A wedding audio observation

[John Harmon]

Originally Posted by James McEachern

John, I got the chance to use the EON's during a show and they were awesome! Very loud and clear! The video was great, the only thing I thought that was missing was a shot of you behind the board! Still seems like you have a great career going! I've had a bit of experince as a DJ for my school and it was fun! And it does take alot of talent and you've gotta have fun at doing it! I'd like to see the ipod being used as you've said, the only problem I see though is the gap between each song. But it must be better then a bad DJ!

James

Dig this:

http://www.numark.com/index.html?htt...overview&n=169

How cool is that?

The reason there were no behind-the-board shots was that the footage was taken from a wedding video someone else shot in 2003, on Hi8 no less. When we hire a new DJ, I sometimes get dispatched to shoot a demo, and the family ALWAYS wants the footage...

[Marc Colemont]

On any live event with music, speech or live band, my workaround, instead of putting up a mic close to the speakers, is to use a wireless microphone transmitter with adapter cables to Line input.
I ask the DJ or SoundMixer to give me the REC output connection or one of his matrix outputs. This way I always have high quality recording to my camera, and I can walk around freely. The on-board mic I still use on another channel to have the ambiant.
Make sure to bring along many convertor cables, since most of the time the sound guys are not quick in giving you their convertor cables (if they have) or the right output connection you need. XLR, Cinch, Din5, Phono 3.5 & 6.3,... are a necessity.
One day I was shooting a news-item for a local TV station of a band playing in town. The manager of the band insisted me to be there during the sound-check and to listen to my input on the camera to make sure the levels and audio quality was OK. Since he hated bad sound on TV reports, it made the band look bad. Which is very true.

[Steve House]

Depending on the mixer, the soundboard often will have one or more line level Aux Out or Tape Out sends that would be unused. Aux usually comes off after the input channel faders but before the main out fader, giving a constant line level regardless of how loud the DJ runs the PA. AUX outputs are often used to drive stage monitors for the band independently of the main mix. If one of them is free that would be the perfect place for you to tap in for a signal to your own mixer or direct to the camera that won't change in level as the DJ rides the main faders.

[James McEachern]

Originally Posted by John Harmon

Dig this:

http://www.numark.com/index.html?htt...overview&n=169

How cool is that?

The reason there were no behind-the-board shots was that the footage was taken from a wedding video someone else shot in 2003, on Hi8 no less. When we hire a new DJ, I sometimes get dispatched to shoot a demo, and the family ALWAYS wants the footage...

Got ya! That iPod set up is awesome! I'd like to get one of those! And nice job on shooting on Hi8, didn't notice it was shot on that!

James

[John Harmon]

Funny thing - tonight I shot at the very same venue where my DJ demo was done three years ago. I didn't recognize the name of the place, but I remembered it well once I got there.

I'm considering rigging a wireless audio link using the transmitter from my Shure wireless lav system. The only things I need to figure out are 1) how to adapt the typical RCA outputs to the 3-pin mini XLR jack on the transmitter, and 2) how to secure the modified receiver to a monopod, which I now use exclusively at the reception. This is what I do at the ceremony, in a post from last March:

My cordless lavalier system, the Shure Performer, is very good, but the receiver is a tabletop type, so it was only meant to be used with the furnished power supply. Last year, I hooked it to my Fostex MR-8 and recorded the vows separately, but since the camera can take a direct feed, I needed a way to make it happen. I fabricated a 12v power supply by purchasing an 8xAA battery holder from Radio Shack, along with a package of 9v battery clips (the holder has 9v-style terminals). Cut off the plug from an old fried power supply, connected it to a 9v clip, taped it up, and now I had battery power for the receiver, but how to mount it on the tripod? Yes, there are products designed for that purpose, but they just plain cost too much, so I applied a little ghetto ingenuity. I went to Wal-Mart with no idea what I wanted - the plan was to wander the aisles until I found something, anything, that would hold the mic receiver to the tripod.

After touring the entire store, I wound up purchasing a small $3.00 plastic toolbox (approx. 15" x 7") that had a removable shelf inside with a handle, along with a jar of assorted bungee cords and a package of industrial-strength Velcro tape. Placed four pieces of the Velcro tape on the flat side of the plastic shelf (corresponding pieces were stuck to the bottom of the Shure receiver), strapped it to two legs of the tripod with two bungee cords (there are two grooves across the bottom of the shelf that the bungee cords fit perfectly inside) with the handle facing inward, then stuck the mic receiver on it. Velcroed the battery holder to the top of the receiver (which is now the side), wrapped one more bungee cord around the whole mess, pointed the antennas skyward, and voila! It ain't pretty, but it works...

Yeah, that works fine on a tripod, but how could I adapt it to the monopod? Remember, I'm a cheapskate...