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Need assistance with a microphone static conundrum
Been shooting with a Canon 5D MkIV for the last 4 days using a Sennheiser ew100 G3 wireless kit with both a lavalier and Sennheiser MD42.
All day while shooting meetings, press conferences, stand-up interviews etc. I get perfectly clean audio. Then around 15:00-17:00 I go out to shoot a stand-up report and without fail, every time my talent speaks there is static under her voice. If she’s quiet there is no static but once she starts speaking the static can be heard again.
We have tried using both the supplied lavalier as well as a handheld Sennheiser MD 42. The MD42 doesn’t have as much static, but it’s still there. However throughout the day using either microphone setup there is no static at all.
We’ve also tried changing locations, varying the time slightly in that 15-17:00 window, changing the channel frequency; I’m at a complete loss as for what could be causing it and/or what I can do to fix it.
Unfortunately I didn’t bring an XLR cable with me, so all I’ve got access to for the next 6 days of shooting is this mic setup I’m using.
I’m in Lillehammer, Norway… if that makes any difference at all.
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1 Reply
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It would have been very helpful if you had provided a sample (perhaps 30 seconds) of the audio which contains your problem. You mention that you “go out”. Does that mean that this happens only outdoors and all the other shots are indoors?
It sounds like your noise is “gated”. You can hear it only while the subject is speaking. That might suggest that the noise is acoustic from the environment and the wireless system is muting between phrases. But we can only make wild guesses without hearing a sample.
It is unfortunate that you don’t have an XLR cable. Presumably that means there is no opportunity to borrow one? Here in the USA, we have a saying: A $30 cable is infinitely more reliable than a $3000 wireless kit. My practice is to never use a wireless kit if I can use a cable.
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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.
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