Best mic setup for outdoor go-karting

[Stu Holmes]

Hi all

Am considering doing a piece of a friend who competes in an Outdoor Go-Karting championship and for that, i'd like to get some in-kart audio of him driving during some races.

So i'd like all you knowledgeable folk's best advice on the audio setup you'd go for.
I am thinking something like this :
- wireless lav taped to inside of his helmet visor, with the transmitter attached to his belt. Me standing in the geometric centre of the kart track with camera (& audio receiver obviously). Kart track is about 1300mtrlong (track length) but obviouisly that's with all the twists and turns, so if i had to guess at the maximum distance he'd be at furthest point away during the lap (me standing in centre remember) , i'd guess it would be about 200metres. (i.e. a radius of about 200metres).

Possible issues/points:
1. range : is the Senn G2 or the Sony UWP-C1 going to have the range with new batteries ? I heard the Sony setup may have a bigger range. The track is pretty flat, so i'd have line-of-sight almost the whole time, with almost no obstructions at all in the way.
2. if you think the range won't be enough, then i may be forced to shoot one race whilst standing down one end of the circuit, get footage and audio from that, and then for next race go to the other end of the circuit to get footage and audio there, and mix them together in post.
3. karts are pretty bl00dy noisy2-stroke machines. (about 80mph max. !) But i think since the mic will be taped to inside of visor, the audio would be pretty ok ? it will obviously pick up engine noise from him and other machines nearby but also i'm gonna instruct him to do a bit of running commentary / expletives / whatever he likes during the race.

I am going to use a Rode Videomic for other footage of the action, when am not using the in-kart audio feed.

Also i need to get a reporters mic for pit-lane interviewing, before and after each race. (or i could just use the Videomic on-cam??). Suggestions for this also appreciated. I read that the RE050is v popular and the Senn MD46 also good.

This is definitely the most knowledgeable audio forum i've found on-line so looking forward to your comments / suggestions / advice.

thanks in advance.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

I can tell you for certain that the UWP or the U100 from Audio Technica will work. I've got both, and have used both on a motocross track at long distances. Both are good units, I love the UWP for it's size, and I love the AT for it's brawn. I wish the UWP made it easier to use my AT899 mic on, because that's my fave lav at the moment, for great sound made easy.
You're gonna get a lot of engine noise no matter what, but if you have the lav closer to his visor, or to his breathe plate, you should be able to filter/mask a lot of that out.

[Stu Holmes]

Thanks for that DSE.
Any idea what the approx. maximum unobstructed range for the Sony UWP is ? I know it'll "fade" and become unreliable beyond some point.

The other option i have to get in-kart audio if i don't go the wireless lav is to capture the audio directly on kart. i.e I've got an iRiver IHP-120 mp3 player and this can record WAV and MP3 at various bitrates.
Would i get good quality by just using this attached to the driver, with a good wired lav taped to inside of visor?
Or would a MiniDisc recorder be better ?
Or would it be simpler to attach a wired lav to my HC40, attach HC40 to the driver (just to use for audio capture).
- this way i wouldn't have to worry about radio links etc.

Also any idea about reporter mic for the pitlane? (I edited this bit into my post after I initially posted).

thanks

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Any idea what the approx. maximum unobstructed range for the Sony UWP is ? I know it'll "fade" and become unreliable beyond some point.
No idea at all. I've never worked more than about 300 yards, and it's worked great for me at those distances. Caveat; I live in Utah's wilderness/desert area, and there is virtually nothing, anywhere here. Even at the motocross tracks, the worst thing to contend with are lighting poles. The Generacs bother the FM transmitters, as one might expect, but the UHF systems (neither one) have ever been affected, even when I'm practically on top of them.

The other option i have to get in-kart audio if i don't go the wireless lav is to capture the audio directly on kart. i.e I've got an iRiver IHP-120 mp3 player and this can record WAV and MP3 at various bitrates.
Would i get good quality by just using this attached to the driver, with a good wired lav taped to inside of visor?

If you can record to wav, then yes, it would be fine. More reliable for the most part than wireless. Given the noise, I wouldn't consider hi-bitrate MP3 for this either, because it could potentially give you grief in post.

Or would a MiniDisc recorder be better ?

almost never Unless it's HDMD, which sounds great. (it's pcm)

Or would it be simpler to attach a wired lav to my HC40, attach HC40 to the driver (just to use for audio capture).
- this way i wouldn't have to worry about radio links etc.

Also any idea about reporter mic for the pitlane? (I edited this bit into my post after I initially posted).

if it's really as noisy as the motox pits, I'd use a shotgun with a heavy damp on the handheld portion, or use a good hyper. Someone else might have a good suggestion. I tend to use shotguns in noisy interviews, but there are a lot of other choices. I just don't have experience with them.

thanks

[Stu Holmes]

Douglas thanks for all your advice and help. It's very much appreciated.

As for the pitlane mic, i have a Rode Videomic, and i guess i could take this off the camera mount and alternately point at interviewer, and at me. I've got a windshield for this mic too. I think i may need a short extension cable for it though (as long as it's short cable i think it should be ok).
It's a hypercardioid so should be ok for pitlane use.

Looks like the Sony setup is the way to go then for the wireless lav.

rgds.