedic9 on B&H Photo Video
I use this mic mounted to my AG-AC90 and as a Boom mic. The mic construction quality is excellent as is the sound quality. The base cut is quite effective in reducing the ever present HVAC rumble that can ruin interview audio. This mic is powered by a single AAA battery only (phantom power cannot be used to power this mic). I chose a mic that does not use phantom power to extend my camera's battery life. After leaving the mic in my bag over the weekend, with the power, on the Nimh rechargeable battery tested at 90%. The mic as ordered also has a cold shoe shock mount with a 20 thread that makes using this mic as a boom a plug and play. And as a battery powered mic it can serve as a boom for cameras with and without phantom power. Two small peeves for a mic at this price point, no protective case and no dead cat. ... More
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Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Paul Timberman on B&H Photo Video
I bought this shotgun mic for use on a Canon HV30. It mounts directly to the accessory shoe on the top of the camera, or you can buy XLR cable and mount it to a boompole. Perfect for independent, low-budget films. I called B&H to determine which XLR adapter I would need, and the audio expert informed me that an XLR adapter (i.e. Beachtek, etc.) is not strictly necessary. If you plan to use this on a handheld camcorder, and you do not use an XLR adapter unit, you will need a low-to-high impedance matching transformer like the Pearstone LMT100. It plugs directly into the microphone jack on your camera. ... the audio in my film is clearer than the plot of Avatar. ... More
Really good
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Tahn N on B&H Photo Video
Pros: The Mic has impressive quality look. Has low cut filter and works really well. 1 aaa battery will run forever (if you tend to forget stuffs, it's quite ok) Sound quality is FANTASTIC. Almost comparable to the much more expensive Sennheiser I have. Works really well with Rycote 18cm/STD SOFTIE FRONT ONLY. Cons: The switches are quite easy to move during transport. (duct tape will cure it) There is no battery indicator, the good battery life make up for it. Doesn't come with the XLR cable. Doesn't support Phantom power.
Great Mic for the Price!
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by John J. on B&H Photo Video
I have used this mic to contribute footage from my JVC GY-DV500 cameras to major film projects and I ALWAYS get compliments on the audio. The super cardiod pattern (which, in the case of the 1X is actually hyper-cardiod) has excellent side rejection. The low cut switch helps quiet ambient noise to less than a whisper.
Good starter mic
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Sturbo on B&H Photo Video
I've owned mine for 4 years. The build is still holding well, quality hasn't changed, no random noise.I've used it with a handycam (xlr to 1/8 adapter) and on my new cam that has XLR, def what you'd expect when working with XLR, solid connection.Opening it up to get to the internals is easy.If you think about it though, when it comes to audio, spending what? $60 more for the SGM 1000 is really worth it, mainly for the full 20Hrz - 20,000.Recently now that I've been doing more field work, this mic is 'duller' compared to a crisp lav mic with full Hrz range, so it's either you clean it up in post-audio and boost/fake the higher frequencies or cut all the high frequencies to match the mics 18,000Hrz.Outputting for web? Who cares, this mic is fine.Not used in pro-level situations on my end, but you will get understandable isolated audio from subject when in a crowded mall 5ft away.And no shotgun mic is complete w/out a poofy windscreen, stock windscreen isn't good as you would expect. ... More
Mic is fine; shock mount not so much
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Ken on B&H Photo Video
I have been using two of these microphones as part of a beginning film program for about 6 months now. The microphone itself has met my film program's needs. In fact, it draws so little power from the battery that the AAA battery seems to last forever. However, buyer beware about the shock mount that comes with it. If you only intend to use it in the shoe on top of yoru camera, it is fine. However, these shock mounts allegedly have threads on the bottom so you can attach them to boom poles, etc. They stripped the threads on every device I attached them to and eventaully got stuck. The metal they stripped off the threads became stuck in the hole on the bottom of the mount so the mount woould not come off the pole. Eventually, through a lot of dismantling and the use of a metal file, I got them off, but only at great expense to my boom pole. I have now bought two different shock mounts to go on the end of my boom poles (and they work fine) and only use these in the shoe on my cameras. ... More
Great shotgun mic, affordable and professional
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Andrew on B&H Photo Video
I picked up this mic to use mostly as a boom in my small production package. The sound I got from a series of exterior shoots (sometimes with noise and light wind) was as good as similar shotguns with slightly higher price tags such as the Rode and Sennheisers. The quality and performance is definitely surpassed my expectations and the included wind filter and multipurpose shock mount makes it a great package. The only drawback is the shock mount does not tilt, a small thing but for use on a boom pole I'm going to pick up a different mount, however works just fine as is. ... More
Great Mic for Beginners
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by The Videoholic on B&H Photo Video
I use this mic to get significantly better audio than my lower level camcorder can offer. With an XLR to 3.5mm adapter and a female mono to male stereo splitter, it works pretty well in my camera's aux mic jack. Being battery operated, it is a great tool for DSLR and small camcorder users. Quality is definitely a step up from the internal mic you will have. This is a good mic for the price. The shockmount isn't that fantastic, but at least it comes with one. It needs suspending cord that is more elasticy to absorb more interference.
