Rodney Morris
Forum Replies Created
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To answer your two questions:
1.) How do you recommend I monitor the levels with headphones when testing it while simultaneously speaking into the earset mic? How do other single person crew/talents handle this?
Most decent production headphones use a coiled cable that allows the user some space to move about. Walk over to the camera to visually check the levels. When you are happy with your adjustments, walk over to your spot with the headphones on and listen. You may have a strange echo or background noise or something that you couldn’t hear from other locations. This happened to me just last week. We were working in a small room and when I got the microphone in position I could hear some buzzing from the lights. My mic was in the “sweet” spot for the buzz. I could not hear that buzz from either the camera’s position or my mix position.
2.) As soon as the audio levels are set and I am happy with them, is there any reason to need to check or change these levels again for future shoots assuming the camera will always be in the same location and I will as well?
In theory, you wouldn’t need to check levels, given that NOTHING changes (ie. you are in a controlled environment and no one elses touches the camera). But in practice, this is NOT a good idea because things change. ALWAYS check levels everytime you shoot and make adjustments, if necessary. It’s not that hard to check levels. The only reason not to is laziness and that will bite at some point, and at the worst possible time.
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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Get one with a right-angle female XLR connector. You can rest the boom pole on the ground or your foot while connected this way.
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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Don’t know of any portable field mixers that are post fade direct out. If my memory serves me correctly, some of the Allen & Heath consoles can be modified to change the DO to post by the use of some internal jumpers. I suppose any mixer could be modified to accomplish this.
Maybe you should just buy 2 MixPre’s and run both of them stereo. L/R from 2 mixers equals 4 discreet channels with trim adjustment.
Rodney
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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Assuming your mixer tape output is mono, then you need a mono male 1/8″ to male XLR cable to go from your mixer to your Trew audio adapter Y cable. Insert the line to mic pad adapter between the aforementioned cables/adapters. This will work.
Rodney
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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In my earlier post, I stated that our church was using Micron systems. In fact though, our church has MiPro systems NOT Micron. MiPro is crap, IMO. Micron, however, I have no opinion of – I’ve never used them. My apologies to Micron and to you guys…
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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Re: Brian’s choice #3 – Micron
Our church has used a dual-channel Micron system for the last couple of years. It has not been very reliable – in fact the handheld is useless and now the bodypack seems to be tanking. I can’t recommend Micron systems at all.
I use Lectrosonics for my field work.
Others use Sennheiser / Audio Technica / Sony… In my opinion the rest are on a lower plateau than the Lectro. That doesn’t mean you can’t get good sound with these systems. I used several of the Sony models in the late 90’s for a couple of years. Good but not great. The Lectros are more robust and sound better when properly set.
Is this for location work or an installed setting?
Rodney
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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Forgot to mention that the Sennheiser EW100ENGG2 system also comes with a plug-on transmitter (in addition to the belt pack transmitter) to plug into handheld mics and also shotgun mics (wireless shotgun mic, very handy).
You can get the Sennheiser EW112P-G2, which is the same but without the plug-on transmitter, for only $550.
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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Boy, was I WAY off…
The Sennheiser EW100ENGG2 system is what I’d recommend. $700 gets you a transmitter, a receiver that can mount to a hot shoe, an omni lapel mic and output cables. Plus it has a frequency scanner built into the receiver. I had my hands on one last week and they have a pretty good build quality. Both the transmitter and receiver operate on AA batteries.
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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Welcome Craig,
What exactly is the application for this system? This sounds like a small meeting/conference room with low level sound reinforcement. If I am correct, then let me offer a suggestion or two.
You are going to have to spend some money to get a very good sounding wireless system. There’s just no way around it. Oversimplified, the more money you can spend on the wireless, the better it’s going to sound. If sound quality is a priority over mobility, then you may want to consider just purchasing another hard wired lavalier microphone and an XLR cable to run it to the wall. It won’t be as mobile, but the price will be in your budget and the sound will be MUCH better than it would be in a low to maybe mid-level wireless system . And you don’t have the hassles of wireless interference.
IF the mobility of the mic is more important than quality AND you can use a rack mounted receiver, then there are plenty of options available from Sennheiser, Shure, Audio Technica, etc. in the $500 – $1000 range that will work just fine for you. Remember, in a wireless system you are paying for all the technology that goes into making it mobile not necessarily making it sound good, especially in lower price point systems (sub $500).
I hope this helps you somewhat. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions around here, even if it seems naive. None of us were born knowing all this stuff – we had to learn it too.
Rodney
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer
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You said any input would be appreciated, right?
What you proposed is correct. You would essentially be recording a figure 8 pattern on one channel and a super-cardioid pattern on the other. They could then be matrixed together later.
How are you feeding the 702 from the mixer? Via the main outputs or via the direct outs? Direct out may null the M/S matrix of the mixer anyway. Also, what are the real advantages of keeping the inputs separated at the mixer/recorder other than more flexibility in post. It could also be construed as more work in post. I guess it really depends on what the editor/mixer wants. If it’s going straight to an editor with no audio post involved, they may not be able to matrix the two signals.
All this is academic for me as I’ve never used a M/S setup, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.
Good luck!
Freelance Sound Technician/Mixer