dance recital audio help... at DVinfo.net

Nikkii Gere · May 11th, 2007, 08:57 AM

hello...i will be taping my first dance recital in a few weeks and am looking for some solid advice concerning the audio - i've been reading over previous threads for the past few days and my head is reeling...

here's the basic info:
2 recitals - each approx. 2 1/2 hrs - both on same day
will be shooting with my vx2100 - working on getting a 2nd camera (crossing fingers)
using my audio-technica AT897 for ambient/room sound/applause
will be editing on imac g5 with fcp4

what is the best device to use to hook into the sound board?? i DO own a bechtek and thought about simply plugging into my camera...however, the soundroom in enclosed and i have no idea how close to it i'll be...ugh.
truthfully, i suck at audio - i generally make "experimental" silent films with little or no ("real-time") audio...

also, i don't want to invest a ton of money - i'm only profiting off of dvds that are sold and have no idea how many will be (my kids dance in both shows so i figure, eh, at least i'll have that :) )

thanx ahead of time,
nikkii g.

Ken Gilford · May 11th, 2007, 10:17 AM

Vikki,
with the vx2100 you can come right off the sound board into the mic input. You probably have to change the mic switch to line depending on the impedance match. I do this with mine all the time. Get yourself a long cord for the distance. Just make sure to tape it down in traffic areas.

You could also have the sound man record to CD or tape and edit it in afterwards. I've done that too.

Good luck.

Patrick Courtnage · May 11th, 2007, 11:07 AM

You should also find out if the any tap numbers will take place. I have done numerous dance recitals and one of the most difficult things is recording good sound of the tap dancers. Usually I will run a shotgun mic right near the stage and have it record to an M-audio digital recorder. This might be out of your price range, but an alternative would be to see if a mic could be set near or on the stage and then ran to the mixer board. You can then figure out a way to record that audio feed. A laptop can be a good tool to use when recording audio feeds.

Hope some of this helps.

Dave Blackhurst · May 11th, 2007, 11:10 AM

Always handy to have a second source - ambient audio can be pretty rough. and if you're using a feed into the camera recording... you won't get ambient either. You might think about having the sound man record or burn a CD (beware the evils of "casette" recordings - blech!), or if you have a MP3 player like an Iriver with recording input, that's not a bad option - just have to have a few common connectors and a few minutes to work out a feed from the board.

Just a couple ideas for you!

DB>)

Waldemar Winkler · May 12th, 2007, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikkii Gere

hello...i will be taping my first dance recital in a few weeks and am looking for some solid advice concerning the audio - i've been reading over previous threads for the past few days and my head is reeling...

here's the basic info:
2 recitals - each approx. 2 1/2 hrs - both on same day
will be shooting with my vx2100 - working on getting a 2nd camera (crossing fingers)
using my audio-technica AT897 for ambient/room sound/applause
will be editing on imac g5 with fcp4

what is the best device to use to hook into the sound board?? i DO own a bechtek and thought about simply plugging into my camera...however, the soundroom in enclosed and i have no idea how close to it i'll be...ugh.
truthfully, i suck at audio - i generally make "experimental" silent films with little or no ("real-time") audio...

also, i don't want to invest a ton of money - i'm only profiting off of dvds that are sold and have no idea how many will be (my kids dance in both shows so i figure, eh, at least i'll have that :) )

thanx ahead of time,
nikkii g.

Don't invest any more money. Record ambient as you plan. Get a copy of the soundtrack and sync both in post. Adjust volume as necessary.

I shoot recitals with three cameras (looking to get a fourth). Two cameras have an audio feed from the sound board, and one camera uses ambient audio. For audio, two stereo feeds are used. Ambient to transition between pieces and sound board feed for everything else. Subsitute my sound board feeds for your CD feeds. The difference is I don't have to sync audio. You do.

Kit Hannah · May 13th, 2007, 03:54 AM

We use Sennheiser E835 dynamic mics to record (usually on a G2 wireless) and they sound absolutely fantastic. We do sound, lighting and video on a fairly large scale. As a sound company, we will no longer allow people to get a feed from our board, as the last external video company that hooked into our board blew the board up. We sent them a sub feed and even asked them to "make sure the phantom power is turned off". Dumbass smoked 2 of our subs and the left master.

I have not found anything that gives me a cleaner sound than the 835's, especially with the wireless, since you can adjust the gain going in.

Just my 2 cents.

