First Wedding, some ?'s
 

Ok, I am taking my XH G1 that I got last night to a wedding I was hired to do tomorrow and need some advice. Now before you all smash your monitor and say you are crazy let me explain. I am the hired photographer, and I have done many weddings. I am not the videographer by any means and only asked if I could take some footage to use for some later marketing. The Bride to be cried and says this is an answer to prayers, the only one who was going to video the ceremony with his old camcorder couldnt get a new battery. I explained that this was only experimental, I could by no means guarantee anything but would let my wife shoot some of the ceromony from a tripod.

Now with that said, I have the XH G1 and a Good HD Video tripod, and so far am learning the camera fine. I dont have any audio though, and although my intentions are to mix stills and a little video to music, was hoping to get a little of the vows to mix in.

Any sugestions on a way to do this with only the use of local stores. I will be ordering the wireless set ups you guys have sugested, but wont be here before tomorrow. I was wondering about radioshack or walmart for a digital voice recorder just to use for now.

I should add this wedding is not at a church, it is at a reception hall so like with many weddings going to be a new experience.

I have shot many receptions here, but never a wedding and never been in the room where this wedding is going to be.

Any sugestions would be appreciated, original plan was to set up on a tripod and just have wife guard it, but wouldnt mind putting a little more into it now that she has nothing else.

Denny

Denny,
If you can't borrow or rent a good wireless lav (I like Audio Technica), go to radio shack and buy theirs (cheap) and hope for the best. Put it on the groom and hook the receiver up to the cam or portable recorder (XLR or composite audio in). Or, you can get a hardwire mic/stand placed right in front of the minister and run it directly into your cam (assuming XLR inputs). For camera position, I'd put the tripod to the right (as you are looking toward the wedding party from the audience) and slightly behind the minister so you get a view of the bride's face and most of the groom. When they turn to the minister, you'll get both (bride's most important). You'll also be able to get the procession as they come in. Elevation is good too (stage, platform) so the cam angle isn't hindered by the standing wedding party. If you can place the cam behind a flower arrangement to hide it a little without spoiling the cam's view, that would be good too (as a photographer, I'm sure you will appreciate that, eh). I call this position one. Make sure you let the cam run continuous to capture audio. Having an external audio recorder is a really good idea but you'll have to mount a mic somewhere (mic stand if hardwired). Test before use of course. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Randy

Thanks Randy, I had the chance to work with a pro videographer last week, first time in 3 years it hasnt been "Uncle Joe" or 3 "Aunt Sussies" It was nice not to have them in all the pictures. I shoot from the back of the church with out flash out of the way, he also comented on it was nice not to be in eachothers way. From what I can tell, there is no pros around me, this guy came from a town quite a ways away to do this.

Denny, if IRiver hadn't stopped producing their IFP7xx/8xx series recorders, you caould have just gone into Best Buy or Circuit City and picked up one of those units and used a lav mic with a 1/8 input. But IRiver redesigned the unit without a mic input so that plan is scratched for you.

Unfortunately there isn't really any viable digital recorder (because they won't have a mic input on the unit) out there for you to get spur of the moment from local stores in remote areas.

However, if you have a Guitar center near you, then you could maybe see if they have an Edirol R09 (which may only be web order only), or M-Audio Microtrack (which I know is carried in their stores).
The Microtrack is a good unit, not as good as the R09 but good (especially with the latest firmware). It has separate balanced 1/4 TRS inputs as well as 1/8 mini plug input (which you could use for a lav mic) and records to Flash cards.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pro..._sku=103311981

You could plug in a lav mic, do a sound level test on the groom (lock the unit to prevent it from turning off then place the lav mic on his lapel, put the unit in his breast pocket, then sync up the audio in post.

There is no place around to buy or rent a lav wireless system, I went to radio shack and theirs felt so cheap and for $49.00 for the kit, we all know what your getting. I did get a tie clip mike ($25.00) and a Olympus WS-310M digital voice recorder that was on sale for $180.00 I know this isnt the ideal setup but if I can get some of the vows etc for my video/slideshow highlights will be happy till I can order the wireless setup Monday.

I have lucked up and have 4 weddings left this year and all of them are the smaller package which will give me some free time, and my extra shooter to play with this video some.

Just curious as to why you say the Microtrack is not as good? You can buy them for about $60 cheaper and they have TRS and balanced line inputs (2) that the R09 doesn't. Plus they can record up to 96kHz. The Edirol does have it's advantages like a built it mic and maybe slightly smaller (slightly) but I don't think you can say the Microtrack isn't as good.

[/tirade] :)

Ok, I keep reading this owners manual and still confused, maybe someone can just sugest a setting for me to start with.


HD. or SD and what frame rate to start.

I will be making a DVD of this but doesnt have to be HD, what would you sugest for a wedding for a Newbie...

I first purchased a Microtrack, then bough an R09 and consiquently sold my Microtrack.
Yes, the MT does have better specs but it wasn't reliable for me in the field, and the battery run times with he internal USB rehcargable was a very bad oversight on M-Audio's part. Since I sold the MT, M-Audio has finally gotten the firmware right. But I still prefer the better user interface of the R09, as most all controls are outside of the unit (not burried in the menu), that has been glitch free from the moment I purchased it.

The R09 has been rock solid for me in all recording environments, as well as being smaller and easier to conceal if needed.

I also own a Zoom H4 with balanced XLR 1/4 inputs that supply 48v phantom power, whcih I use for more critical small recording setups.

Besides that, I also use an Edirol R4 (4 track recorder) for my critical 4 chanel concert work. Balanced inputs with switchable 48v phantom power, excellent pre amps, pucrhased a bussman modded unit with 80GB hard drive adn upgraded pre amps. Quiet and reliable as could be. but this unit is in a different catagory than the smaller MT, R09, or H4 units.

Don't get me wrong, the Microtrack has been improved in firmware updates (finally) since I owned mine, and does produce very good recorded sound. But for me in the field it was too unreliable compared to my R09. Also, I prefer my H4 because Zoom got it right the first time and went with balanced XLR inputs instead of 1/4 TRS inputs. That and I can run true 48v phantom power to my matched pair of Rode NT5's if I want in the field, which I can't do with the MT or R09.

Hey Denny,

I have an Olympus ws-100 digital voice recorder that I've been experimenting with as a backup to my wireless mics. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised.

Like the iRiver it allows you to connect a lav mic. When you're done recording it plugs directly into your computers' USB like a thumb drive.

I'm pretty sure I bought mine either at Radio Shack or Wal-Mart for about $90.

Here's some reviews from Epinions...

http://www.epinions.com/Olympus_WS_1...kin_id=3017930

That's a good point. I would prefer to have more controls on the outside of the MT. I hate messing with menus when I'm in a time crunch.

Yeah, that's one thing that I hate about the H4, as most of the controls (especially level adjustment) is menu driven. That's one thing that looks real better on the upcoming Zoom H2 recorder as the level adjustment controls are on the front of teh unit (as recessed buttons), also the unit will have 3 built in mic elements with the ability to record 5.1 surround if desired (for abour $199).

BTW, I used to live in Evergreen Colorodo 15 years or so ago. My sister and her fmily lived in your kneck of the woods in CO Springs for several years also. I eally miss it out there. Absolutely beautiful country and people.