Great sound, great price, GREAT MIC!
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Texabyte on B&H Photo Video
I had money left over from my B-day and I needed a new mic so I bought this and I love it. I use it on camera most of the time with a cheap xlr to mini cable and it sounds great. I've shot with an air conditioning unit 10 feet away behind the mic and the subject 10 15 feet away and the audio was still usable with minor correction in post. I just wish that it had an on light because I've left it on for a few days.
Great Mic at a Reasonable Price
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Maximilian on B&H Photo Video
The SGM-1X is a great mic to use with a pro-camcorder. I bought the Canon XA10 recently and loved the camera but not it's on board mic (who does?). I heard about this mic through a tech channel and thought it looked great (and the pro's use it so, how bad could it be). You have to buy cables to go with the mic and I got the Kopul Coiled 3-pin XLR cable. The low cut filter is nice, but I have to say I expected not to have to use it only to be surprised at how bad background noise was without it. In the long run, this is a quality mic and the mount it comes with is a very nice addition. ... More
So Far Excellent Mic
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Have just begun to use the microphone. It is very sensitive and does a good job for us. We also purchased a MKE 400 Sennheiser Mic and a XLRPRO Universal Dual Input Audio Adapter to integrate the two mics with our two camcorders. Both mics enhance the auido over the built-in camcorder mics. We are making educational videos in medical exam rooms. The only issue, which may be the mic or may be the audio adapter is a noticeable hiss in the background. This occurs when we are using the mics separately too. We are trying to figure out how to eliminate this from the backgroud. Overall, we are pleased with the purchases. ... More
Good Quality, Great Price
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by bhtre123 on B&H Photo Video
I purchased this product for films I make with friends. As this is a hobby, we don't have a large budget. I did a large amount of research on shotgun microphones before finally deciding on this one. After receiving this product, I tested it with the rest of my sound equipment and was quite impressed with the sound quality given the item's inexpensive price. I have since used it in filming with excellent results. While there is a little bit of noise recorded, a little bit of noise reduction cleans the audio beyond what I had expected. I wholeheartedly recommend this microphone for those on a budget. ... More
Great sound, strong value
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by CCorey on B&H Photo Video
I am a professional filmmaker and after painful post-sound correction on my last film The Sword, decided to upgrade my cheap shotgun microphone. Still on the micro-budget level, and having researched several microphones in the $150-350 price range, I decided on this and am not disappointed.While I have not shot my next film with it yet, I have done added foley sound, and field tested several audio situations I typically run into and have to say, for the money -- this is a great little microphone.Note: if you're making a movie, take the mic off the camera. Attach the shockmount to a boom pole. You'll be glad you did, and you'll get consistent audio. Just make sure the guy/gal holding the pole knows what he/she is doing. ... More
So far so good!
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Louder Than 11 on B&H Photo Video
I specialize in outdoor rock climbing video. It does a great job picking up audio where the camera is pointed. I've shot two videos with it so far and it sounds great. I wish that the on/off switch wasn't so easily tripped during transport. I also wish it had come with a more durable case. However, I am hiking 3-6 miles in and out of rock terrain with my equipment and most folks won't be doing that so these issues may not be a problem!
Good basic low cost mic
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Replay Media Productions on B&H Photo Video
I purchased this mic to equip a third production kit. Used with a Canon GL2 with Beachtek XLR adapter. The mic has good off axis rejection and good sound quality for most recordings. Not as good as my much more expensive AT shotgun mics on music but not bad. The AAA battery has a short life span and is a bit difficult to replace quickly in the field with that strange cloth wrap to hold it in. The included shoe shock mount is very nice.
Performs better than high end mics
Azden SGM-1X Professional Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by rdfrankssr on B&H Photo Video
This mic is used in shooting a web series that we hope to air this year. After using a couple of high end mics (names not used here) I opted for the Azden SGM-1X. The difference was incredible. We captured perfect sound on the reshoot and it will be a constant companion with us on all shoots. The low cut switch is valuable in canceling out unwanted noise and that fact that is is self powered it a big plus with me. Combined with a lightweight carbon fiber fishpole, this is a must for any videographers tool box.
