+Grogurt ...and if it wasn't for people like you, I wouldn't be thinking about fish-flavored yogurt right now. ;)

It's a great mic.

You're right -- you don't want to use a shotgun mic for singer/songwriter music. You can get another stereo mic. The XYH-5 is decent, so to do better you're going to need to step up to something like the Rode NT4 (amzn.to/2lB1cMO) or the Rode VideoMic X (amzn.to/2lAOFsD). The NT4 has XLR outputs, so you could use it in addition to the XYH-5 capsule. A downside to the NT4 is that it's kind of heavy. The Rode VideoMic X will need to plug into the 1/8" input on your XYH-5 capsule. So, you can't use the two at the same time. But, it's a much more recent product from Rode, it's much smaller and lighter, and it can be used as an on-camera mic on a DSLR or similar kind of camera.

Thank you very much!

The NTG3 is an awesome mic, but it's way out of the price range of someone giving serious consideration to buying an SGH-6. The NTG2 is twice the price for less directionality, so I have to wonder if the SGH-6 isn't a better deal for budget buyers.

I never write down settings, because they always need to be adjusted to the situation. It's like telling someone to set their 5D MkII at f/5 with the focus point at 5 feet at ISO 100. The sweet spot is always a moving target in sound and image capture. I recommend starting over. Return all of the settings to default, and just get a good sounding level of the NTG2 plugged straight into the H5. Then see if you can get a good sound plugging into your camera. I've never used the built in effects on any recorder for video production sound, so if it were me I would turn off that compressor. Lastly, I always keep my smartphone as far away as possible from my audio and video gear, as they create a lot of noise and hiss.

The SGH-6 has three separate microphone capsules inside of it, but, it's my understanding that they work together a single mono microphone. It is a bit confusing, seeing as there are multiple capsules in one mic. It's understandable that you might assume it was capable of stereo recordings. Is there a reason why you wanted a stereo shotgun? I find that mono shotgun microphones are preferable for recording most dialog. A stereo shotgun is more of a specialty tool for sound effects and other niche uses.

No, I don't need it to be stereo. But, I read that you could control the balance of the directional and side mics independently. So you could, for example, adjust the background/ambient sounds. PS. It's the SSH-6

Oh, okay. That's a different mic capsule than the one I test in this video. You should try using the Mid-Side mic controls in the recorder. If you have the Zoom H5, refer to pages 85, 86, and 87 in its manual - www.zoom-na.com/sites/default/files/products/downloads/pdfs/E_H5_0.pdf

Audio recorders allow you to make higher-resolution files than you can with a camera. I usually set my recorders to make 48kHz 24bit WAV files, which is higher quality than camera audio. The mic preamps on audio recorders are less noisy than the preamps built into cameras, so you get cleaner audio overall. I also often connect an output of the recorder into the camera, and make 2 copies of the audio, one in-camera, and one in the recorder. This way, if one of them has a problem, such as a corrupted file, unheard noise issue, etc., then I have a backup ready to use.

SCharlesDennicon You can use the Zoom H5 shotgun with the AX33, but you will need to attach the shotgun to the H5, then you need to connect an output on the H5 to the mic input on your camera.

No preamp was used with the Zoom capsules besides the preamp built into the recorder. It was recorded in a quiet room that didn't have too many reflective surfaces, so there was minimal acoustic echo. Anytime you have a quiet environment with a microphone properly positioned with optimal level settings, it's going to sound as good as it possibly can.

Not sure if you're still looking for this but for you or others, it's in the menu. Under Menu>In/Out>In1/2 Mono Mix = turn it on.

This one from Rycote - amzn.to/2wZLNed

The problem you are experiencing is due to the pre-amps used in the Zoom line of recorders. Tascam has a better pre-amp in there comparable units, but horrible battery life. I have used the H4n with a PreSonus BlueTube DP Stereo Preamp that I picked up used at a very good price. While it's not a perfect solution and requires AC power, the sound was comparable to what we are getting out of the NTG3 without an additional pre-amp. I was able to use the gain on the PreSonus at around 45 and only use the H4n at around 50. Previously I had to push the H4n to 85 to get usable sound with the NTG2. Now I will say that I had purchased the PreSonus earlier for something else and had it on hand when trying to get better sound out of the NTG2. If I was starting from scratch I would go with another set of tools altogether. If I could afford a Sound Devices unit that would be my preference. Since that is not in the budget my recommendation would be a Juiced Link pre-amp for running directly into a DSLR camera and or either a Fostex DC-R302 or Tascam DR70D for stand alone field recorders. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, like the great battery life of the Zoom or the better pre-amps on the Tascam, both in a budget friendly price range or you spend more and get professional level equipment like the Fostex, Roland or Sound Devices. So that is the long answer to your question. Yes you can use an additional Pre-amp on the Zoom, just don't expect to be blown away by suddenly amazing sound.

Like he said on his blog, the noise floor is different. The NTG-2 sounds more like digital static whereas the SGH-6 sounds more like white or pink noise.

I hear fairly equal levels of room sound from the SGH-6 and NTG-2 shotgun mics, although, at differing frequencies. On the flipside, the NTG-3 had a fairly high level of room sound. Because of this, I do wonder if the room was small and reflective in nature. As for hum, I didn't really get that from the video. But, in saying that, the lowest noise floor from each shotgun mic was easily from the NTG-3.

The best sound shotgun mic in this test, to my ears, is the Rode NTG-3.

and you pay for that mic for sure! i should of said between the ntg-2 and the zoom capsel.. also whats your take on a rodemic pro on a boom pole as a shotgun mic.. the sound from that is pretty insane too and deffinatly cheaper if you only have the zoom h1

I just listened to it again, and I like the Zoom SGH-6 better. But, a the NTG-2 is a complete microphone, not a module, so it's more versatile. You can get good sound with a Rode VideoMic on a boompole, too. Just about any mic will sound good - as long as it's physically close to the person who is speaking. The better quality the mic is, the better it will sound, but, if it's not close to the person who is speaking, it doesn't matter how good the mic is. It won't sound good. Get the one you like best, that works best for what you need to do. Don't waste too much time and thought into picking out gear. Use that energy for producing your projects to completion.

I have a zoom 5 and for better sound want to buy SGH-6 capsule (for documentary), Is it possible to fix Zoom h5+SGH-6 to boom pole, it is practical?

It's possible to mount an H5 with the SGH-6 capsule to a boompole, but, you need to use a special shockmount to attach the H5 to the pole, so you don't get vibration noise in the audio. Here's a good one from Rycote: amzn.to/2ekj3To Here's a budget option from Movo: amzn.to/2fciKfP

bBefore you start real recording, record 5 seconds of just ambient noise then software to remove ambient to required level. ..Unless your ambient is the required sound....