Audio questions

[Inazuma]

I'm currently writing a short series that I'll also be directing in the near future. Unfortunately I have very little knowledge of audio. I have got a Zoom H1, but I find its susceptibility to noise from handling or even wind on the body of the unit, not even the microphone, makes it off-putting to use.

 

Ok so first, what's the best shotgun mic I can get for around £100? Is it the Rode Videomic Pro?

 

How do you manage sound space? For example, if you have two characters at totally different positions in the frame and you have mic'd them individually, how do you get this across in the sound stage? Can it be done with Adobe software?

[Axel]

How do you manage sound space? For example, if you have two characters at totally different positions in the frame and you have mic'd them individually, how do you get this across in the sound stage? Can it be done with Adobe software?

 

Stereo should (like surround) be 'mono-compatible'. A sound event that comes from a point in space (or has very small dimensions) in most cases should be located in the middle (the center channel in 5.1 or equally balancedto left and right in stereo). Especially language. Exceptions are the extremes: Someone out of the frame shouts Hello Frank. Frank looks to the left.

 

Stereo (L.R) is perfect for a panorama of atmosphere, composed of very many sound events or i.e. continous traffic noise or foliage in the wind.

 

Ls and Rs are even more atmospheric.

 

To mix all these elements to the best effect, they should be recorded cleanly and seperately. It's easier to add something in post than to eliminate it where it's unwanted.

[Quirky]

I'm currently writing a short series that I'll also be directing in the near future. Unfortunately I have very little knowledge of audio. 

 

Uh-oh... Well, you'd better get busy, then, before the actual directing begins.  ;)

Fortunately audio is interesting and fun to study and practise with.

 

I have got a Zoom H1, but I find its susceptibility to noise from handling or even wind on the body of the unit, not even the microphone, makes it off-putting to use.

 

Yes, the body of the device has not been insulated from the mic head in any way, but that's not a major problem. The H1 is a nice tool out there in the wild.

First, to battle wind noises you need a wind shield for any mic or recording device, and that's where the fluffy mic covers come in. 

I recommend the dead cats or fluffy mic covers from Rycote and Røde. Just slip a dead cat over your mic and/or your H1, and the wind noises almost disappear.

 

Second, like said the H1 is quite a usable tool, but to get most out of it and avoid the handling noise you just need to plug an external mic into the input on the right side of the device. That will eliminate the handling noise, and makes it more practical for many sorts of situations. For example, sometimes the external mic can be a lavalier, and because the H1 is so small, you can slip it in the pocket of the talent. And so on. I use one in my "backbag field system" to record production audio or background sound bed with a separate mic plugged in, and the camera audio works as reference audio or secondary track to record the voice of a talent or whatever.

 

In case you don't have a separate mic yet, you can also try minimising the handling noise of the H1 by slipping on the aforementioned dead cat and attaching the recorder to somewhere separate from the camera. On a light stand, a pole or some magic arm, for example. Use your imagination and adapt. Obviously you don't go adjusting anything during recording. You just try setting everything up beforehand. That shouldn't be too hard when shooting a scripted scene.

 

Also keep in mind that simply attaching the plastic fantastic device onto the hotshoe of the camera won't isolate the handling noises well enough. You'll still hear them, and it's going to be highly annoying. So buy a separate mic, because you'll need one. Or both.

 

Ok so first, what's the best shotgun mic I can get for around £100? Is it the Rode Videomic Pro?

 

The Videomic Pro is a fine multipurpose mic and worth buying in general, even though I'm not quite sure if you can get one for hundred quid. Same goes for the Røde NTG series mics, but they are good for the job. Pretty decent value for the money. In my experience, anyway.

[Inazuma]

If I am mixing strictly for stereo and have two characters on screen. One that's about 5 feet away and to the left. The other about 15 feet away and to the right. Then do I record their voices individually with a mono shotgun mic and then mix it so that the person in the back is a bit quieter and balanced to the right than the guy at the front?

Or is there some scientific thing whereby simply lowering their volume won't make it sound like they're further away? And I'd have to do some other magic to get it correct.

