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PARABOLIC MIC
We are shooting a motorcycle land speed record show and we want to get good audio or the motorcycle streamliners going past at 350 mph. in the past we have used camera mics only. This year we would like to back up and reinforce the audio by recording the audio on the runs. We have never used a parabolic mic and wonder how that will work. Or should we just use a shotgun mic.
Dick Lague
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8 Replies
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That sounds like a sweet gig! Parabolic mics are really good to pick up sound that is far away, but lack low-frequency response, which is a problem if you’re recording really powerful engines and want the “oomph” that goes with them. The parabolic would be good to record the whole run continuously, but you wouldn’t have that super-fast whoosh-by you’d get from fixed shotguns along the way. To complement those recordings, an omnidirectional mic might be useful, to record the whole atmosphere. As land speed records are usually done on dry lakes, the omni would pick up the engine sound bouncing off the surrounding landscape.
If I had to mix a show with big engines going really fast, those are the sounds I’d want to have at my disposition.
JC Boulay
Audio Z
Montreal, Canada
http://www.audioz.com -
This screams for a stereo record and miking.
Ray Palmer, Engineer
Salt River Project
Phoenix, AZ
602-236-8224 office
There are three types of people in this world, those that can count and those that can’t. -
Prolly not. Parabolic mics sacrifice fidelity for directionality.
Regsrds,
Ty Ford
Want better productio audio? Ty Ford’s “Audio Bootcamp Field Guide” was written for video people who want better audio. More at: https://home.comcast.net/~tyreeford/AudioBootcamp.html
or https://www.tyford.com -
Ty, tell me what a parabolic sounds like. Do the lows disappear? Maybe the best thing is to put some mics right up close the track and run some cable back to the preamp and recorder.
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not too much bottom, not to much top, squishy in the middle.
The pure physics are against you. Parabolics work, but it ain’t hifi..
Ty
Want better productio audio? Ty Ford’s “Audio Bootcamp Field Guide” was written for video people who want better audio. More at: https://home.comcast.net/~tyreeford/AudioBootcamp.html
or https://www.tyford.com -
Hi, my first post on this forum.
My opinion would be to spread Multiple MIC set-ups over 200M each (budget permitting) X2set ups If you can go for a MS set up – as well as experimenting with the Parabolic. One could easily blend the two to make the “oomph” needed.
My 2
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I am assuming that you would put each mic on a separate recording track and pick the best in post.
We would have to run a lot of wire as they don’t want you very near the track.
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I am assuming that you would put each mic on a separate recording track and pick the best in post.
We would have to run a lot of wire as they don’t want you very near the track.
If I’ve rambled below, I am sorry 🙂
There are many ways to approach what you want. I’ll keep it to a few of.
1:
Yes you would need a multi channel set up.
I don’t know your budget so I will try and explain a middle and a high road pricing.
HIGH:
DEVA 5.8 would be a good to choice. 10Channel mixer. Expensive to hire. http://www.zaxcom.com
– Or, the Sound Devices 744t 4Channel.
Not as expensive. http://www.sounddevices.comThere are other multi channel mixers like HHB’s 8Channel.
MID:
Two set ups.
2x MS Set up with an additional long, shot-gun MIC.
Sound Mixer like SQN series 5
Recorder – DAT – Flashcard? Do you want the recorder to out to Camera for sync also?If you follow this option, your cable runs will be greatly reduced from, EST, 200/550M each side to at least half that (I am judging the distances) Distance is an important factor here. If you have more specifics on it, you can post and I’ll see if I can help.
Maybe someone local to you can advise? You’d need two sound mixers.
For the main purpose of “Great” sound recordings, that you could use to enhance your project or license time and time again, it might be worth investing in a Sound Mixer, one whom is very used to recording with a technical set-up for such challenges.
All dependent on time and budget of course.
LOW:
Just one sound person using a mixer like an SQN (or other that has MS & MSM set-ups) 5Channel to stereo recorder – You can still get a great recording on 3CHannels + 2 extra for say a long shot gun or just the parabolic!
2:
Is to get a Sound designer to enhance your recordings (if you go basic with just one Stereo Mono or the Parabolic MIC, that is) Post can do a lot for sound, and it’s narratives if the job is given to the right person.
Hire MICS that can handle the frequencies.
Hell! See if you can devise a way to have an on-board MIC with recorder strapped into it! 🙂Hope this helps somewhat.
P:S
I would like to hear the results.
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