Hi all:

I have been writing the Audio Assist column for HD Video Equipment - HD Video Tips - HD Video Technique | HDVideoPro.com (http://www.hdvideopro.com) magazine for about 6 months. It is a "Dear Abby" format, send me your location sound questions, concerns and I will do my best to answer them. If you have simple and straight forward questions (I am pretty limited on space so I can't address really complex multi-subject questions in much depth) with a focus on location sound, please send your question to me at audioassist@hdvideopro.com and it may be featured in an upcoming issue of HD Video Pro Magazine. Include your real name (I will just use your first name and first letter of last name in column).

So far, we have covered:

1. Planning For Great Location Sound (August '08 issue)
2. How to Record Conversation In A Car (October '08 issue)
3. Double System Sound (upcoming December '08 issue)
4. The State of the Wireless Airwaves (upcoming for February '09 issue)

I look forward to hearing about location sound issues I can help you with.

Thanks!

Dan
__________________
Using the HPX-170 to produce extraordinary content for all of your favorite DVDs.

Hi Dan...

Trying to think of the various problems I have encountered on my journey of learning location sound.....

How about dealing with exterior wind noise. Foam covers, deadcats, zeppelins and tips and tricks on using a boom mic in windy conditions?

Maybe another on selection/use of a field mixer. What to look for in buying one. Setting one up. Do's and don't during a take. Good place to explain noise floor, riding gain, etc.

I'm sure better minds here will have better ideas, but there are a couple for starters.

Chris Swanberg

Thanks Chris.

All good suggestions, I will definitely consider them.

Dan

Hey Dan! I just finished reading you column on double-system audio in the Dec. issue and I quite enjoyed it. It is nice to see a video production magazine is going to be running a regular column on audio! I'm looking forward to your future columns.

-Brad

Hey Dan, just picked up October and December issues last week (for the first time): Great work! Looking forward to what other pearls of wisdom you have for us.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the feedback.

I definitely want the column to answer your questions and help to solve your audio issues so keep the questions coming.

HD Video Pro has some amazingly talented writers and producers who are write great articles focusing on what you would expect, video gear/HD gear. So with the audio and some of my other articles, my goal is to try to cover subjects that aren't already covered in HD Video Pro and in the other trades.

I have an interesting article about new innovative grip gear and Matthews in the February '09 issue. Hardly anybody writes about grip and support gear because in the past "the grips" handled that. As we all know, with ever lowering budgets, many of us producers/directors/DPs are now "the grips" on small scale shoots and we need to know about all of the amazing tools that let us get shots we could never get before, how to rig lighting in places that are difficult, etc.

I always appreciate your input on story ideas and suggestions. Send your audio dilemmas my way and we will see what we can do about helping you figure out the answers.

Best,

Dan

Hey Dan, just picked up October and December issues last week (for the first time): Great work! Looking forward to what other pearls of wisdom you have for us.

The December issue is already out? News to me, wish I had a copy. I didn't think it was coming out for another few weeks ;-) I wonder if they come out earlier up there? It's possible. The publisher doesn't always send me copies and it seems that my local Borders always gets them really late.

Dan

OK: if this is not the proper question, just disregard.

Last Christmas I used our two GL2 cams to video a Christmas program at our church. I used the cam mics to record the audio. Also had a single mic on a 10 foot stand to record the audio. It mostly picked up sound from the house speakers. Also a CD was burned from the in house sound system. None of the audio was right.
Main problem: Individual solos and speaking parts were too low and then the loud solo guys were full of distortion. I have considered trying shotgun mics on the cams this year. Is that the solution?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

OK: if this is not the proper question, just disregard.

Last Christmas I used our two GL2 cams to video a Christmas program at our church. I used the cam mics to record the audio. Also had a single mic on a 10 foot stand to record the audio. It mostly picked up sound from the house speakers. Also a CD was burned from the in house sound system. None of the audio was right.
Main problem: Individual solos and speaking parts were too low and then the loud solo guys were full of distortion. I have considered trying shotgun mics on the cams this year. Is that the solution?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi Tom:

In a live music situation, the optimal way to record the program is always to get a tap directly off of the sound mixer's board. Trying to record live music through speakers will never be too successful, generally the SPLs will be too high and you will also pickup the actual distorting of the speakers themselves.

