Sam Mallery
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Raine,
You’ve asked a few big questions. Starting at the beginning, I would not suggest the Zoom H4n. There is a better option. The Tascam DR-100 is a better option because it allows you to control the gain of each of its two inputs independently.
Is using a separate digital audio recorder good enough? Usually it’s not enough. You’re going to need additional microphones to plug into the recorder. What kind of mics (and microphone accessories) you need depends on what kind of stuff you’re shooting.
Are the juicedLink CX series XLR adpaters good? Yes. But again, you’ll need external microphones and accessories.
Shooting with an external recorder and shooting with an XLR adapter are two pretty different workflows.
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This is the adapter you would need to use your Sennheiser lav mic as a wired mic:
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Can you help me get a feel for the importance of audio data?
>> Maybe
I have no idea what audio resolution can do for you and how little is too little.
>> Don’t over-think it. If you’re recording sound for use in video, set the recorder at 48kHz 24-bit. That’s it.
What can you do with high audio resolution?
>> There isn’t really more or less you can do with a higher resolution recording. I can’t give you a scientific reason for this, but apparently you have more headroom when you record at 24-bit as opposed to 16-bit. That means that your audio levels will have a little bit more of a safety buffer to avoid clipping (distorting) during peaks (loud parts).
>> I believe that 48kHz 24-bit is a format that’s been used in digital video for a really long time. That’s why it’s better to use this setting. The world of digital video is geared for it.
Is the Zoom H1 really capable of capturing all that resolution just because they included the settings for it?
Yes.
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It depends on the kind of work you’re doing. If I’m recording anything of value, 320 MP3 is underkill.
When I record sound for video I use 24-bit 48kHz. Same with music. The only time I would use MP3 is if I were recording a long meeting that wasn’t going to be used for any kind of project – just as a reference of what was said during the meeting.
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You need a boompole on that list.
Wireless lavs are essential and unfortunately they’re expensive too.
As far as breakaway cables are concerned, don’t try to save a buck there (or anywhere in the kit, really). Get the Remote Audio brand. Their 20 foot cable is $240. You need it.
You could get away with the Mixpre as your mixer at first. The trouble is that two channels is very limited. I have a very basic kit with two wireless lavs and a boom and a 302, and I feel limited by having only 3 three channels just about every time I work.
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Any mic that’s mounted on the camera is going to sound far away.
Did you try turning up the gain on the camera? With the proper settings the NTG2 should sound the built-in mic.
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I don’t know how to set this up in Final Cut Pro.
If I was doing an installation like this, I would use Ableton Live and an audio interface with 8 individual analog outputs (like the M-Audio ProFire 610).
The reason I would use Ableton Live is that it was designed to be used in a live setting (like an art installation), and it makes it relatively easy to route the audio of each individual track to a separate audio output on a audio interface (which is what you are going to need to do). With Ableton Live, you can set this all up and loop it, so it will just keep playing over and over again until you make it stop.
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You can use something like an Zoom H4n to record the sound of your shoots, but it’s going to require a lot of your attention on set, and extra work in post production. Plus you will be limited to only being able to record the audio of one person at a time, which you will likely find to be an unforgiving limitation.
You are going to need to buy a lavalier microphone to plug into the Zoom H4n. You can get a Countryman EMW lav mic with an XLR connection for $165. On the cheap side of things you can get a Sony ECM-CS10 lav with a mini-plug connector for $31.
On set you need to hide the lav mic on the actor. Connect it to the H4n. Start recording on the H4n, then hide the recorder itself somewhere on the actor’s body. Use a clapper slate at the beginning (and maybe at the end) of every take.
In post you’re going to need to sync the audio and the video files either manually, or if you’re using Final Cut Pro you can buy the Plural Eyes plug-in to sync it for you.
If you’re shooting in a noisy supermarket, expect to hear a noisy supermarket in the audio. If the lav is placed well on your talent, you will hear the actor primarily. But if you’re making the decision to shoot in noisy locations, expect noisy audio.
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Try using the vampire clip to attach the mic to someone wearing a polo/collared shirt. You can fasten the vampire into the side of the collar near the opening of the shirt. Sometimes it’s a good spot to put the mic, especially if you can’t see it.
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There’s no way to know what wireless frequencies will be open to us in the future. As it stands right now, the future is up in the air, and anyone who tells you what frequencies are safe is just making guesses.
As far as gear goes, I agree with Rodney. Sound Devices 552 is the best way to go, mixer wise. If you can’t afford Lectrosonics wireless, you can get away with Sennheiser G3’s. Sanken COS-11 lavs and a Sanken CS3e shotgun.
You can’t get into location audio inexpensively. The minimum investment for a basic kit will cost you over $10k.