Quirky, I already have a rubber band suspender and two deadcats for the H1 (one to cover the mic and another to cover the body). However it becomes impractical because the suspension gets in the way of the buttons, which don't have a very tactile feel anyway. I think I'm going to sell it and buy a shotgun mic plus a cheapish but sturdy recorder.

[Quirky]

If I am mixing strictly for stereo and have two characters on screen. One that's about 5 feet away and to the left. The other about 15 feet away and to the right. Then do I record their voices individually with a mono shotgun mic and then mix it so that the person in the back is a bit quieter and balanced to the right than the guy at the front?

Or is there some scientific thing whereby simply lowering their volume won't make it sound like they're further away? And I'd have to do some other magic to get it correct.

 

I think the way you record your scene depends on many things, the mood and style of your production, and what you wish to accomplish, and of course how you're shooting the scene(s).

 

If it is possible in any way, I'd record both characters separately either with a 'shotgun' or a lavalier, and then worry about the final soundtrack when editing. As a general rule of thumb, always try to get as good an audio track as you can. That's where a small recorder like the H1 or two come handy.

 

I'd say that forget about the scientific thingies and worry more about catching good audio of all your talents, experiment, use your ears and watch movies and TV documentaries for inspiration and reference. 

I'm not a seasoned expert but that's what I did and do. When we have limited resources to use, we sometimes need to improvise and make do with less. But that's where the inexpensive tools like the H1, a couple of stands, flash brackets and the Røde Videomic come handy.

 

 

I already have a rubber band suspender and two deadcats for the H1 (one to cover the mic and another to cover the body). However it becomes impractical because the suspension gets in the way of the buttons, which don't have a very tactile feel anyway. I think I'm going to sell it and buy a shotgun mic plus a cheapish but sturdy recorder.

 

You need only one dead cat to cover the microphone part of the H1. Covering the body with one doesn't help at all. Don't put the H1 in the suspender, get a mic like the Videomic Pro and plug that into the input of the H1.

 

In other words, use the H1 as a recorder, not as a microphone. Buy a cheap bracket to attach the H1 and the mic onto if necessary. If the mic has no suspender of its own, (the Videomic does), put the mic into the suspender, and attach the H1 somewhere within the reach of the microphone cable. When you've got two mics, you can plug one into the H1 and another straight into your camera. 

I hope this helps.

 

I think selling the H1 would be a mistake, because there's nothing wrong with it. It's quite a handy and compact sized tool, despite its shortcomings. Especially for its price. I use one as a field recorder with one of my mics most of the time. It is quite usable as a standalone microphone, too, when you can use it on a table tripod, for example, or on a light stand that no one is touching. It's quite handy for recording sound effects and a sound bed for your soundtrack. I also use the H1 as a USB microphone when doing hangouts online.

 

So my advice would be to keep the H1, learn how to use it, and buy a couple of microphones to accompany it. It doesn't matter which mics you end up buying, because they won't make the H1 useless. If you end up buying a better recorder at some point, you could still use the H1 as a secondary recorder, with a lavalier mic, for example. Two recorders is always better than one.

[Quirky]

oops, double post, internet connection crapped out for a moment. Moderators, please remove.

[fuzzynormal]

It's sort of amusing how one can buy a camera and nice lens these days for less than 1K, turn it on full automatic mode, haphazardly point it a certain direction, and still grab some pretty nice shots with such gear.  Let's face it, it's not that hard anymore to get great levels of visual quality with a little effort.

 

However...  You can buy a 10K microphone and point it in the wrong place and still get absolute crap for audio.  You can buy a $50 mic, know how to best use it, where to place it, and get great results.

 

If you don't know what you're doing with audio, learn.  Learn A LOT.  You can't really buy your way past ignorance and into quality when it comes to recording sound.

 

It's not difficult knowledge, you just have to know it.

[varicam]

In the hands of someone who doesn't know much about audio recording, a $10K mic can do more harm than a $50 mic because all the mistakes and flaws will become much more crystal clear!  :)