Recording sound

Sabyasachi Patra · May 25th, 2012, 11:02 AM

I am planning a wildlife documentary to be shot next month. I need to record sound of of the predator on kill and record the sound of bones crunching and flies flying away from the carcass when the predator starts feeding. Will it be better to place an lavalier near the carcass (below?) and connect it to a tascam DR 100. Another option is to use a MKH 416 with rycote zeppelin placed a few feet away near the carcass and take the wire to my SD 702T. I hope the lavalier or the MKH 416 is not chewed. Thinking if I need to buy a cheaper lavalier. Your suggestions would be welcome.

Andrew Smith · May 25th, 2012, 12:05 PM

So no need to catch - and wire for sound - the carcass (or soon to be carcass) before the predator does?

Andrew

Rob MacFarlane · May 25th, 2012, 12:17 PM

I would practice recording flies buzzing around - they're not that loud, and you might do well to add the fly buzzing as a sound effect. It's pretty easy to get a bunch of flies together, it's actually not that easy to get a good sound recording of them (at least that's been my experience).

Are you sure you want to approach, microphone in hand, a large predator that has just killed something they might wish to defend? For higher frequency sounds you might try a simple parabolic microphone, for lower frequency sounds you might need to be close with a shotgun.

How friendly are these cats towards people?

Donald McPherson · May 25th, 2012, 02:47 PM

Maybe a cheap wireless lapel. Can be had for around £20.

Allan Black · May 25th, 2012, 06:08 PM

Might be better to contact a zoo .. at least you could get an idea what they sound like and you could do it in Foley. Record a big local hungry dog at dinner or a horse or cow.

Then there's ..

Freesound.org - sound search

Freesound.org - sound search

Cheers.

Lynne Whelden · May 25th, 2012, 07:56 PM

Check with sounddogs.com
I got a lot of great sounds for my documentary from them and they're reasonably priced.
As for recording flies, I got good sound using my own Zoom H2 recorder. There are places they gather, if you're fortunate enough to come across such. Or you could put something that smells nice to them around the recorder and they'll hover. I think your best bet is to look for animal poop somewhere, cow pies, whatever. They're more interested in that than you so moving in close won't bother anyone. Have fun!

Andrew Smith · May 25th, 2012, 09:02 PM

Was thinking that foley would be your best option.

But you could always do the BBC trick and create a wireless mic on a remote controlled toy, which has a outer covering made to disguise it as a rock or a very impressive dung sample.

Andrew

Ken Plotin · May 25th, 2012, 10:01 PM

Have you considered a parabolic mike from near the camera position? This would certainly get you the basics. You could then (as the other posters have suggested) add the rest in post as FX or recorded live later.
I'm impressed at the nuance such setups can deliver in wildlife shoots.
Ken

Graham Bernard · May 27th, 2012, 04:09 AM

Do try a parabolic. Knock up a prototype and take it to a zoo and see if you can get what you can. Keep it real. Foley is a great backup, but keeping it real is definitely the way to go.

G

Richard Crowley · May 27th, 2012, 01:31 PM

I don't put much hope in parabolic. They are narrow-band at best and are unlikely to produce anything realistic sounding. Although an upside is that they can also be used as a defensive protection against ferocious beasts.

My perception is that the overwhelming majority of wildlife footage is shot MOS and what you hear is Foley by artists who specialize in wildlife.

Allan Black · May 27th, 2012, 06:49 PM

Yep -1 for the para dish .. and after watching some of the big snarling cats at Taronga Park Zoo here, banging them over the head with a plastic dish wouldn't be my cup of tea.

And feature production budgets today don't allow for much trial and error in that dept.

Cheers.

