Jordan Wolf
Forum Replies Created
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I’ve seen ’em, but never heard ’em (that I know of). I’ll have to check one out sometime. I have never used the Symetrix 528 either, but I really like how its features can be used independently or together on different and the same source(s). THAT flexibility almost tempts me to buy one…
But first, finding a job for after college and then paying off my loans. 🙂
Wolf
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Just today I was on a film shoot where I could’ve used a wireless connection (oxymoron?) for a shotgun. I bring everything to a Shure FP24 field mixer – not the best, and I wish there were more channels, but it’s what the department has for us to use. In the end, I didn’t end up going wireless because I could deal with being on the ground in the dirt. Wireless versatility is nice, but I gotta tell ya…I’d go with a wired option anytime over the wireless one.
I did go wireless in a large, open train station last semester. Because of the extremely wide shots, I couldn’t have any wires trailing, so I stuck the ENG transmitter block on the shotgun, gave my headphones to a trusted member of the crew and situated the mic as I normally would, picturing in my head how it should sound. Apparently it turned out pretty good; there wasn’t any dialogue, but the extremely reverberant room made it quite fun to get clean sound. I kid you not, there was a decay time of 8 seconds. I had to remind the actors to wait 8 seconds until after “action” because I didn’t want it in the mix.
Anyways…all that to say that wireless is great, and sometimes necessary, but for now I think you should focus on building up to it. Work on the technique of capturing audio right, then move on to other ways of getting audio from one place to the next.
And as always, never, EVER stop experimenting.
Wolf
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I can give you a couple of pointers.
1. Most lavalier mics require a bias voltage to charge the diaphragm. It’s not much, usually (like 6VDC). You would need an XLR-1/8″ cable that has been made with resistors/capacitors so that the DC voltage can’t pass into the mic and cause hum. See here for what we use.
2. Does your shotgun mic have the ability to be battery-powered? If not, then you need another solution.
I have successfully used Sennheiser transmitters (the type you see on ENG mics in the field) to do what you are talking about.
Good luck and I hope that helps.
Wolf
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I’ve heard a LOT of negative reviews about that box, but I can’t say I’ve heard one myself, so I’ll leave the opinion-forming until a later date.
I still say the RNC’s are the best way to go if you’re looking for a compressor. Browse Ebay for a Symetrix 501. They shouldn’t be that much, and they have both an RMS limiter AND a peak limiter. Or, if you want to add to your collection of recording gear, a used Symetrix 528E would do you well. That would take care of a lot of the signal chain if you don’t have an in-the-box solution.
Wolf
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Cool, I’ll have to read the review when it comes out.
Glad to hear you liked them :-).
Wolf
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+1 for the RNC. I have 2 in my travel rack. Great little pieces of gear.
Wolf
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+1!
Wolf
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If you have a boundary microphone, you could place it on the sounding board. The harps that I have come into contact with have all had built-in piezo crystal strips that I could take a feed from and blend the two signals to taste.
Maybe you could encourage her to look into getting them installed?
Other than that, I would go with 2 mics – one large diaphragm condenser (A/T 4050 or AKG Perception series. maybe) to pick up the full-bodiedness of the harp and a small diaphragm condenser (Shure SM81-type) to get the finger-plucking and “intimacy” of the instrument. Use Ty’s technique to find the best placements and listen to them together to make sure they blend well. If you need to move the mics, always move them ONE AT A TIME and in VERY SMALL INCREMENTS.
Take your time, experiment, and have a blast! 🙂
Wolf
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Bryan,
I would greatly recommend you buy the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook (Second Edition, or whichever is the newest). It covers much of the basics of audio. A lot of answers to “why does this do that” can be found there.
I come here for audio-for-video type answers/insight and it has been a great help in that area. But I would recommend joining a forum that deals primarily with live sound/sound reinforcement. The ProSoundWeb Sound Reinforcement forum(s) are a great choice; many industry professionals frequent the site. You would want to post in the “LAB Lounge” so you can work on your chops.
Feel free to contact me via my e-mail in my profile. (If it’s not there, let me know).
Best of luck and keep on experimenting!
Wolf
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The most-straightforward way I know to go about it is to login as Administrator (maybe SuperUser, as well…I forget) and change the permissions for each user.
Take a look here for help on the subject.
Wolf
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