Can someone explain the basics of audio please!
 

I shoot on the dVx100a.

Quetions:

When you record audio into camera via shotgun or lav, do you only record MONO and left channel?

Dvx has two channels, if i record lav on 1 and have the 2nd one as boom going for background noise, how do i split the two channels in post(using premiere).

I'm kinda afraid of audio, i mean i've done few thigns but i'm very unsure of it, sorry for the dumb questions.

If you have one mic, you record in mono. The other channel will be silent. You will know if you plugged it into the right place because the levels will be dead otherwise.

If you have two mics, you record in "stereo". Of course, it will not be stereo, but dual channel.

I do not know what you have to do in Premiere as I use Vegas, but I am sure someone will respond.

Be sure to set up the levels properly. Starting with the volume turned all the way down, turn it up until the peaks are about -6dB.

I can't answer all of your questions in one post, but I do have answers in the Ty Ford Mic Tutorial.mp4. It's in the video folder in my On Line Archive.

Regards,

Ty Ford

i'm listening to your tutorial..thanks
hopefully it will answer all my questions

that was ver informative. Now, if i have two mics a lav(chan 1), shotgun(chan2), i'll have both left and right audio. I take it the sound will be much stronger, will it give any issues having two plugged in?

you'll want to get the best possible audio on each mic and use them as separate channels during post.

Regards,

Ty Ford

awesome..answered my question..thank you

Ty may cover this in his tutorials - and please correct me if this is off-base since I'm not familiar with this type of camera - but if you can use a splitter with a single mic you can record on both channels - but set the second channel db a little lower than the first.

This way, if the sound over-peaks on the first channel ("clips" I think is the modern term - but it means if it goes off the scale), you have Channel 2 to select from in post.

Michael Knight

Get the book Creative Recording by Paul White. Wonderful book easy to understand. Instead of just giving short explanations, I'd rather you learn the whole ins and outs of it. Not too thick book, you should be able to scoot through in a day. Worth every penny.

I don't cover it in the book, Michael. Y-splitters work pretty well with dynamic mics, but things can get complicated when/if the mic requires phantom power and receives it from both mic inputs.

I would imagine that, due to design variations, the y-splitter MAY work with some cameras and phantom powered mics, and not with others. The audio MAY be OK, slightly degraded or very degraded.

The devil is in the details.

Regards,

Ty Ford