May 25th, 2012, 11:02 AM	#1
Sabyasachi Patra Major Player Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: New Delhi, India Posts: 507	Recording sound - Big cat on kill I am planning a wildlife documentary to be shot next month. I need to record sound of of the predator on kill and record the sound of bones crunching and flies flying away from the carcass when the predator starts feeding. Will it be better to place an lavalier near the carcass (below?) and connect it to a tascam DR 100. Another option is to use a MKH 416 with rycote zeppelin placed a few feet away near the carcass and take the wire to my SD 702T. I hope the lavalier or the MKH 416 is not chewed. Thinking if I need to buy a cheaper lavalier. Your suggestions would be welcome. __________________ Wild Tiger Productions http://www.indiawilds.com/about.htm

May 25th, 2012, 12:05 PM	#2
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,062	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill So no need to catch - and wire for sound - the carcass (or soon to be carcass) before the predator does? Andrew

May 25th, 2012, 12:17 PM	#3
Rob MacFarlane Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: san francisco, CA Posts: 27	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill I would practice recording flies buzzing around - they're not that loud, and you might do well to add the fly buzzing as a sound effect. It's pretty easy to get a bunch of flies together, it's actually not that easy to get a good sound recording of them (at least that's been my experience). Are you sure you want to approach, microphone in hand, a large predator that has just killed something they might wish to defend? For higher frequency sounds you might try a simple parabolic microphone, for lower frequency sounds you might need to be close with a shotgun. How friendly are these cats towards people?

May 25th, 2012, 02:47 PM	#4
Donald McPherson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Aberdeen Scotland Posts: 815	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill Maybe a cheap wireless lapel. Can be had for around £20.

May 25th, 2012, 06:08 PM	#5
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,924	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill Might be better to contact a zoo .. at least you could get an idea what they sound like and you could do it in Foley. Record a big local hungry dog at dinner or a horse or cow. Then there's .. Freesound.org - sound search Freesound.org - sound search Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

May 25th, 2012, 07:56 PM	#6
Lynne Whelden Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: williamsport, pa Posts: 604	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill Check with sounddogs.com I got a lot of great sounds for my documentary from them and they're reasonably priced. As for recording flies, I got good sound using my own Zoom H2 recorder. There are places they gather, if you're fortunate enough to come across such. Or you could put something that smells nice to them around the recorder and they'll hover. I think your best bet is to look for animal poop somewhere, cow pies, whatever. They're more interested in that than you so moving in close won't bother anyone. Have fun!

May 25th, 2012, 09:02 PM	#7
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,062	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill Was thinking that foley would be your best option. But you could always do the BBC trick and create a wireless mic on a remote controlled toy, which has a outer covering made to disguise it as a rock or a very impressive dung sample. Andrew

May 25th, 2012, 10:01 PM	#8
Ken Plotin Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 254	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill Have you considered a parabolic mike from near the camera position? This would certainly get you the basics. You could then (as the other posters have suggested) add the rest in post as FX or recorded live later. I'm impressed at the nuance such setups can deliver in wildlife shoots. Ken

May 27th, 2012, 04:09 AM	#9
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill Do try a parabolic. Knock up a prototype and take it to a zoo and see if you can get what you can. Keep it real. Foley is a great backup, but keeping it real is definitely the way to go. G

May 27th, 2012, 01:31 PM	#10
Richard Crowley Trustee Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 1,238	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill I don't put much hope in parabolic. They are narrow-band at best and are unlikely to produce anything realistic sounding. Although an upside is that they can also be used as a defensive protection against ferocious beasts. My perception is that the overwhelming majority of wildlife footage is shot MOS and what you hear is Foley by artists who specialize in wildlife.

May 27th, 2012, 06:49 PM	#11
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,924	Re: Recording sound - Big cat on kill Yep -1 for the para dish .. and after watching some of the big snarling cats at Taronga Park Zoo here, banging them over the head with a plastic dish wouldn't be my cup of tea. And feature production budgets today don't allow for much trial and error in that dept. Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated. Last edited by Allan Black; May 28th, 2012 at 05:32 PM. Reason: minus 1 for the dish.