Doug Graham
Forum Replies Created
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Don’t worry about stereo…most mics are mono. Either record the same mono signal to both channels, or record to one channel and duplicate the track in post.
A good lavalier is the Sony ECM-144. I also knew one videographer who swore by Tram mics. However, even a little $15 lav from Radio Shack will work with the MD, and should give perfectly acceptable performance for voice capture.
Regards,
Doug Graham -
Editing systems are very much a personal choice; what works great for one may be a miserable chore for another.
Also, HDV editing is in its infancy and almost every editing system out there has quirks, workarounds, and headaches in dealing with it.
Finally, blu-ray burners aren’t out there yet…or at least, not in any great numbers and affordability, so don’t worry about that just yet. Shoot and edit HDV, burn and deliver on standard definition DVD.
Having said that, many people find Sony Vegas to be relatively simple, intuitive, and powerful. With a fast computer, it can handle HDV as well as any non-hardware-accelerated editing system. You can download a free trial version and see if you like it before purchase.
Regards,
Doug Graham -
I haven’t used that particular model, but the Azden UDR line in general is a pretty good value for the money. I have the UDR-500 and like it, though the RX is too large to mount on a small handheld cam.
The UDR-200 is a dual channel system, so you can receive signals from two microphone transmitters at once, and record one to the left channel and the other to the right channel.
What you give up is a diversity receiver. Instead of each RX antenna receiving the SAME signal, and the unit deciding which is the strongest and clearest, each antenna receives a DIFFERENT signal. This increases the chances somewhat of getting an RF dropout. However, the convenience of having two mics in use at the same time may outweigh this.
As with any wireless, check the operating frequency range against other UHF users in your local area. Digital television stations, especially, are providing increased sources of UHF interference in metropolitan areas.
Regards,
Doug Graham -
I feel sort of the same way, Carlo. It takes a honkin’ big computer to edit HDV, even using an intermediate codec. Many manufacturers recommend a dual Xeon with a three or four drive RAID array (preferably SCSI, but SATA will do). An accelerator card might help, too, but then we’d have to edit with Premiere or FCP or Edius rather than Vegas.
There’s a plugin that might ease your pain, called Gearshift. It substitutes DV files for your video while you’re editing. When you’re done, “shift gears” to replace the DV files with HDV, and do your final render.
Regards,
Doug Graham -
The 267 is a fine field mixer.
However, I prefer to use additional recording devices instead (see my reply to the post just below this one.
Regards,
Doug Graham -
I respectfully disagree with Tom.
I don’t use a mixer at events…I’m too busy shooting to worry about setting audio levels in response to changing conditions. If you have a separate audio person to handle it, then live audio mixing becomes more practical.
I don’t have an audio guy, so instead, I capture audio from multiple sources and mix them in post, when I’ve got more time.
The iRiver iFP series will produce excellent sound, quite acceptable for wedding video. However, you must use an external microphone, such as the lavaliers made especially for them by Giant Squid. The built in mic is only good for verbal notes to yourself.
The problem with on-camera mics is that they are almost never close enough to the sound source to get good audio…hence the “echoey” quality you complain of. You have to get a mic right up to within 2 feet or so of whatever audio you want to record.
An iRiver, minidisc recorder, or a wireless mic, with a lavalier mic element, can be placed on the groom to capture the vows. Sometimes, you can also get the officiant to wear a mic. A backup mic can often be hidden in a flower arrangement near the altar. You can place mics at the pulpit, the reader’s lectern, and in the choir loft.
If you shoot with two cameras, you have four audio tracks to route your mic inputs to. If you use a Canon XL-1 or -2, you have up to eight. All of these tracks are, of course, automatically synced to the video, saving you time in post. Audio recorded by MP3 recorders or minidisc has to be separately captured and synced.
Sometimes you can get a good audio feed from the church’s sound board. I prefer to use my own mics, because you never know whether the church sound person knows what they’re doing (and some don’t want you tapping into their gear). Still, I always carry a box of audio adapters. I can plug into XLR, 1/4″ mono, 1/4″ stereo, or 1.8″ mini jacks, and adapt them to my wireless or camcorder inputs. I can also insert an audio “pad” or attenuator, to reduce a line level output from a mixing board to a mic level signal for the camera. All of this stuff will cost you about $50 at Radio Shack.
No matter what method you use, if the church sound system has problems like feedback squealing, rest assured that you will be blamed for it. 🙂
Regards,
Doug Graham -
The other workaround is to use an LCD monitor on the computer, instead of a CRT. They don’t scan, so you don’t get a strobe bar across the screen.
Regards,
Doug Graham -
Mike,
I’ve tried using a second monitor as a preview device…Dell 2405, hooked up via DVI to my dual-head graphics card. But the quality is pretty miserable, well below even SD video.
Any suggestions for improvement?
Regards,
Doug Graham -
Vegas will not ship HDV out via Firewire for live preview, as I understand it…although I’d be happy to be wrong.
Regards,
Doug Graham -
Since you know the photographer, I’d call him and explain what you want to do and ask his permission to use the images. If he asks, do include a credit on your reel.
It’s very nice of you to be concerned about this. Most people wouldn’t think twice about using stills supplied by the clients in a demo reel.
Regards,
Doug Graham