[Ty Ford]

Tom,

Yes, that’s a problem for you. I have no solutions for a recorder and mic for under $50.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello tom,

Your choices are wide; Battery-power is probably a good idea. There’s everything from a Sony mini-disc recorder like the Sony 200, that records 16-bit wav files to something like a Sound Devices 702 hard drive recorder. Roland makes a recorder and there are others.

You’ll want to make sure the device records at 48 kHz because that’s the sample rate most video editing system expect.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Tom and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

Please describe in detail any audio inputs of your camera.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Eoin and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

I have an XL2. The camera mic is a stereo mic. It hears more left and right than any shotgun, but in doing so, it doesn’t have the reach of a shotgun.

Sounds like the mic is working like a shotgun mic is supposed to work. Mostly directional at high frequencies, some lows and mids coming in the side. You are supposed to point it at what you want to hear and the field is relatively narrow so you don’t hear much else.

For a practical explanation, download the file Ty Ford Mic Tutorial.mp4

You’ll find it here. https://idisk.mac.com/tyreeford-Public/Video. Click on the download arrow on the right of the Ty Ford Mic Tutorial.mp4 file.

Some folks have found this helpful: https://home.comcast.net/~tyreeford/AudioBootcamp.html

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hi Jordan,

My experiences with this have not been that good. You still hear external noises, internal noises and the mic changes voice. Have you done this yourself?

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Happy Thanksgiving Gary and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

You have three challenges:

1a. Keeping outside noise out.
1b. Eliminating inside noise
2. Treating your space.

1a. Spend some time choosing the right space. Basements are usually better because they are below ground and shield you from external noise.

1b. Your computer makes noise. Find a place to put it that’s away from your mic. Get extender cables for the keyboard, mouse and screen.

2. Parallel surfaces are the enemy. Absorption and diffusion are your tools. The balance of both is critical. You need to stop sound from bouncing off walls , floors, ceilings by breaking it up or absorbing it. Too much foam can make a room overly dead and suck the life out of your voice.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Todd,

Noooo! You learn a LOT more from the mistakes. Trust me.

Regards,

Ty

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[Ty Ford]

PZM and boundary mics work, but you’re still very far away from the mics. and they’ll hear your feet first if you get close to them. The acoustics of the space, the action on the stage, where you might be also to mount directional mics, all of these come into play. No one on any forum can answer that question. There are too many variables.

They’ll be closer to the action than your XL2 mic. Chances are they’ll be better. Enjoy the learning experience. Rent some mics and let us know what works for you. DreamHire in NY is one of may rental facilities if you don’t have one locally.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Todd,

The professional theater way to do this is to have a wireless mic on each actor. Mics set at the stage or above are simply too far away to get a solid sound. These systems also usually require a person to mix the sounds (more typically, to mute or lower mics not being spoken into to keep the sound clean).

Sennheiser G series mics would be a minimum, with something like Countryman B6 mics at the hairline.

You’ll get something with “zone micing” but it will sound hollow and far away. It could be argued that “it’s close to the sound the audience is likely to hear.” Close to, yes, but the difference is that your XL2 will probably not be just locked down on a wide shot. As a result, when you zoom in, the roomy audio will not match well.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Philip,

A lot of audio pros have tinnitus. As we age, most of us have some hearing loss. I used to be able to hear ultrasonic traffic light changing sensors and security systems in stores. I still hear things that other people don’t. I’ll be mixing or mastering something and hear something. After pointing it out to the clients, they’ll will say, “How did you hear that?”

Only you can make the decision. In order to do hat you need to hear if you can tell a difference. There’s really no other way to conduct a practical test. If you can’t, then, no, it’s not worth it. If you can, then, yes.

Regards,

TY Ford

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