[Danny Grizzle]

I keep responding to Stan’s posts, then read down the page to learn a bit more about his project.

I must be missing something in all this discussion of sound blankets and shooting video. Are we talking about shooting video, or using a video recorder to record audio-only for a podcast?

Putting sound blankets off camera on walls and ceilings makes sense, though at some point you may need to get a permit from the fire marshall. Beware when you fire up the hot lights!

If you are shooting video, the lavalier makes sense. Besides mic placement, you don’t have to worry about boom shadows and such. This is especially true if Stan is doing this as a one man band, as producer, talent, gaffer, shooter, and sound guy.

On the other hand, if this is a podcast, or the style can accommodate a “live from the apartment studio” look like the Howard Stern show, then I’m back on Rode broadcast mics. I’d prefer good mic technique and modest sound treatment over the hassle of rigging suspended sound blankets.

Danny Grizzle

[Danny Grizzle]

Stan,

I just responded to your post about cardiod lavs. But if podcasting from your apartment is your application, why bother with the hassle of a lavalier?

If you are the talent, consider mic technique, not just mic selection. There are a lot of high quality mics on the market that are suitable for podcasting. Note: I think you should avoid most of the podcasting-in-a-box solutions. It is not too hard to assemble your own audio interface, mic, and DAW software.

If you are on a Mac, many podcasts are done with GarageBand, included with OS X.

There are tons of quality firewire interfaces on the market.

For a mic, you could start with a Shure SM57 or SM58 at under a hundred bucks. Even if you move on, almost everyone keeps a few of these workhorse Shure mics in their kit.

If you are building a dedicated podcasting studio, take a look at the Rode line. A lot of bang for the buck. I don’t own, but would consider, their Broadcaster model, along with the PSA1 boom arm.

https://www.rodemic.com/microphone.php?product=Broadcaster

https://www.rodemic.com/accessory.php?product=PSA1

Another alternative might be the Rode Podcaster, a USB mic:

https://www.rodemic.com/microphone.php?product=Podcaster

I’m not crazy about the concept of USB mics, but for a dedicated application such as a podcast, and simplicity in an apartment recording studio, this one might be worth considering.

If podcasting is your application, I would not think lavalier is your best choice. You would never see a lavalier used much in a radio station, for instance. You will see them in on air TV, but usually only in cable access work or local TV news, situations where usually nobody pays much attention to sound.

Danny Grizzle

[Danny Grizzle]

I only buy omni lavaliers. You get some degree of directionality from lav placement, usually a person’s body. Close placement is the only reason lav mics exist. An omni mic worked close always beats a shotgun worked too far away. In other words, hyper cardiods exist only for situations where close mic placement is not possible.

The physics of sound dictate that every time you double the distance from sound source to mic, the level is not half as much, but one fourth. Conversely, if you can halve the distance between mic and source, you quadruple the signal.

This is the exact reason why mics used in high ambient noise environments such as aviation use boom mics to place the mic directly in front of the mouth. Up close, small distances dramatically change the ratio of wanted vs. unwanted sound.

All this means, that at close distances such as lavalier mic placement, directionality becomes much less important, because you are by definition working with a much higher signal-to-noise ratio from the get-go.

Whenever circumstances permit, omni mics almost always sound better than directional mics. Since most production audio takes place in the real world, usually not on sound stages and the studio, cardiod mics tend to be the workhorse in most sound guy’s kit. But don’t take this to mean they are the best mic in all situations and applications. Lavaliers are the exception, where an omni pattern is almost always better than cardiod.

Some manufacturers make directional lavaliers, and there may be special applications where they are useful. But a quality omni lav is certainly your first choice. I’ve never tried a directional lavalier, but I have read that they are problematic for use with body packs and talent. They are small, hard to keep positioned correctly, and vulnerable to wide swings in sound quality as talent moves, turns their head, etc.

