Baby's First Production Audio Kit

This is my first complete production audio kit.

This is a splayed look at all the gear in the kit.

DT 770 Pro Studio Headphones ($167) 

(Muffs not included)

These are the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Headphones I actually bought for post-production audio in school. I loved them so much (and paid what was, at the time, a pretty penny) that I brought them with me for production audio as well. The ear muff covers were given to me by a friend who said they'd wick away sweat in hot weather and keep your ears warm in cool weather.

Rode NTG-1($249)

Rode Dead Cat($39)

This is my first microphone, the Rode NTG-1 with windscreen and dead cat. At the time it felt expensive but I'm starting to realize that this is more often used as a reference mic on cameras. 

Rode PG2 Pistol Grip Shockmount($79)

This Rode Pistol-Grip Shockmount was purchased because I wanted to be able to go without a boom if need be...and it was cheap. The worst part about it is switching between different diameter mounts for different mics. It's not exactly quick or easy. 

Remote Audio Coiled XLR cable ($53.76)

One of the best things for a boom-op and areas I did not compromise was this Remote Audio coiled XLR with angled female end. Early on I used regular XLR cable and it was always a mess. I was constantly tripping over it or having to rewrap it. This cable does away with all that hassle and the angled female end makes coming out a boom a bit less cumbersome. 

Zoom H4n ($299)

This is my first recorder, the Zoom H4n. I chose this because I wanted a super cheap way to record production audio, mainly from a boom mic. I bought a 16 gig SD card to give me enough space to keep an entire shoot on the card without formatting it until it was over. The clip was actually made from a screw I bought from Home Depot for about 10 cents and a clip I recycled from my insulin pump. And yes, I have diabetes.