Micing Inside a Car? at DVinfo.net

Peter Moretti · May 26th, 2008, 01:40 AM

I just watched a short film today. The scenes inside cars had very inconsistent sound. Essentially, do you all have any tips for micing inside a car? For example: lav, very small boom mic (cmc641 or MKH 8050), etc..

Thanks very much!

Pietro Impagliazzo · May 26th, 2008, 02:35 AM

I'm interested on this subject as well.

I have no idea what mic would be the best.

Alexandru Petrescu · May 26th, 2008, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pietro Impagliazzo

I'm interested on this subject as well.

I have no idea what mic would be the best.

This is an amateur speaking here.

I think it largely depends on the car. How well is the car isolated from engine and outside road bumps noise.

I used a short shotgun (at835st) at 1m from speaker and the results are impressive to my ear, I didn't expect that clean sound - sounded as if the car didn't move. I also used a small Sony ECM-719 but that picked a lot of ambient sound and less voice.

I would like to try a cardioid capsule see what it gives, since apparently the advice is to use cardioids and not shotguns whenever indoors (cars are indoors like I suppose).

Gary Nattrass · May 26th, 2008, 02:59 AM

A retired pro speaking here and when I have shot in cars it has always been a lavalier clipped to the sun visors in the front.

In the 80's this was a sony ecm-50 but any such mic will be fine. Also most of the shoots I have done the car has been on a low loader but the same technique will be fine for rolling shots.

Graham Risdon · May 26th, 2008, 03:21 AM

When I do car stuff, mainly for factual stuff, the sound guys usually use lavs on the talent - mounted carefully to avoid rustles.

Doing some race car stuff at the moment and used some minicams fed from a lav mic mounted inside the helmet of the instructor (near the ear to pick up driver and intstructor) No sound guy on this shoot so rigged it myself.

Not feature-quality sound by any means, but fine for what we needed. take a look at
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol...cle3903385.ece

For info, the out of car stuff was recorded using a Sennheiser 416 for the PTC.

Hope this helps

Marco Leavitt · May 26th, 2008, 10:12 AM

I usually use a cub 1 in the headliner, and sometimes a cardiod on a clamp mount on the floor if I also need to pick up a passenger in the back seat.

May 26th, 2008, 01:40 AM	#1
Peter Moretti Trustee Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 1,259	Micing Inside a Car? I just watched a short film today. The scenes inside cars had very inconsistent sound. Essentially, do you all have any tips for micing inside a car? For example: lav, very small boom mic (cmc641 or MKH 8050), etc.. Thanks very much!

May 26th, 2008, 02:35 AM	#2
Pietro Impagliazzo Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rio de Janeiro, BR Posts: 170	I'm interested on this subject as well. I have no idea what mic would be the best. __________________ Pietro Impagliazzo flickr.com/photos/impagliazzo

May 26th, 2008, 02:59 AM	#4
Gary Nattrass Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Cornsay Durham UK Posts: 1,992	A retired pro speaking here and when I have shot in cars it has always been a lavalier clipped to the sun visors in the front. In the 80's this was a sony ecm-50 but any such mic will be fine. Also most of the shoots I have done the car has been on a low loader but the same technique will be fine for rolling shots. __________________ Over 15 minutes in Broadcast Film and TV production: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1044352/

May 26th, 2008, 03:21 AM	#5
Graham Risdon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 192	When I do car stuff, mainly for factual stuff, the sound guys usually use lavs on the talent - mounted carefully to avoid rustles. Doing some race car stuff at the moment and used some minicams fed from a lav mic mounted inside the helmet of the instructor (near the ear to pick up driver and intstructor) No sound guy on this shoot so rigged it myself. Not feature-quality sound by any means, but fine for what we needed. take a look at http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol...cle3903385.ece For info, the out of car stuff was recorded using a Sennheiser 416 for the PTC. Hope this helps

May 26th, 2008, 10:12 AM	#6
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	I usually use a cub 1 in the headliner, and sometimes a cardiod on a clamp mount on the floor if I also need to pick up a passenger in the back seat.