My advice would be to buy some long XLR cables and run a tap from the church's soundboard (line level) to your GL2 (I assume the GL2 will accept line level inputs?). If I was shooting this with two cameras, I would get a tap off of the board for one camera and I would just use camera mic on the other camera. Most of the time live sound mixers will mute open mics once a performance has ended in anticipation of the applause and you probably could use the camera mic's pickup of the applause and for other times when the master output is muted from the board.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Dan

See below..........

Thanks Dan....that was fast.
Yes to all the above and we will follow your recommendations.

The program is not untill around Dec 15 with several rehersals, which I will be attending, before the show date.

You know, I think I'll do some trial runs during the rehersals.

Thanks Dan....that was fast.
Yes to all the above and we will follow your recommendations.

The program is not untill around Dec 15 with several rehersals, which I will be attending, before the show date.

You know, I think I'll do some trial runs during the rehersals.

That is a very smart idea. That way you can make sure of what the sound mixer can give you as far as quality or if you need to make other plans.

Hope it goes well.

Dan

If possible get a feed from house console's aux. send for one of your record mixes, a house PA mix and a record mix are usually quite different. Since there's rehearsals you will have the opportunity to tweak it. Cheers
Also be aware that most console outs are line level (+4dB via a 1/4" jack ) Except for the Mackies' that a mic/line switch on the main XLR out.

Thanks.. now that I think about it. The Canon GL2 only has mic inputs.....
Hummmmm also, AV (audio/video IN/OUT terminal used for dubbing or recording from an analog source. Wonder if I could use that as a line level input just for the audio while I'm recording video?
Would it be better to adapt the line level to work at the mic input?

OK: if this is not the proper question, just disregard.

Last Christmas I used our two GL2 cams to video a Christmas program at our church. I used the cam mics to record the audio. Also had a single mic on a 10 foot stand to record the audio. It mostly picked up sound from the house speakers. Also a CD was burned from the in house sound system. None of the audio was right.
Main problem: Individual solos and speaking parts were too low and then the loud solo guys were full of distortion. I have considered trying shotgun mics on the cams this year. Is that the solution?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Tom,

One thing that hasn't been touched upon yet is the fact that all of the board feeds discussed so far are delivering a MIXED signal to your camera. Once an audio signal is mixed, it's kinda like pouring blue and yellow paint into a cup to get green - you can't subsequently UNMIX it.

If you want to balance various sounds after the performance, you have to somehow break out and record the various sounds individually.

To do that, the common practice is to SPLIT signals from the boards various channel inputs (NOT the mixed outputs) and to run those individual channel signals to some form of multi-track recording device. If the soloist is on a separate track from the pianist - and both of those are separate from the overall choir, you can balance the levels of each relative to the others after the fact.

That USED to require fancy multi-track recorders. Today, most laptop computers can record multi-track sound - provided they're interfaced with the proper devices to split the feeds from the FOH mixing boards channels into a digital signal that feeds laptop multitrack software via Firewire, USB, or some similar digital interface.

I know that sounds complicated. And to some extent it is. But it's really the only way to preserve the ability to balance the sound level of multiple audio signals in post.

Hope that helps.

Tom
Rent a Beachtek box for line level into your GL-2. The company has all kinds of interface boxes that will work for you. Check them out online and try to find a rental house near you.

The December issue is already out? News to me, wish I had a copy. I didn't think it was coming out for another few weeks ;-) I wonder if they come out earlier up there? It's possible. The publisher doesn't always send me copies and it seems that my local Borders always gets them really late.

Dan

Sorry, just saw this.

Bought them both from an independent bookseller (2 or 3 location chain) called McNally-Robinson. Great little find and an informative series (based on the two I've seen).

Dan, one article I'd love to see would be about tips for hiding lavs, dealing with chest hair, avoiding cable rumble, etc. That's the thing I think I struggle with most these days. What do you do about the guy in the tight t-shirt? The actress in the tiny mini-skirt? The guy with chest hair so deep I can hear it scratching his clothing from three feet away?

Dan, one article I'd love to see would be about tips for hiding lavs, dealing with chest hair, avoiding cable rumble, etc. That's the thing I think I struggle with most these days. What do you do about the guy in the tight t-shirt? The actress in the tiny mini-skirt? The guy with chest hair so deep I can hear it scratching his clothing from three feet away?

