Should I sell my boom mics and by lavs instead?

[Ryan Elder]

Sorry I did not mean to come off as a troll. I was seriously, legitimately asking if I should sell my boom mics and booming equipment for lav mics, since lav mics can be operated without the use of a boom operator.

I thought that was a good, legitimate question to ask, and did not count as trolling. Is that not an okay question to ask, when it comes to audio production?

[Bill Davis]

[ryan elder] “I thought that was a good, legitimate question to ask, and did not count as trolling. Is that not an okay question to ask, when it comes to audio production?
“

Overall it is legitimate. Just remarkably shallow.

Think of mics are like spices, each one having it’s own “flavor profile.”

This one has low self noise but requires phantom power, this other one needs NO power, this third one needs batteries. This one is balanced. This one is unbalanced. This one has an omni pattern, this one a cardiod pattern, this one sports a hemispherical boundary pattern.

So in this analogy, you’re asking if you should sell off all your salt and only cook with sugar from now on.

Thing is, you’d NEVER ask a cook that. It’s a silly idea.

Each mic has a flavor. Most sound folk want to learn to be really good audio cooks. Which means they have an array of mics they choose from to solve the specific audio problems they need to solve.

There is no one “perfect” mic. Just various designs and adaptations designed to do specific jobs as well as physics allows.

Good recordists match the mic types they use to he job that needs to be done – like good cooks deploy spices to make their meals taste better.

That’s just how it works.

Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.

[Ryan Elder]

Yep for sure, I see what you mean. I just figured since I am on a microbudget, I cannot afford all types of mics, and have to be more choosy therefore. But I can see how there is no one size fits all sort of thing.

If I were to make this decision based on my experience, I like the sound of the boom mics better, compared to lavs and would ideally like to keep using the ones I have, as I felt I invested in ones that do a good job, if I can find a boom operator who can boom well.

[Ryan Elder]

So I will keep looking for a good boom operator, if that is the best solution.

[Ty Ford]

Where are you?

Regards,

Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford\’s Blog

[Ryan Elder]

Right now, I’m in Regina, Canada.

[Ty Ford]

Phew! that’s a long way from anywhere helpful.

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford\’s Blog

[Ryan Elder]

So you are saying it’s impossible to find a good boom operator where I live? I am willing to work with someone from another city and pay for accommodations for that person.

[Ty Ford]

Not impossible, but difficult even though it is a capital.

I googled regina canada and professional video.

Here’s the link: https://tinyurl.com/y85mol29

Reach out to the video community up there and make some new friends.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford\’s Blog

[Ryan Elder]

Okay thanks! Two of those places are rental services, but they do not have boom operators to rent. Just equipment rental only. The third place may rent out actual human operators, but if not, I can aim for bigger cities, and perhaps just fly someone in.

I know a few people in the filmmaking community from film school, and have contacts there, but unfortunately, no one wanted to be a boom operator specifically, so they are tough to find.

I can do it but as director, I prefer to be looking through the camera to make sure everything looks good. Do you think maybe I should just risk it, and be my own boom operator and director like I have a couple of times before?

I don’t like doing it cause then I cannot see through the camera so it not sure if things are in focus all the time and what not.

But maybe if I can find a good DP than I can be own boom operator if I have to be.