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Advisement on Audio setup for Classroom
Hi! Long time CC reader, first time poster…
I’m designing a way to shoot a series of elementary classroom instructions that will be for training purposes. Combination of lecture and workshop.
Capturing even decent sound from the students has long been a struggle in these setups (we cannot use a boom) and so I am hoping to get feedback from others on the gear and setup I have put together thus far.
– One person, two camera shoot. Camera 1 will be on static WS, and I will man Camera 2.
– Teacher – Wireless Lav feeding into a receiver on Camera 1 (Sennheiser EW112-p G3)
– Student tables – place a Shure MX393/O – Omni-Directional Boundary Condenser Microphone on each table (max. of 5), and have 12′ cable feeding into Zoom H4N recorders or Camera 1
– Rode Video Mic on Camera 2
What are thoughts on this approach? Do you foresee interference or cancellation to be an issue? The student’s sound will of course not be as clean as the teacher’s, but that is okay. We just want to intelligibly hear what the student is asking, or discussing at their table.
Thank you so much!
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14 Replies
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Hello Michelle and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.
Well sure you can use a boom. I and many others have done exactly that for years in classrooms. We do get people here from time to time who think it will interfere with the students, but that simply doesn’t happen any more than having two cameras in the room. By the time the camera person frames and focuses on a student, the boom op has plenty of time to get in position.
You’re going to have to get the student to repeat their questions from time to time. No sweat. They can do it.
Five boundary mics, one on each table? Plugged into what?
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide -
Hi Ty! Thanks for responding.
We won’t be using a boom because we need a way for one staff member to handle the shoot. I recognize that the quality of sound will be compromised, but as long as we can understand what the students are saying, that’s great.
The idea is to have the boundary mics on the table plugged into an XLR input on Zoom H4Ns, which will be stationed nearby. Will likely have 3-4 on hand. This is in addition to the XLR inputs available on the stationary camera.
I had considered using a mixing board for the mics, but want clean recordings for each group/table of students. Upon editing, I can cut between the different tracks as needed.
Are there any obvious (or less obvious) things I am overlooking here? Interference with each other, with the lav mic on the teacher, etc?
Thanks again!
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Michelle,
One person can not operate two cameras. 🙂 Much less oversee the operation of five mics going into five recorders. You really have no idea how loud or soft the children will speak.
When (not if) your teacher moves, he/she will end up in a weird part of the frame or out of frame.
If I were offered that job. I simply wouldn’t take it. I think it’s an accident waiting to happen.
Best Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide -
Thanks for your input, Ty. With all due respect, I’ve actually done two camera demo shoots on my own before, in the same style I’m trying to convey here, and it worked.
The sound is what I’m asking for technical advisement around. I’m also just trying to be inventive/imaginative here, and think there’s potential for a system that will work.
So on that note, Does anyone have advisement or thoughts on this set up? Or recognize the potential for interference of mics? The thought process is based off of “conference room” style or “distance learning” recording, which Shure mics are crafted for. Certainly, you wouldn’t have a boom mic on hand for such purposes, but there are ways to record intelligible sound in a classroom.
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Michelle,
My apologies.
Best of luck.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide -
Really no apology necessary, Ty. I appreciate your honesty & experience. Just trying to bounce ideas around and maybe find a system that works.
Best,
Michelle -
I’m gonna recommend you rent/buy used an automixer (Rane and Shure make some). Connect that to your recorder. Get into the room early, gaff everything down, and tell the kids not to tap on the mics.
Other than that, good luck.
Wolf
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I would hang a few choir mics from the ceiling grid or lights – with a drop ceiling you can tuck the wire under a tile to get the desired height, the rest of the cable can be routed the same way, but its easier with pigtails https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/124733-REG/Avenger_C1005_Scissor_Clip_Cable_Support.html
This will take some setup time and a ladder so add time to your schedule. You can drop them down to just out of camera frame. Rent a motu box or some mulit-track recorder so you have fewer devices to worry about.
Steve
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Steve,
That was another idea I had but wanted to see if someone else you recommend it first.
The only thing I recommend is turning off any ceiling fans first…they are a sonic nuisance.
Wolf
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Good reminder Jordan. It’s always a good idea to befriend maintenance and facilities people so you can have access to breakers, fan controls, shutting off air conditioners and music systems.
I don’t recall who said the phrase “you never saw a CEO with a keyring full of keys”, but you need those folks on your side who can get you where you need to go.
Steve
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