My audio devices and demos..

[Clive McLaughlin]

Perhaps this is not the done thing on forums - revealing yourself as a person with a face, lol - but here is a video I did mostly for client confidence reasons outline and sampling my various audio options on a typical wedding day.

Some annoying workmen outside added to background noise at times I'm afraid. Sorry about that!

Audio Demo and Samples PIGMINTFILM Wedding Day Gear on Vimeo

[Peter Riding]

Perhaps this is not the done thing on forums - revealing yourself as a person with a face, lol

You're probably right. I found this when I offered to supply various vendors with portraits to use on their sites - cake makers and suchlike. They all ran a mile and the general consensus was that as soon as you are over the age of 23 / don't look good in a pair of speedos you should avoid having yourself online lest people subconsciously process all sorts of negative pigeon-holing stuff based solely on your appearance :- )

Other than that I've also played with putting public information films online but I've held back for fear of spooking potential clients - making them think that the whole process is more complicated and fraught than it really is. For example I did a series of photos showing how a lav is placed on the groom and how the recorder / transmitter is hidden. But I pulled it and now simply have a lav in my pocket wrapped around a Senny G3 transmitter and just pull it out at the last moment and ask them to wear it. I do often illustrate different audio sources though when doing face to face meetings.

If I did a video similar to your own I'd start with the best audio and work down - I think how you've got it at present doesn't give the best of first impressions. So start with a lav. But your lav appeared to be clipping a bit.

Then go to the on-cam mic to illustrate the other end of the scale - at the same time maybe pointing out that is the best audio a friend or relation with one wobbly handheld cam can hope to achieve.

I don't think the Rode on cam did you any favours in the video so saying that is the standard for most of the day ...... well maybe rethink on that.

The Tascam sounded noisy to me - is it always like that?

I'm processing a christening at the moment in which I've got 3 audio sources - a Senny G3 on the priest direct into the video cam, a Rode NTG2 on the cam from about 4 metres away from the priest direct into the video cam on a different XLR, and a Zoom H1 clamped nearby. The G3 wins by a huge margin. I may use a 1 minute clip from this to make the same points as you have (minus the table-top recorder in this case). People may relate to this "real world" scenario better.

Pete

[Steve Bleasdale]

What levels did you use for the rode? steve

[Clive McLaughlin]

The Tascam has some background noise of workmen outside - maybe this is what you are hearing.

I probably don’t have the best voice for sampling. Rather deep and incoherent at times.

i also have poor hearing, very bad in one ear. For this reason I’m not convinced I hear anything like what other people hear, so Please keep the comments coming.

In my book, all these bar the on-board audio are perfectly acceptable for weddings - but not for commercial.

[Noa Put]

I think for us this is a great comparison you are doing so we actually can hear how each recorder performs but if I understood you right you are using this for your clients as well?

My opinion is that brides don't care about which type of audio recorders we use and how they each sound, the only thing that I find valuable for them to know is that I use external recorders to improve sound and I use the worst case scenario letting them hear one sample of a before and after, so one with just the onboard mike and one recorder at the source. The only reaction I"m after is "wow, that sounds a lot better" and I"m setting the bar for any other competitor they will be visiting because they will listen how the voice recording will sound like.

I also think your sample you let your clients hear has to be perfect, having construction workers in the background is no excuse for bad sound, then you just wait untill it's absolutely silent. Also excusing yourself for out of focus shots is not done, remember, you are the guy filming their wedding and first impressions count.

But I personally found your comparison very interesting and in that case I don't mind the background sound or the out of focus shots :)

[Clive McLaughlin]

Some good points there Noa. I maybe overstated the purpose of this. I guess I wanted to hear for myself. Its the kind of thing I would look for online out of interest. As for clients. I’m not exactly sending this out as part of a promotional pack. More like Its going online, it will be in among my portfolio videos on vimeo. If a client happens to see it, my hope would be that it would do its job in making me look legit and provide extra confidence for those in doubt of my professionalism.

As for the work outside, I have to be honest - I didn’t hear it at the time, and had taken down all my gear by time I looked at the footage.

My bad but yea - might be best to call this an interesting test and leave it off anything official.

PS it only took a 30/45mins so no big deal. I’m glad you found it interesting.

[Clive McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Steve Bleasdale

What levels did you use for the rode? steve

I kept it on 0db and put it on high pass filter on. Does it not sound good?


How do people feel my little Sonys held up? £30 each.

[George Kilroy]

Your idea is useful and your intention understandable but as a videomaker your work defines you. Under no circumstance would I air any work that had such avoidable flaws and certainly not point them out especially as you have every opportunity to re-craft it - noisy background/out of focus image, people will judge you on what they see and may be inclined to think that if you find that acceptable in your promotional work, will you have the same low threshold of quality in your commissioned work.

This is not an attack and hopefully you see that and accept my comments as observations. If I were doing it I'd take great pains to get perfect sound and image. I'd also shoot it away from my own domestic setting so as not to look like a home hobbyist, which I'm sure your not but to a potential client it may look that way.

After 25+ years I've learned not to show anything that I'd be capable of technically correcting.

[Clive McLaughlin]

I’ve taken everything said on board - and you are right - until I redo it, I’ll not let it go live.

Good advice folks - I was guilty of not wanting to waste work, but you are correct - my standards ought to be higher.

For the benefits of this thread, I’ll leave it up but password protected.

Password : audio