Help with my plan for recording 4 performers! at DVinfo.net

John Garth · January 30th, 2004, 07:16 AM

All:

Thanks for your advice:

Planning on recording 4 performers (sometimes only 2 or three) for an extensive multi-shoot production.

I have a Canon XL-1 with MA100.

I also have a Mackie 1202 mixer (with phantom power)

I plan to buy 4 Sennheiser Evolution 100 Series wireless mics (with transmitters and receivers).

My plan is to input the 4 mics into the mixer, and output from the 2 mixer "main output" channels to the 2 MA100 inputs.

I also have a Senn ME66 mic. I don't have the budget for a boom operator though.

Anything wrong with this picture? Suggestions? Thanks!

Douglas Spotted Eagle · January 30th, 2004, 09:57 AM

John,
Is everything fixed in place? Do the performers move? What are they performing, music or dialog or both?
You've got the gear, but more info is needed to help advise what you are asking, I think

John Garth · January 30th, 2004, 12:52 PM

The talent will be stationary, like a TV broadcast of "The View" and the audio will be dialog.

Appreciate your help!

Martin Garrison · January 30th, 2004, 09:42 PM

If the talent is stationary, then you could save $2000 and have better sounding audio. Use Wired lavs. Take the extra money and buy a multitrack recorder. Mix the 4 seperate tracks in post, and you'll substantially lower your noise floor. Or you could spend the $2k on an automatic mixer. Same end result (lower noise floor than having 4 mics open all the time) and less time in post.

Douglas Spotted Eagle · January 30th, 2004, 11:24 PM

And if you have a laptop, record straight to that, using a multitrack audio software like Audition, Vegas, Sonar on a PC, or Deck or ProTools Free on a Mac

John Garth · January 31st, 2004, 05:46 AM

I like your suggestion about the wired mics. Plus I already have one Sony condenser mic, and would only need 3 more.

I will be setting up each shot. I'll only leave mics open as needed.

I have a Panasonic SV-3800 DAT recorder, but I think it only records 2 channels. Any advantage to recording to it from the mixer rather than going to the XL-1?

Stupid question: how do I sync audio from the DAT to the video in post, once both are captured in Media 100?

Douglas Spotted Eagle · January 31st, 2004, 11:51 AM

Without genlock, the easiest thing is to have someone clap their hands, use a clapboard, something that is on camera, that can be seen as a spike or transient in the audio waveform, and can be verified on the camera. If the mic's are within reasonable proximity to the noise source, you'll have sample accurate or near sample accurate sync after lining the waveforms up.

January 30th, 2004, 07:16 AM	#1
John Garth New Boot Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chappaqua, NY Posts: 12	Help with my plan for recording 4 performers! All: Thanks for your advice: Planning on recording 4 performers (sometimes only 2 or three) for an extensive multi-shoot production. I have a Canon XL-1 with MA100. I also have a Mackie 1202 mixer (with phantom power) I plan to buy 4 Sennheiser Evolution 100 Series wireless mics (with transmitters and receivers). My plan is to input the 4 mics into the mixer, and output from the 2 mixer "main output" channels to the 2 MA100 inputs. I also have a Senn ME66 mic. I don't have the budget for a boom operator though. Anything wrong with this picture? Suggestions? Thanks!

January 30th, 2004, 09:57 AM	#2
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	John, Is everything fixed in place? Do the performers move? What are they performing, music or dialog or both? You've got the gear, but more info is needed to help advise what you are asking, I think __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

January 30th, 2004, 12:52 PM	#3
John Garth New Boot Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chappaqua, NY Posts: 12	Good Questions The talent will be stationary, like a TV broadcast of "The View" and the audio will be dialog. Appreciate your help!

January 30th, 2004, 11:24 PM	#5
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	And if you have a laptop, record straight to that, using a multitrack audio software like Audition, Vegas, Sonar on a PC, or Deck or ProTools Free on a Mac __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

January 31st, 2004, 05:46 AM	#6
John Garth New Boot Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chappaqua, NY Posts: 12	wired mics and recorder I like your suggestion about the wired mics. Plus I already have one Sony condenser mic, and would only need 3 more. I will be setting up each shot. I'll only leave mics open as needed. I have a Panasonic SV-3800 DAT recorder, but I think it only records 2 channels. Any advantage to recording to it from the mixer rather than going to the XL-1? Stupid question: how do I sync audio from the DAT to the video in post, once both are captured in Media 100?

January 30th, 2004, 09:42 PM	#4
Martin Garrison Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 173	If the talent is stationary, then you could save $2000 and have better sounding audio. Use Wired lavs. Take the extra money and buy a multitrack recorder. Mix the 4 seperate tracks in post, and you'll substantially lower your noise floor. Or you could spend the $2k on an automatic mixer. Same end result (lower noise floor than having 4 mics open all the time) and less time in post.

January 31st, 2004, 11:51 AM	#7
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	Without genlock, the easiest thing is to have someone clap their hands, use a clapboard, something that is on camera, that can be seen as a spike or transient in the audio waveform, and can be verified on the camera. If the mic's are within reasonable proximity to the noise source, you'll have sample accurate or near sample accurate sync after lining the waveforms up. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com