BTW – You’ve seen the TV commercials with Vince selling ShamWow towels. His boom mic is totally unnecessary, a practical prop. It does create the trade show floor ambiance of a barker working his demo. Boom mics can be useful in sound reinforcement applications and concerts, where high volume levels would otherwise lead to feedback amplification.

[Danny Grizzle]

I use Sennheiser, and I have not checked their website recently. But it seems to me this problem has to be addressed now, not later. If nothing else, a white paper with a clear assessment of the situation, and a product roadmap. At some point (like now!), people are going to stop buying wireless mics if there is confusion in the market about frequencies becoming illegal in the near future.

Right now, I’m using cheap Evolution series body packs and receivers, but I added high quality lavaliers to replace the low end mics that come bundled in the kits. I’m ready to upgrade the wireless electronics whenever the situation clarifies, so long as I don’t have to throw away my lavalier mics.

[Danny Grizzle]

I bought Nuendo for Macintosh, and I really like it. I’ve also got Steinberg’s now discontinued control surface, “Houston.”

The Houston is a huge piece of equipment, but great build quality, made by Harmon-Kardon in England. The wonderful thing is Steinberg continues to support it — Mac USB drivers were issued recently. (There are two interfaces: USB and MIDI — Mac users were previously limited to MIDI only).

I had just received shipment of my Nuendo 4 upgrade only a week earlier when my laptop was stolen in Houston last Thanksgiving. Inside the laptop bag, I lost hardware dongles to Waves Diamond Native, Nuendo, Antares Auto-Tune, BIAS Master Perfection Suite, Electric Image Animation Studio, and Steinberg HALion.

Waves has already made it perfectly clear to me that any owner who loses the hardware dongle is SOL. I got that direct from tech support, and again from my dealer Sweetwater on appeal to Waves home office in Israel.

So I purchased a T.C. Electronic PowerCore X8 for $1,500 instead of Waves replacement cost of $1,800.

Steinberg USA tech told me the official word from the home office in Germany is tough luck, but they would try to help me. I am so defeated by the Waves ordeal, I have not pursued a final ruling from Steinberg.

Frankly, Apple selling Logic Studio Pro for $500 makes Nuendo a tough buy at $2,000. So unless Steinberg makes me a real deal, I am a former Nuendo owner.

FWIW – Electric Image replaced the hardware dongle for $50. BIAS is discontinuing hardware keys because they are too much trouble — lost, stolen, etc. So BIAS will convert my license to the new scheme at no charge.

This ordeal has been almost too much trouble — nearly put me out of business, ugh.

I don’t want to bail on Nuendo, but if I have to, I may have a like-new Houston Controller for sale soon.

[Danny Grizzle]

Hey, nobody faults a 416 for field work!

[Danny Grizzle]

Sanken is definitely on the A-list of production audio, alongside Sennheiser and Schoeps.

Ty Ford says the CS-1 has more self noise than a Sennheiser MKH-416. This distinction is probably not critical for an on camera mic. Not just because of camera preamps and audio circuitry, but also because rigs like this are used outdoors a lot.

I’ve bought most of my sound package from dealers in Hollywood, and Sanken’s reputation there is golden.

[Danny Grizzle]

Rycote has a layering system.

I think your term “mini” is what Rycote calls a “softie.” That is the first step above the lousy foam windscreens that comes with most mics. A softie is good for modest wind gusts, but certainly not heavy duty. However, a softie is about all you can to on a camera mounted mic.

The industrial strength wind solution is the rigid zeppelin enclosure. This is where layering comes into play:

1) Level 1 – Zeppelin housing
2) Level 2 – add felt sock to exterior of zeppelin
3) Level 3 – add “dead cat” fur cover over top of felt sock

There is a bit of trade off in high frequencies the more layers you add.

If that won’t do it, I don’t know what will.

If you are dealing with straight line winds, and you might be on top of a mountain, you may be able to position your body to serve as a wind break. Hey, every little bit helps.

All this should be detailed on the Rycote website. They have a configurator with specific recommendations on the CS-1.