Hi Marco:

Already in the works although this will be a Ken Stone article with a ton of pictures. There is not enough room in the HD Video Pro column to do this the way I would like to so this one will be for Ken's website. I'll let you know when it goes live, probably sometime in January.

Dan

Dan, one article I'd love to see would be about tips for hiding lavs, dealing with chest hair, avoiding cable rumble, etc. That's the thing I think I struggle with most these days. What do you do about the guy in the tight t-shirt? The actress in the tiny mini-skirt? The guy with chest hair so deep I can hear it scratching his clothing from three feet away?

Avoiding cable rumble (1) - loop the cable and trap it with the croc. clip (some clips have a slot to put the cable in (eg: Sennheiser MKE 2).

Avoiding cable rumble (2) - if used on the body, use a sticky on the cable as well as on the mic. any cable noise after the sticky should not get through to the mic.

Tight T-shirt - always a difficult one and you need to run the cable where is most unobtrusive. Rycote undercovers can be useful here.

Tiny mini-skirt - this brings back memories of the BBC guy describing how he did this with an actrwss with a very short skirt and bare midriff. She basically had to pretty well strip naked for him every day (and I still remember his face as he told me). Transmitter was on the inside leg pretty will tight up against the crotch - the mic was hidden in the bra and the cable tucked and hidden round the strap - the cable came down the back and was hidden by covering with flesh-coloured tape.

Chest hair - probably best here to stick to the chest and use a Rycote undercover to minimise rubbing noise.

Sweat - if used in the hair-line put an upside-down "V" with Vaseline on the forehead with the peak on the cable just above the mic.. Any sweat will then run along the Vaseline "roof" and drop off the ends, rather than going into the mic.; just make sure it's long enough so the sweat doesn't drip into the eye.

I hope this helps.

Hi Tom:

In a live music situation, the optimal way to record the program is always to get a tap directly off of the sound mixer's board. Trying to record live music through speakers will never be too successful, generally the SPLs will be too high and you will also pickup the actual distorting of the speakers themselves.

My advice would be to buy some long XLR cables and run a tap from the church's soundboard (line level) to your GL2 (I assume the GL2 will accept line level inputs?). If I was shooting this with two cameras, I would get a tap off of the board for one camera and I would just use camera mic on the other camera. Most of the time live sound mixers will mute open mics once a performance has ended in anticipation of the applause and you probably could use the camera mic's pickup of the applause and for other times when the master output is muted from the board.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Dan

My thanks to Dan and everyone else for your suggestions and comments.
This was by far the very best audio we have had from this location. I was given a section on the main board with 2 XLR outputs to my cam and the freedom to adjust the inputs from all the mikes that were set up. Two outputs to my cam but both were identical mono. That way I could set my two channels at different levels to cover unexpected peaks and other things.

I could control the mix to my cam. For example: one mic for the solos, one for the piano, several for the main choir, one for a trio, etc.,etc. So I was free to do my own adjusting. Thanks so much. This is the way to go. excellent suggestion

I think we are starting to use Dan's thread as a Q and A thread, instead of a suggestion thread for his column.

I think we are starting to use Dan's thread as a Q and A thread, instead of a suggestion thread for his column.
Chris, Is this good or bad ?????

Anything that results in subjects I can write the column about are fine with me.

Thanks all.

Dan

Dan: I haven't seen the mag up here since I last wrote. I assume it is still in publication from the discussion on here...

Hey if Dan is jiggy with it, who am I to say anything... I just felt it needed to be raised is all... carry on...

Shaun:

As far as I know, they are still around. Since you are in Canada, might be glitches in getting issues up there. I will ask my editor what the deal is. Hopefully they are healthy, I keep expecting to receive that phone call since so many of the trade magazines are going belly up and digital only. The are a paid subscription magazine, not a freebie like all of the other industry mags.

I have two articles in the upcoming February issue and have already turned in my articles for the April/May issue. Hmm...you do know that they only publish every other month, right?

Dan

Hmm...you do know that they only publish every other month, right?

Dan

Perhaps that's the issue since the last issue seemed to be particularly early... Thanks for the insight Dan. Quite enjoy the mag in general and you articles specifically.