Dawn Brennan · May 14th, 2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick Courtnage

You should also find out if the any tap numbers will take place. I have done numerous dance recitals and one of the most difficult things is recording good sound of the tap dancers. Usually I will run a shotgun mic right near the stage and have it record to an M-audio digital recorder. This might be out of your price range, but an alternative would be to see if a mic could be set near or on the stage and then ran to the mixer board. You can then figure out a way to record that audio feed. A laptop can be a good tool to use when recording audio feeds.

Hope some of this helps.

Great suggestions. I am a teacher at a dance studio and I am taping our recital as well. I thought about the tap numbers and wondered what others do for this. I do not have additional shotgun mic, but i might just set up an additional camera near the front of the stage, simply to aim for the tap sounds, not for the video. The only other thing I can think of is my Senn Wireless, and I don't think that will work because the recitals are 2 1/2 hours each and the batteries might not last. Thanks.

Mark Holland · May 14th, 2007, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick Courtnage

... one of the most difficult things is recording good sound of the tap dancers...

I've used a pair of Samson Airline Micro transmitters. They have a built-in omni mic that works well in this situation. They get "gaffer taped" to the stage front and they pick up great tap sounds. Shoot them thru a small mixer along with the house feed, and you've got some good audio! The Samsons also act as back-up in case the house feed fails, and as a bonus, you get to hear the audience's reactions to the performance. Time isn't a problem, as they'll operate for 12 or so hours on a single AAA. (But I'd change them out between shows.)

Mark

May 11th, 2007, 08:57 AM	#1
Nikkii Gere Tourist Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: monroe, michigan Posts: 3	dance recital audio help... hello...i will be taping my first dance recital in a few weeks and am looking for some solid advice concerning the audio - i've been reading over previous threads for the past few days and my head is reeling... here's the basic info: 2 recitals - each approx. 2 1/2 hrs - both on same day will be shooting with my vx2100 - working on getting a 2nd camera (crossing fingers) using my audio-technica AT897 for ambient/room sound/applause will be editing on imac g5 with fcp4 what is the best device to use to hook into the sound board?? i DO own a bechtek and thought about simply plugging into my camera...however, the soundroom in enclosed and i have no idea how close to it i'll be...ugh. truthfully, i suck at audio - i generally make "experimental" silent films with little or no ("real-time") audio... also, i don't want to invest a ton of money - i'm only profiting off of dvds that are sold and have no idea how many will be (my kids dance in both shows so i figure, eh, at least i'll have that :) ) thanx ahead of time, nikkii g.

May 11th, 2007, 10:17 AM	#2
Ken Gilford Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 32	Sound for vx2100 Vikki, with the vx2100 you can come right off the sound board into the mic input. You probably have to change the mic switch to line depending on the impedance match. I do this with mine all the time. Get yourself a long cord for the distance. Just make sure to tape it down in traffic areas. You could also have the sound man record to CD or tape and edit it in afterwards. I've done that too. Good luck.

May 11th, 2007, 11:07 AM	#3
Patrick Courtnage New Boot Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: None Posts: 20	You should also find out if the any tap numbers will take place. I have done numerous dance recitals and one of the most difficult things is recording good sound of the tap dancers. Usually I will run a shotgun mic right near the stage and have it record to an M-audio digital recorder. This might be out of your price range, but an alternative would be to see if a mic could be set near or on the stage and then ran to the mixer board. You can then figure out a way to record that audio feed. A laptop can be a good tool to use when recording audio feeds. Hope some of this helps.

May 11th, 2007, 11:10 AM	#4
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	Always handy to have a second source - ambient audio can be pretty rough. and if you're using a feed into the camera recording... you won't get ambient either. You might think about having the sound man record or burn a CD (beware the evils of "casette" recordings - blech!), or if you have a MP3 player like an Iriver with recording input, that's not a bad option - just have to have a few common connectors and a few minutes to work out a feed from the board. Just a couple ideas for you! DB>)

May 13th, 2007, 03:54 AM	#6
Kit Hannah Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fresno, California Posts: 528	We use Sennheiser E835 dynamic mics to record (usually on a G2 wireless) and they sound absolutely fantastic. We do sound, lighting and video on a fairly large scale. As a sound company, we will no longer allow people to get a feed from our board, as the last external video company that hooked into our board blew the board up. We sent them a sub feed and even asked them to "make sure the phantom power is turned off". Dumbass smoked 2 of our subs and the left master. I have not found anything that gives me a cleaner sound than the 835's, especially with the wireless, since you can adjust the gain going in. Just my 2 cents.