Problem: Buzzing from the PA System

Any suggestions how to fix this in post? Despite having micced the groom and officiant well, I could not get any sound from the bride without boosting to a level where a sound room buzz can be heard. The buzz was pretty loud as it filled the whole room. This is the second time this has happened and it is becoming very annoying (last time was during speeches).

Here is an example of the problem:

Jamie and Khiem Same Day Edit on Vimeo

[Paul R Johnson]

I had trouble hearing a hum from the PA. I did hear a lot of room sound - but that just sounds like the mic on the bride being too far away - the damn music going up and down drove me mad! It's crazily loud, and really distracting. The bridegroom audio sounds good, but she's weak - and the whiring noise sounds like either aircon or even the camera? Was it a tape one? Unless the bride has the same miking as the groom, it's always going to sound different - but maybe you could post just a clip from her mic? Without the dreadful music.

[Edward Calabig]

Yeah honestly I used the music to mask the buzzing noise. Nope camera is a C100 and the audio was pulled off camera from an H6. Here are the first parts without the music:

Vimeo

I normally have my assistant ride the boost levels when she's speaking but boosting the levels would have made the buzzing even worse. We don't mic the bride due to the nature of weddings.

I'm thinking next time we tape a recorder to the mic. Otherwise, it is what it is as there is only so much we can prepare for and control.

[Tim Bakland]

I agree with Paul in that I would level out your music changes more (even if it means less volume overall with the music). The images are gorgeous and I don't think the buzz is as bad as you might think. Better to have a more predictable, even sound (with a little buzz) than a chaotic changing music level.

It's that darn mic they're using in the ceremony. Unless you tap straight into that, it's always going to be a downer. It always means: clear groom, echoey bride.

[Michael Bradshaw]

Any chance of a link for the audio file? I'll clean it up and then tell you how i did it.

M.

[Edward Calabig]

Oh man that would be awesome thanks! I'll PM you.

[Michael Bradshaw]

Downloading them now, I'll get back to you shortly.

[Michael Bradshaw]

Have emailed you links to the new files. Let me know if you don't get the email. Managed to remove the buzz so hopefully that helps.

M.

[Adrian Tan]

Michael, so how did you do it? :)

[Leon Bailey]

Was about to give some tips on how I did so, but it seems as if the problem has been solved. Would be interested to see other methods. :)

[Mark Whittle]

I noticed you have the lav mic high up on the groom's tie, close to his mouth. Great - for picking him up. But I tend to put the mic lower down, mid chest so that when the bride is standing there the mic is about the same distance from both of them. Run the mic a little hotter and you should get good clear sound from them both.
Sometimes with a tall groom and normal height bride, it picks up the bride louder than the groom!

I agree the background music was way too loud. I'd rather hear the buzz and be able to hear what they're saying.

Good visuals though man!

[Chris Harding]

I do that as well... a fair way down on the groom's lapel so his mouth distance is a roughly the same as the distance to the bride's mouth.

Another trick is to turn the lav upside down. I'm not sure why you do this and have never tried it but I have seen several posts on audio mention this ..Anyone know why it works better upside down?

I wonder if the recorder here wasn't set with AGC running ? I have accidentally left the camera XLR channel on auto gain and the Church/venue PA and the often loud priest has fooled the level control into thinking that the levels are loud enough and made the groom softer and the bride even worse. I usually set the groom's level quite high but below any distortion level so I get really nice bride audio, I have to often pull down the groom and priest audio down in the timeline but at least the bride level doesn't end up as a few tiny bumps in the timeline audio track you can hardly see and you end up having to lift it drastically along with all the other noise in the room too.

Chris

[Adrian Tan]

I've never tried it upside down, but I've heard of that technique as a way to prevent popping.

[Mark Whittle]

+1 for everything Chris said. Omnidirectional lapel mics are often placed upside down to reduce plosives. Bs & Ps, S, T, etc which create a massive pressure wave of air to the mic capsule. This shouldn't be necessary if the mic is 30cm away from the mouth.

While I think of it, if you ever work with people who use headset microphones, celebrants for example, they often position the mic incorrectly which obviously affects our audio as well if we are recording it. They usually put the mic right in front of their mouth, as this is where they get the loudest effect (important for P.A. use as less gain = less chance of feedback)

I "suggest" that they move the mic to the side so that they don't distort every word with a B or P in it. I have to tread lightly as some of these people resent being told they're "doing it wrong" but so many of them have pretty poor microphone skills. If I can gently correct them and show that it improves their intelligibility vastly, then everybody wins. The mic just sits on the cheek next to the mouth but not directly in the firing line.

Cheers

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Mark

Yeah often a celebrant can be over-loud and of course our lavs still pick up the crummy cheap sound as well. I'm always delighted when it's a smaller wedding and the celebrant only uses the PA for the music.

I have always had my mic the "right way up" and never had any pops but then again I always also place it down the lapel so it's unlikely to create any issues there.

The worst in Perth is St Mary's Cathedral!! All marble walls and floors and glass side panels..you can hardly hear what the priest is saying as the sound just bounces everywhere and sounds like a football stadium.

Chris