Mic the bride? at DVinfo.net

Michael Silverman · June 18th, 2015, 09:52 PM

I've never given much thought to putting a mic on the bride simply because it seems like it would be very intrusive to wire them up. However, I just saw this new device which got me thinking more about it:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/i...ophones#/story

It looks like this would work very well since it's white, relatively small, it records in uncompressed format, and has no wire. You can then control the levels via Bluetooth 4.0 using a smart phone.

I normally have a G3 system on the groom as well as another one on the officiant and turn the volume up a little bit when the bride speaks. However, if the bride is really quiet then I have to turn up the levels on the groom's mic which raises the background noise quite a bit. It's usually not a big deal, but sometimes it creates a noticeable difference in the bride's audio versus the groom's audio. If I used one of these on the bride (and maybe another on the groom) then this could be a big help to getting a similar sound from both of them.

What do you all think?

Adrian Tan · June 19th, 2015, 12:20 AM

Didn't think of that use -- have now ordered one to try it out! I could also see it being an option when you have to mic up a female who doesn't have any pockets or belt (eg, female celebrants, or, when you're desperate, female speakers at reception). And it could be a good safety in case of windy outdoor weddings.

That said, I'm a little sceptical. I guess my main concerns are:

-- method of attachment. Wasn't clear to me that it comes with a clip, and I don't know that Velcro, magnet or tape are ideal. I think Ray Roman coils a lav mic around a small Olympus recorder and sticks it in the bride's bosom. But what do you do with this one? Clip it to the outside of the dress somewhere, potentially "spoiling" the dress? Or, even if you could clip it to her bra underneath the dress, would that create a bulge in her dress?

-- whether the hassle is worth it -- one more thing to charge and set up; and, more importantly, hassling bride when she's all emotional before she walks into church and fishing around in her top when, to be honest, I've been satisfied with my existing sound setup (usually relying on groom lav) for all the weddings I've filmed.

But thanks for suggesting this use! Will see...

Pete Cofrancesco · June 21st, 2015, 04:56 AM

Neat gadget seems too good to be true but I'd love to hear back from someone after a real world test drive. Looks like they only have an iphone app available, unfortunately I'm on android.

Christian Nachtrieb · June 21st, 2015, 11:47 AM

We mic about 90% of our brides, makes a world of difference. We used to use the tiny Countryman B6 mic's but switch recently to the Tram mic just because we like the sound better.

Michael Silverman · July 20th, 2015, 10:05 PM

Christian, what do you use to record the bride's audio? Could you post a frame grab or a video to show what the mic looks like when clipped onto the bride's dress? Do you ask one of the bridesmaids to wire her up or do you do it yourself?

I've been concerned that the bride would feel that this is too invasive and I wouldn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. However, I've seen some new pieces of gear like the Tascam DR-10CS and the Instamic and I've been thinking about it a little more.

Christian Nachtrieb · July 31st, 2015, 07:07 AM

Hey Michael,

Sorry I didn't check back until just now!

The mic isn't clipped on, it's underneath her dress attached using a Rycote Overcover and then we add a small piece of white clothing tape beneath it to make sure it's secure. The lav cable hangs down and we attach it to an Olympus recorder that she wears around her thigh.

We ask a bridesmaid to help hold her dress up so it's out of the way when we attach the Olympus, but I'm the one doing the mic'ing always.

June 18th, 2015, 09:52 PM	#1
Michael Silverman Major Player Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Charlottesville Posts: 255	Mic the bride? I've never given much thought to putting a mic on the bride simply because it seems like it would be very intrusive to wire them up. However, I just saw this new device which got me thinking more about it: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/i...ophones#/story It looks like this would work very well since it's white, relatively small, it records in uncompressed format, and has no wire. You can then control the levels via Bluetooth 4.0 using a smart phone. I normally have a G3 system on the groom as well as another one on the officiant and turn the volume up a little bit when the bride speaks. However, if the bride is really quiet then I have to turn up the levels on the groom's mic which raises the background noise quite a bit. It's usually not a big deal, but sometimes it creates a noticeable difference in the bride's audio versus the groom's audio. If I used one of these on the bride (and maybe another on the groom) then this could be a big help to getting a similar sound from both of them. What do you all think?

June 19th, 2015, 12:20 AM	#2
Adrian Tan Trustee Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 1,149	Re: Mic the bride? Didn't think of that use -- have now ordered one to try it out! I could also see it being an option when you have to mic up a female who doesn't have any pockets or belt (eg, female celebrants, or, when you're desperate, female speakers at reception). And it could be a good safety in case of windy outdoor weddings. That said, I'm a little sceptical. I guess my main concerns are: -- method of attachment. Wasn't clear to me that it comes with a clip, and I don't know that Velcro, magnet or tape are ideal. I think Ray Roman coils a lav mic around a small Olympus recorder and sticks it in the bride's bosom. But what do you do with this one? Clip it to the outside of the dress somewhere, potentially "spoiling" the dress? Or, even if you could clip it to her bra underneath the dress, would that create a bulge in her dress? -- whether the hassle is worth it -- one more thing to charge and set up; and, more importantly, hassling bride when she's all emotional before she walks into church and fishing around in her top when, to be honest, I've been satisfied with my existing sound setup (usually relying on groom lav) for all the weddings I've filmed. But thanks for suggesting this use! Will see...

June 21st, 2015, 04:56 AM	#3
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 3,005	Re: Mic the bride? Neat gadget seems too good to be true but I'd love to hear back from someone after a real world test drive. Looks like they only have an iphone app available, unfortunately I'm on android.

June 21st, 2015, 11:47 AM	#4
Christian Nachtrieb Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 65	Re: Mic the bride? We mic about 90% of our brides, makes a world of difference. We used to use the tiny Countryman B6 mic's but switch recently to the Tram mic just because we like the sound better.

July 20th, 2015, 10:05 PM	#5
Michael Silverman Major Player Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Charlottesville Posts: 255	Re: Mic the bride? Christian, what do you use to record the bride's audio? Could you post a frame grab or a video to show what the mic looks like when clipped onto the bride's dress? Do you ask one of the bridesmaids to wire her up or do you do it yourself? I've been concerned that the bride would feel that this is too invasive and I wouldn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. However, I've seen some new pieces of gear like the Tascam DR-10CS and the Instamic and I've been thinking about it a little more.

July 31st, 2015, 07:07 AM	#6
Christian Nachtrieb Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 65	Re: Mic the bride? Hey Michael, Sorry I didn't check back until just now! The mic isn't clipped on, it's underneath her dress attached using a Rycote Overcover and then we add a small piece of white clothing tape beneath it to make sure it's secure. The lav cable hangs down and we attach it to an Olympus recorder that she wears around her thigh. We ask a bridesmaid to help hold her dress up so it's out of the way when we attach the Olympus, but I'm the one doing the mic'ing always.