Jordan Wolf
Forum Replies Created
-
(Heard from a different audio forum):
“My understanding, from friends in the truck was the network down converting of the 5.1 from the truck to stereo. People listening in 5.1 didn’t have the same problems as those listening in stereo… The word from the truck is that they were told of the problem, but their outgoing feeds were fine. There were people trying to fix the problem throughout the broadcast.”
– Mac
Wolf
<>< -
Well, you’ll probably want to use Riser or Plenum rated wire to keep things somewhat safe. That wire looks like THHN wire, available also at various home retail stores; I’m not sure of it’s in-wall use without conduit.
I recommend Belden or Gepco install wire. Go for a multi pair that has a few extra pairs than you need. +1 if it’s also 110Ohm for digital audio. Maybe consider adding a run or two of Cat6/Cat7 cable.
See this thread on another forum for some good advice.
Wolf
<>< -
Well, you’ll probably want to use Riser or Plenum rated wire to keep things somewhat safe. That wire looks like THHN wire, available also at various home retail stores; I’m not sure of it’s in-wall use without conduit.
I recommend Belden or Gepco install wire. Go for a multi pair that has a few extra pairs than you need. +1 if it’s also for digital audio (keep the preamp close the mic, right?). Maybe consider adding a run or two of Cat6/Cat7 cable for futureproofness.
Wolf
<>< -
It is very possible, even likely, that the microphones themselves were being overdriven. At what stage – that’s the answer I think you’re seeking. Most manufacturers are aware that their microphones can only handle a certain amount of SPL before audible distortion occurs. Using the built-in pad or a less-sensitive element is the only way around this issue other than moving the mic further away from the source.
Wolf
<>< -
“…as we are doing everything live and kind of on the fly, I’m lucky to even 60 seconds between guests to take care of them…[u]nfortunately, laving every guest is not an option as I’m not afforded the time to do so since the turn around time between each guest usualy non existent, and it’s common to pull in guests that just happen to walk by the set.”
Kien, I speak from personal experience when I say that 60 seconds is plenty of time to stick a lav on someone. I understand the sporadic and random nature of these interviews, but you know what to expect, so just go with it. You don’t need “perfect placement”, or even a hidden wire (although that’s always nice) – you want to get the audio and move on.
“Even laving the hosts is a chore as they often switch out the interviewer at a moments notice, tag team style.”
Could you give us an equipment list and an idea of the signal chain?
“Further complicating things is the fact that at these events, we’re often placed in the vendor/exhibitor area where the background noise can be a huge problem if the guest is soft spoken or off axis. While I can ride the gains well enough, it’s gets quite crazy when I have to ride 4 mic channels at once while switching on the Tricaster.”
Close-miking is the only way to go. The loudest sound at the mic wins…the mic doesn’t care. It sounds like you are expected to do too much. You’re being set up to fail, whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Things need to change, or everything is going to be substandard and guess who’s going to get the blame???
Wolf
<>< -
Michael,
Why don”t you make some test recordings using the same settings for each space (mic placement, gain settings, etc.) and see what your ears think?
Just listening through a microphone compared to your ears can be a revelation in whether or not a space is more- or less-suited to recording.
Especially with spoken word, you need a very low noise floor. Any HVAC noise, EMI (think fluorescent lights) and vibrations that can get into the recording will degrade this noise floor. Ideally, you’d want at least 20dB between the lowest SPL of the room and the lowest SPL of the voice speaking.
As far as treatment goes, diffusion is your friend. I don’t think low frequency build-up will be a big issue, but the early reflections from the walls may be. I recommend a dual-layer approach: one set of packing blankets with air space in-between another set – say a 4″-6″ gap. That should dampen the reflections in the mid frequencies and high frequencies a good bit. Don’t forget about the ceiling, too!
Wolf
<>< -
All of the wireless microphone manufacturers I can think of have some sort of frequency finder tool on their websites to assist users in finding what will work for a given area of [wherever they’re at].
I suggest you search for them, add the appropriate info, and see what comes up.
Wolf
<>< -
Folders and subfolders…that’s the best advice I can give you. You can also create a document of some sort and use hyperlinks to various folders/files for quick access.
Wolf
<>< -
I would try to incorporate working microphones into the band’s stage setup – maybe from shotguns and.or boundary mics on the stage lip or edge of the playing area. Use your on-board mic (if there is one) to capture the ambient sound as you get closer with the shot.
Wolf
<>< -
Good use of pre-delay on the ‘verb…so many people don’t get how to set it and it makes all the difference in preserving the clarity of .
Wolf
<><