BTW – Ty Ford has a review of the CS-1. Click his moderator headshot on this BBS for a link. I couldn’t get through on his tyford.com URL, but his .Mac link will work.

The Sanken CS-1 is not a conventional interference tube short shotgun mic. It is an “active” design with a phased array of 4 separate square diaphragms, arranged down the entire length of the tube. This delivers very high performance, and excellent directional pickup, in a very small mic.

[Danny Grizzle]

Volcanic eruptions… well, mic placement won’t matter in terms of 5 or 10 feet this way or that.

Some things are too big for the little screen. Or even for the big screen.

I understand you’ve got at least one continuous eruption going for years in Hawaii, so no worries on the talent missing marks or cues.

When stories get too big, we often have to focus on small details. Steam vents, burning vegetation, lava flows, etc. So close mic techniques can apply.

Good luck!

[Danny Grizzle]

The audio professional side of the board is going to be a hard audience for any recommendation for an on camera mic. The assumption being if audio is worth doing, it is worth doing right. Any assumption that camera position and mic placement are one and the same is almost always wrong.

That said, I’m going to put a Sanken CS-1 on my EX1. The Rycote website details wind suppression gear available for it. About $800, not including Rycote wind treatment.

You might also consider the Sanken CMS-10. This is a mid-side (stereo) mic that comes supplied with a softie type wind muff. About $2,100.

I’ve never used either of the Sanken mics. My main shotgun has for years been a Sennheiser MKH-60 paired with a MKH-30 Figure-8 for mid-side work. Rycote makes a huge windshield kit holding both mics, but this rig is more than most people want to deal with in size, weight, and money. I’ll keep it though, but paired with a dedicated recorder for double system sound.

That’s not a bad idea for your situation. You will do more good for yourself to forget any search for a miracle mic and instead prioritize audio over video and spend time acquiring optimal audio, even if it is wild. Spending $2K on a mic won’t overcome poor mic technique.

To keep it simple, I would go with one of the Sanken mics, but do yourself a favor and get it off the camera. A cheap Rode boom, or an even cheaper hand grip… anything will beat an on camera mic.

If you want to go a step beyond, consider a Sound Devices MixPre ($675) or even a single channel MM-1 ($350). You will need to test and calibrate output to the EX1, if that’s to be your audio recorder. I don’t have my EX1 yet, so I don’t know the details. But there have been issues with audio on small Sony cameras, so you will want to test in advance, and not make a bunch of assumptions about levels which may not prove true in the thick of production.

It is always best to monitor return audio from the recorder, to insure quality recordings. The MixPre has provision to monitor return audio. You will need a special snake cable. I got mine at Markertek. I don’t think the MM-1 does return audio. If you monitor at the MM-1 headphone out, you will not have confirmation that the signal made it successfully to the camera or recorder. If you monitor at the camera, your audio guy will be limited in mic placement by the length of the headphone cable.

I’m not the coolest guy reading the audio threads. Absolute sound, and nuances of ultimate critical listening, for me, start sounding like dietary theories and regimens for weight loss. I’m not being dismissive — in fact, I admire people who are more dedicated than me, because that’s what I would expect of a specialized professional. I’m speaking as a one-man-band shooter with a real concern for audio. I believe in buying a high quality mic like a Sanken or a Sennheiser, and not being lazy or neglectful about sound on location. Any quality mic used with attention, skill, and diligence can yield great results.

Yes, I’m going to put a Sanken CS-1 on my EX1, but only as a contingency. I’ll keep a length of mic cable in the bag, and a mic hand grip too. Not the best primary audio strategy, but a really good backup.

There is a famous George Patton quote, something to the effect, “A good plan violently executed today always beats a perfect plan sometime tomorrow.”

That’s my position on this. I can’t buy every mic on the market, so no point going into analysis paralysis on infinitesimal nuances. A really good mic like the Sanken CS-1 seems perfectly capable of tremendous results.