[Ty Ford]

Elijah,

Thanks so much for your Cow Contribution. Yes, Nextel phones are extremely disruptive, even getting into hard wired mics.

Now that you have become familiar with the sound, you’ll know it when you hear it.

There are other cell phones that I’ve found knock wireless reception almost completely out.

I’ve been on two shoots where the wireless was fine until the talent showed up. Hang a wireless on them and the range goes from 50 feet to completely unworkable. These phones need to be completely turned off. “Black Screen” as it was described to me, meaning no power whatsoever. I prefer holding the phone for them in case they decide to check for calls during the shoot and fail to power the phone down completely.

Thanks again for sharing your experience with everyone.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Given my budget, I won’t be able to mix with the monitors you recommend. The speakers I do eventually get, will be equilaterally positioned at ear height – which is something I hadn’t considered before this.

Out of curiosity – where is your microphone placed in your acoustic guitar video? It’s a great song.

I look forward to your input on future queries,

Hi again Chris,

The big boys also usually have the monitors mounted in the room, freestanding, not close to any walls. This keeps the speakers from interacting with the walls, which can change their sound.

When I set up my systems, I looked and listened and noticed the placement. As a result, my back is to the wall (well 4-6 feet behind me) and the speakers are on tables as I look past my desk on one set up and on the other they are on the top shelf of the desk so they are at ear height. Toed in just a bit. If you don’t toe them in so they point at your ears, you might be out of the HF dispersion angle and mix in too many highs.

I know the price is off-putting. I had the same reaction when I first shopped for a tripod and head for my Canon XL2. HOW MUCH!? You must not of heard me correctly, I only want the tripod and head, not the camera!! 🙂

As you already know, good tools do make a difference.

The mic on the Martin is a Schoeps (HOW MUCH!!!) …($2k each, now that the dollar is down.)

It’s sitting on the couch arm. You can see the tip of the grey pop filter down toward the sound hole.

Thanks,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Elijah,

It cold be locational or positional; something to do with the actual location. Maybe something in the area is generating the noise.

Best,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Elijah and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

You seem to have caught an intermittent problem. How fun!?

Something to do with the mic and the camera.

Did the clicks get recorded? Can you post a bit of the audio some where?

Can you go back to the same place and replicate the problem?

I doubt putting the cmaera on a computer is responsible for the lack of click. Take another mic with you.

Make sure, if the mic’s battery is turned on, that the XL2 phantom power of the XL2 is turned off, or vice versa.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Chris and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

You have the right idea. Good headphones and monitors are both helpful. While the ones you’re talking about are better than the speakers in your computer, you’re still a long way from studio quality and that may hurt you.

Monitors shouldn’t be on the desktop, they should be at ear height more or less in an equilateral triangle with your head. In addition, where the monitors are positioned, even the shape of the room they are in make a difference.

If I were shooting for headphones, I’d try Audio Technica ATH-M50; closed back, flat response, comfortable.

Monitors: hold your breath – Good ones are not cheap, but if you low ball monitors, audio or video, you can’t really tell what you’re doing. If you buy too low, you’ll begin to believe that THAT’S what good sound is.

While there are many more expensive monitors, think about these: https://tinyurl.com/6h9dau

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Donovan,

Condenser mics are pretty hardy electrically. No mic I know likes to be dropped.

The most fragile mics are ribbon mics. Care must also be taken with all but two ribbin mics I know of NOT to have Phantom Power on. The two exceptions are one of AEA’s ribbon mics and one of Royer’s. They both use Phantom Power to power a small amp in the mic itself.

Some electret condenser mics are battery powered as well as being Phantom Powerable. Of these, a few get sort of weird if you have both their own battery turned on and external phantom power applied. The Shure VP88 is one of these. The internal battery circuit is antagonistic to external Phantom Power. If connected to a Shure portable mixer, the mixer batteries get hot and the mixer shuts down. Running with either the mic’s battery turned with no external Phantom Power or mic battery turned off and external Phantom Power turned on work fine.

Some externally-powered condenser mics connected to the preamps in my studio have had Phantom Power applied for months or years.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Rodney!!!!

You can not Cow me with your comments about cheese, sir, nor get my goat!

I can only say quel dommage about your comments du fromage. 🙂

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Donovan and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum,

My experience is that TV stations are ALL OVER THE RODE when it comes to levels. I’ve been told that dubbing a spot onto the station computer is an interns job and you will drive yourself crazy by listening to your spot on different stations in the same market.

I would peak at -.5 dB but I would also compress and limit to increase loudness and density.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

Hello Darren and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum,

If they are all being recorded separately at each location, why does it matter that they not hear themselves as they talk over whatever box they use?

3-way calling and ear pieces.

You can usually find a conference call center to do it .

If it’s not more difficult than that call Art Reed at Bradley Broadcast 800-732-7665.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Ty Ford]

[Brett Underberg-Davis] ” don’t (generally) get paid for these shoots. I come with a $10K camera, $10 tapes and another $3K in sound equipment, not counting several $1,000s in computer equipment and editing software I use in post much of the time — and my investment (which seems foolhardy, especially in the face of a major recession) has been largely predicated on my doing the best job I can under the circumstances in hopes that those associated with my “charity” jobs may think of me sometime when they are shooting something where there are people actually willing to pay for production values. Frankly it’s (emotionally) depressing and it probably should be, considering out collective attitudes have done a lot to make the looming (economic) depression a near certainty.
“

I would be depressed as well were I in your situation. Not getting paid is a problem. Why on earth would you do that unless you are financially independent and doing it as an expensive hobby? I would counsel you that once they get you for free, getting any more than that is extremely difficult. In undercutting the rates of professional videographers, you are part of the problem instead of being part of the solution. You have maybe $25K in gear and you’re working for free. STOP IT. Get a hold of yourself, or rather your selfworth.

You HAVE to re-evaluate yourself. I suggest that folks in your situation get up every morning, look themselves in the bathroom mirror and ask what your hourly rate should be. Make it a good one you can make a living with. Look yourself in the eye and tell yourself what your rate is. Do this every day until you believe it. Unless you do, you will never get the rate you want. If you can’t sell yourself to yourself, you’ll never be able to sell yourself to anyone else.

If someone asks you to do a job for low pay for the first job with promises of better pay on future jobs, don’t go for it. Tell them you consider giving them a break on the 2nd or 3rd job if you get your regular rate for the first one. If they won’t do that, you know they are just trying to hammer you for rate. Hope this helps. I mean it with all good intent.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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