Big thanks for everybody's help so far. I have had a broadcast sound mixer I know look over it, rewriter some bits and hopefully incorporates all the comments people have made.

If anyone has any energy for a final look that would be great. Bear in mind this is a beginners guide to location sound recording geared towards documentary. It is therefore sometimes a little more pragmatic than people working at your level may like;).

Rough Guide to Location Sound Recording - iContact Video Network: Community and Citizens Video, Bristol, UK (http://www.icontactvideo.org/rough-guide-to-location-sound-recording)

To recap as well as being a beginners guide it is also talks about the importance of having a dedicated sound technician.

"It is easy to get carried away with the visual side of filmmaking and let sound take second place; this is a big mistake. Generally sound is as important as picture and sometimes even more so. While picture can grab us emotionally it remains detached and outside the body. Sound by its very nature can be subtle and subconscious or even felt physically. It gets inside you, vibrates you and grabs you emotionally from within. It is almost impossible to be totally immersed and feel something is truly real with images alone, but shut your eyes and listen to a high quality sound design and you will feel that you are actually there........"

That's a nice guide that works just right for the level you're shooting for.

I disagree with laying in a roomtone track underneath an entire interview. You are effectively doubling the ambient noise for the entire thing, and will still notice the change in ambient level at points where you have introduced gaps.

I cut in roomtone just in the gaps, so the ambient level in consistent. I also duplicate any compression/EQ effects I use in the interview track on the roomtone.

On a side note ... nice job with the web page construction.

I would suggest moving your anchor points up a few lines so that index links only bring the required section most of the way to the top of the page. It's just something that is more comfortable to the eye when compared to being at the very top of the browser display window.

Hope this makes sense.

Andrew

Really comprehensive - and understandable!

A very helpful reference guide.

How about a section on radio mikes - and particularly the issues of frequencies as they are changing in the UK?

Sean

I may be mistaken, but aren't "Wild Tracks" when you have the talent say the line again without shooting video so you can use them for micro ADR fixes? In the guide you say that Stereo mics are for wild tracks. I think you would want to use the same mic you used for the rest of the shots - either a Hyper or a Shotgun.

I'm skimming the guide. Some comments:

Nobody purchases new minidisc equipment anymore, so I'd remove the suggestion of MD for cost savings.

Other threads disagree with the advice that it's best to get a signal from the mixing desk; many pros prefer micing a speaker instead because it eliminates the possibility of the mixer operator not adjusting levels for your special output correctly, or accidentally disconnecting it completely.

>Rode also do excellent traditional XLR shotgun microphones (NT1, NT2 and NT3; get the best you can afford).

Did you mean the NTG series instead of the NT series?

>Bear in mind that although a lot of laveliers have a 3 pin stereo jack they cannot be connected to stereo mic inputs on camcorders or the cheaper solid state recorders.

These days every device I own with a 1/8" microphone jack provides approx 5V power: several audio recorders, all computers, cell phone, itouch, etc. It's best to check, but since owners manuals for 1/8" devices rarely discuss microphone powering, the only way to check may be to try it out. Also note that some people get uptight about using the phrase "phantom" in reference to lower voltages, so probably best to call it line powered or "plug in power"

Thanks for making this guide!

I'm skimming the guide. Some comments:

Nobody purchases new minidisc equipment anymore, so I'd remove the suggestion of MD for cost savings.



I still use a MiniDisc for 3rd track or backup, especially for stage productions. However, I agree that I wouldn't buy a replacement when it finally gives up on me.