-
Recording Room Tone
1. How much room tone (time) should be recorded in case it is needed later?
2. I will be plugging a lav directly into an HVX-200 for the shoot I am doing. Should I also use a boom at some point to record the room tone?
Thanks!!
-
8 Replies
-
Different projects require different lengths of room tone. A :30 spot obviously won’t need anything longer than 30 seconds, but a long interview may require more. However, I
ve never used more than about 30 seconds and if I did, it can be looped. So I would say 30 seconds is adequate for most everything.Always record the room tone with the same mic and in the same position as the dialog to be covered was recorded. If you split your tracks (lav & boom on separate tracks), record room tone the same way. If during a take, an extraneous noise occurred such as an air conditioner, and you couldn’t repeat the take, record room tone with the AC on and off. This way, the editor can introduce the BG noise slowly and make it less obvious.
Primary System Info
Mac Pro 2×3.2 Quadcore – 10.5.3 – QT 7.4.5 – 6MBram – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro (v6.7)- Open GL 1.5.6 – Wacom Intous2 tablet -
I addition to that, make sure EVERYTHING is off: refrig, AC, fans, the neighbors AC, TV’s, cars…ok…well, anyway, the reason is because since you’re not using a mixer (which has low-cut filters), you can end up getting a lot of low-end noise that you won’t notice with your ears, until it’s already recorded; plugging directly into the camera, you have no control over it, other than turning it all off.
-
1. Will using headphones plugged into the camera help with hearing these sounds you speak of? Or without a mixer to filter off the lows do I have to wait until I view/listen to it on my computer?
2. What types of sounds will a low-cut filter on a mixer eliminate? ex: Someone in my building who slams a door, someone banging on a wall somewhere, someone walking real loud on the floor above me?
Thanks!
-
1.) I might record using a lav connected to my shirt. Would I record room tone by just standing there for 30 secs and not making any noise while still wearing the lav?
2.) “This way, the editor can introduce the BG noise slowly and make it less obvious.”
How would/could the editor make it “less obvious?”
Thanks!
-
[stan welks] “How would/could the editor make it “less obvious?” “
With noise patterns that are constant, such as AC, surf and hum, the listener may not be aware of the noise unless it occurs or goes away suddenly, such as at an edit, where one take may have BG noise behind dialog and another adjacent take may not. Using the recorded room tone, or world tone (if it’s exterior), the sound editor can fade in or fade out that noise separately from the dialog.
Primary System Info
Mac Pro 2×3.2 Quadcore – 10.5.3 – QT 7.4.5 – 6MBram – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro (v6.7)- Open GL 1.5.6 – Wacom Intous2 tablet -
You should always use headphones when recording audio; you’ll be amazed at what you don’t notice without them!
A low-cut filter on a mixer won’t eliminate noises like slamming doors and sharp or strong sounds like that; a low-cut filter eliminates low frequencies below a slected frequency (like 100Hz or 140Hz). These would include the ever popular 60Hz AC or refregerator; noises that are continuous in nature. I was on a shoot one time where there was this cooler or refregerator in the business above us, and we would have to wait until it would shut off to shoot.
-
Thank you to everyone for your time and info!!!!
-
As it turns out, I may have access to a Sound Devices 302.
https://www.sounddevices.com/products/302master.htm1.) Would this work well for the low-cut filter you mentioned?
2.) If I configure this for the environment that I plan to shoot in, will I need to make any adjustments to the settings if I shoot in the same environment? Do I need an operator for it?
Thanks.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up