[Peter Groom]

Hi Ty
Youre ever so right about remembering and storing sounds.

Ive been a dubbing mixer for well over 20 years now. I find I notice the fine detail of how environments sound all the time so i can recall it and re create it in the studio. Nightclubs, backstage at concerts, train stations, in the car – everywhere. Its a pain in the.
And i find when someone achieves a really good vocal sound, i really notice it, and muse over exactly what it was that i liked about it for future ref.
When listening to music, i dont hear a track. i find myself focussed on the echo or the verb on a cymbal wash, and then the songs over and i missed it.
At the cinema, i miss key parts of storyline because i was distracted by the verby atmos moving behind me and wondering what it is pre empting,.

BUT there was a time in my career when i was so pre occupied with the equipment, and the meters, that Id no brain power available to listen to the audio, and so would miss things.
Fun to learn though
peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

If you really must use stereo mics for dialogue recording, then that presumes congratulations are in order, being owner of the worlds first stereo mouth – but seriously
if youre using the zoom mics.
1) get a good pop shield. (I prefer the steadman, but other brands exist)
2) back off the mics. They dont like too much front end
3) Record favouring 1 of the mics, and listen on headphones.
4) When you take it into your edit system, drop the non favoured leg of the stereo pair, and pan the remaining leg centre.
Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

HI
Surely if youre teaching the students, its better that they learn the best practice by example. Is this not “do as I say not as i do”.
They probably go off into the commercial world thinking its not really important to use sep drives for data and media, as “we never did at school / college / Uni.???
Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

Have you tried re recording the audio at the correct level?
Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

Interesting.
I (although am not an FCP expert) dont think this platform will do it for you at all. You need something with a lot more in out flexibility that FCP was ever intended to supply.
Doing your initial assembly / edit is ok in FCP, but using it as the pb device is i think a non starter.

I think you will need to export your FCP timeline. Id suggest creating a series of wav or aiff files that each have the same in and out points. Enable only single channels and then export the files, so you end up with as many files as you have required speakers.

Then the trick bit. Theyll need importing into something that can playback multi track audio (say like pro tools) but that can ALSO provide the connectivity to allow bussing of eack track suitably to different hardware outputs. Dont even think pro tools can do that.
You might need to look at some sort of dedicated multitrack tape machine or multiples of. Maybe ADATS or an old tascam deck or something. others might have suggestions.
Ultimately I think you need sep track outputs and multiple amps too.

You might be better taking the lo tech route. Burn the 14 track files in pairs to 7 cds. Buy 7 inexpensive cd machines with a repeat / loop function. Synchronise the 7 decks with 4 people hitting play together. Theyll stay synchronised pretty well as theyre all mains fed and quartz locked.

Good luck
Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

Well that put a new twist on it. In that case id be strongly advising that you contact your nearest AVID digidesign dealer for some specialist advice on the topic.
ie
1) With such a big installation is Le really the product to go for. Id think there would be a real carrott to dangle there and possibly get a better version of PT to run. Thats a LOT of people youre locking in / exposing / educating on their platform and theyll want to do it as best as possible.

2) Would some sort of gigabit lan with shared drive space at a central location not be more feasible. NONE of our edit suites have storage (or even a mac) in the room. its all across network infrastructure. The specialists should be able to advise non this too.
advantages. 1 central secure area. Massive storage amounts. high speed. fewer individual stations to maintain etc
Disadvantage. Higher initial outlay for some extra hardware.

id get specialist advice. Dont freestyle a big decision like this.

Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

Pro Tools will “work” in thwe way you describe, but it flies against the advice of Digidesign (AVID this week) AND most experienced users.
Running the OS and programme from the Mac HD is fine, but any audio and video should be on different drives. Its a risky business to try otherwise and you may pay a heavy price one day if you lost a lot of work. There is little reason to try these days with drives being ever smaller (size0 bigger (capacity) and cheaper by the minute.

Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

Hi Ty
Id add to that. If youre recording a single source (say 1 mic non stereo) then you should only ever attempt to use 1 leg or track of the recording (even if you can persuade the recorder to bridge the single input to the 2nd track) in the timeline and mix. better take 1 mono track and pan it centre, and increase the gain by =3db. This lessens the editing, as you only have 1 track, and eliminates the possibility of 1 leg slipping, creating potential phase issues in the mix, especially if monod by the listener.
Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

Was the radio mic going in on a jack or xlr?
Peter

Peter

[Peter Groom]

Do let us know how you come on Ty.
A wedding recording with audio issues – joy!
Peter

Peter