Sennheiser G2 Lavalier picking up background sounds? at DVinfo.net

Dave Allen · November 11th, 2009, 11:09 AM

My new Sennheiser G2 wireless mics seem to be picking up WAY too much background noise. When I hold it to my chest pointed up, I can hear guys talking 5 feet away, PLUS all sorts of background din from busy halls.

The mic does have the little foam ball that it comes with. I tried changing the sensitivity from anywhere from -20 to 0, all the same. Manual mic levels on the FX1 were fiddled with to no avail.

I thought lavs were really good at selectively rejecting anything not directly above.

Is that just the way it is supposed to be?

Perrone Ford · November 11th, 2009, 11:17 AM

Lav mics are omni-directional, with a few exceptions. This is why it's possible to mic only the groom at a wedding, and get the vows from all three without issue. It's really no different than using a boom.

Steve House · November 11th, 2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Lav mics are omni-directional, with a few exceptions. This is why it's possible to mic only the groom at a wedding, and get the vows from all three without issue. It's really no different than using a boom.

Well, in some respects. But mics generally chosen for boom work are highly directional, shotguns and hypercardioids, not omni. If you're booming two people standing facing each other talking back and forth, you don't just split the middle and point the mic down vertically in between. That would place both speaker's mouths well to the side of the mic pattern. Instead, the boom operator follows the flow of the conversation, aiming the mic directly at the first speaker's throat, then shifting it to aim at the other person, then back again as the conversation moves along. Splitting it down the middle with a stationary mic would mean that neither talent is ever actually properly "on-mic."

Perrone Ford · November 11th, 2009, 01:01 PM

I knew that comparison would get me into trouble... and yes, I am familiar with the mics used for booming, and techniques. It wasn't the best comparison.

Nick Wilson · November 11th, 2009, 02:47 PM

Lavs for sound recording are generally omnidirectional as these minimise the impact of the talent turning their head or other movement between the source and mic. As you have noticed, they pick up other sound but the proximity of the source should mean that it is much louder than the background noise. Cardioid lavs are available and are often used for sound reinforcement as you can drive the gain a little harder before getting feedback. However, they need more careful placement and are only significantly directional at low frequencies, so the benefits are marginal.

N

Steve House · November 11th, 2009, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

I knew that comparison would get me into trouble... and yes, I am familiar with the mics used for booming, and techniques. It wasn't the best comparison.

I was pretty sure you were aware - just wanted to make sure some of our readers didn't get the wrong idea.

Marco Leavitt · November 11th, 2009, 11:09 PM

Vows from all three? Perrone, what kind of weddings are you shooting? :)

Perrone Ford · November 11th, 2009, 11:31 PM

Marco! LOL!

Adam Jung · November 12th, 2009, 12:41 PM

I'm no expert at all, but would adjusting the squelch and setting up closer to the person mic'd up help out?

November 11th, 2009, 11:09 AM	#1
Dave Allen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 497	Sennheiser G2 Lavalier picking up background sounds? My new Sennheiser G2 wireless mics seem to be picking up WAY too much background noise. When I hold it to my chest pointed up, I can hear guys talking 5 feet away, PLUS all sorts of background din from busy halls. The mic does have the little foam ball that it comes with. I tried changing the sensitivity from anywhere from -20 to 0, all the same. Manual mic levels on the FX1 were fiddled with to no avail. I thought lavs were really good at selectively rejecting anything not directly above. Is that just the way it is supposed to be? __________________ Dave -

November 11th, 2009, 11:17 AM	#2
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Lav mics are omni-directional, with a few exceptions. This is why it's possible to mic only the groom at a wedding, and get the vows from all three without issue. It's really no different than using a boom. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

November 11th, 2009, 01:01 PM	#4
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	I knew that comparison would get me into trouble... and yes, I am familiar with the mics used for booming, and techniques. It wasn't the best comparison. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

November 11th, 2009, 11:31 PM	#8
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Marco! LOL! __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

November 12th, 2009, 12:41 PM	#9
Adam Jung Tourist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2	Squelch? I'm no expert at all, but would adjusting the squelch and setting up closer to the person mic'd up help out?

November 11th, 2009, 02:47 PM	#5
Nick Wilson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 259	Lavs for sound recording are generally omnidirectional as these minimise the impact of the talent turning their head or other movement between the source and mic. As you have noticed, they pick up other sound but the proximity of the source should mean that it is much louder than the background noise. Cardioid lavs are available and are often used for sound reinforcement as you can drive the gain a little harder before getting feedback. However, they need more careful placement and are only significantly directional at low frequencies, so the benefits are marginal. N

November 11th, 2009, 11:09 PM	#7
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Vows from all three? Perrone, what kind of weddings are you shooting? :)