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getting a line out of a cheap in house PA system
Hi all. I film weddings and where venues often insist that speakers use their awful in house PA systems with no visual outputs at all on the front, and an inaccessible rear I always get frustrated that I can’t connect my Zoom recorders or wireless G3 setup to their machine to get a semi-decent audio feed (well, I can’t get any feed).
The handheld mic has no frequency displayed on it and the units appear self contained and not able to accept any kind of connections, or they’re rack mounted and its virtually impossible to get to the rear.
All I can think of doing is using some sort of frequency search on my G3 and hope the frequency falls within my range however Im not sure if this scanning is a feature of the G3.
Does anyone have any advice on how to cope with these more amateur systems? Taking a sound engineer to every shoot is just not an option for me.
Many thanks
David -
24 Replies
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Taking a sound engineer wouldnt really help.
I have similar issues and ive been in broadcast sound for 29 years!Scanning your g3 would only help if the transmitter that they are using was also a sennheiser. then you could find the transmitter freq and couple into it. Chances are it isn’t – why
because
1) Theyre probably cheao skates and went with the cheapest option they could
2) There are infact many other manufacturers of radio mics out there
3) Cant think of 3.Bottom line. If there isnt an available output socket, or its inaccessible then you can’t – so do what i do.
Never use anyone elses kit! It will be rubbish anyway and probably fail, be wrongly configured, pop like mad, be riddled with interference and hum, and be generally unsatisfactory.
I take multiple radios to a wedding. 3 speeches = 3 personal g3. 4 speeches = 4 etc etc. – up to 6 then i struggle.
Peter
Post Production Dubbing Mixer
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Pete,
I do the same as you but if they virtually eat the venues cheapo microphone and the PA speakers are directly behind the top table you’re not going to get nice quality audio! 🙁 -
I agree.
Id have a word with the bride and groom. At the end of the day they want everything to be as good as it can be. if you explain that the venues horrid PA is going to cripple the sound (and especially if its not a big venue where the need for a PA is questionable at all) then Im sure they can be persuaded not to use it at all!
Ive done that many times. I know exactly the problems youre taking about.
PeterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Peter,
yep I always do that. Often I manage to talk them out of it but I never want to insist incase guests can’t hear.
It’s just something that drives me mad and I figured there just must be a way around it as I never hear anybody else complaining about it but I think they’re not as fussy as you and I!
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I agree.
“I think they’re not as fussy as you and I!”
I KNOW theyre not as fussy about sound as me.
PeterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Tape a wireless TX & mic to a PA speaker set the level and be done with it in those instances.
Eric
“I push the RECORD button and hope for the best”
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Im afraid Id never record any sound from a speaker, under any circumstances.
If theyre using a horrible pa and mic, thats their look out but id still mic them up myself. atleast all id get is couloured sound from the speakers, but taping a mic to a speaker………..Id never even do that if i wanted a speaker effect in post – there are plugins thatll do speaker sounds better than speakers themselves, and its still controlable.
Peter
Post Production Dubbing Mixer
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Peter,
Obviously you don’t work in the event video market where taping a mic to a speaker is always the fall back position. It’s better than nothing and when used with what the camera mic picks up is more than acceptable for wedding, party, etc videos.
Eric
“I push the RECORD button and hope for the best”
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Eric,
Literally tape a mike to the front of a PA grill? What type of mike do you use? An omni lav?
Where exactly do you tape it? I have pointed a hypercardioid on a stand at a house speaker when I had no other option.
Don’t most PA speakers have some form of audio out that you can tap into send to your own field mixer?
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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“Eric,
Literally tape a mike to the front of a PA grill? What type of mike do you use? An omni lav?<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< A lav works just fine. Where exactly do you tape it? I have pointed a hypercardioid on a stand at a house speaker when I had no other option.<<<<<<<<<<< Anywear you can. Mostly on the side of the enclosure with the head just past the front of the cabinet Don't most PA speakers have some form of audio out that you can tap into send to your own field mixer?"<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Only the powered ones do and the DJ really doesn't like anyone plugging into his system because they have zero audio knowledge. "I push the RECORD button and hope for the best"
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