How far do you go to secure your audio?

Noa Put · December 9th, 2015, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clive McLaughlin

THATS NOT WHAT HE'S ASKING!!!!!'

You can be sure that was what I was asking :D

I would not interrupt either and the furthest I go is when I see someone getting ready for a speech at the venue is to tell them to wait for my signal before they start speaking.

Steve Bleasdale · December 9th, 2015, 04:02 AM

Happened to me during a ceremony, so i waited for a moment the priest moved away slightly and stopped what he was doing for a brief moment and i just simply walked up and i then moved in with a zoom h1 and a voice recorder and dropped in two pockets and then just said sorry sir and smiled. It was OK then i apologized after and the priest was OK thankfully.

Peter Rush · December 9th, 2015, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

I would never intercede or interrupt a Ceremony or Speeches to secure my audio. Maybe in between Speeches I'll jump in, but never ever for the Ceremony. That's why I'm blooming careful setting up audio beforehand, as I know there are no 2nd chances.

I would never interfere in a ceremony but last season the groom decided to ditch the mic for speeches saying 'can everyone hear me?' and as they all shouted 'yes' I shouted 'but I need it for the video mate' and so he kept on using it.

Ever since then I have reverted to putting a lav also on all the speakers for speeches however at a recent venue the mixer only had a headphone out that buzzed badly, and so I thought I would be OK with my lav mics plus a recorder strapped to the house microphone but the PA was so loud and booming it rendered all my audio pretty much useless - the loudest PA I've ever heard!

Roger Gunkel · December 9th, 2015, 06:47 AM

I always use pocket recorders for the ceremony usually on the groom, as I have found wireless only to be occasionally unreliable. Pocket recorders are by far the safest, although I usually place a wireless mic nearby going to one of the cameras. The other advantage with pocket recorders is that they are cheap to buy and can be switched on and left if needs be, without any worry about recording time, range or interference.

For the speeches, again always a pocket recorder for reliability with a wireless backup. In the UK, speeches are invariably from the top table so I usually put two recorders close to the speakers, with a stereo lav clipped to a close flower arrangement, to avoid thumps from the table. It always picks up the speakers best, but also reaction from guests at a lower level which I think adds to the atmosphere. I never rely on the house mic system if there is one, as so few people seem to know how to use a mic, either holding it too far away or having it right on their mouth and overloading it, then of course there are the usual flat mic batteries and general system distortion.

Roger

Clive McLaughlin · December 9th, 2015, 09:41 AM

This is why I have backup static camcorders. On one occasion this past season the speeches had started and I suddenly realised I hadn't set the recorder on the mic to 'record'. But rather than stopping the speakers I just downed camera, pulled another recorder out and casually walked past the top table setting it on the table top in front of the speaker. I then did fly bys of the top table moving the recorder along.

Not a bad solution really.

Rob Cantwell · December 9th, 2015, 07:58 PM

I would be in the 'don't interfere' camp, we've had audio problems in the past, most were operator error! when it's happened and I actually noticed it I just let it run and hoped the onboard mics would capture something useful.
In the army we had a saying during drill 'right or wrong, remain steady' I would also apply this to ceremony or speeches, thankfully these days I have redundancy built in to my setup so one less thing to get too anxious about.

Roger Gunkel · December 10th, 2015, 05:22 AM

Really the question of what to do if you are not getting audio is not something that should be encountered in one off shoots. You should think of it as a parachute jump, you don't get a second chance to get it right! So just like skydiving, check your gear thoroughly, know exactly what you intend to do and always have a useable reserve.

Roger

Noa Put · December 10th, 2015, 05:46 AM

Last year when I had to forfeit a few weddings because of my backproblems one of my weddings was taken over by a videographer that specializes in corporate videos and he only had a few weddings under his belt. In the church he placed a tascam dr05 in front of the church speaker but they told him the speakers didn't work so he placed the recorder on the altar facing the priest, he only had another recorder with a lav on the groom. Not sure why he choose the altar instead of the lectern because if I had to choose I would find the family and friends speaking at the lectern more important.

But anyway, the ceremony starts and he notices the church speaker do work, does he go back to the altar to get the dr05 when possible? No he doesn't, he doesn't dare and just leaves it up there for the entire ceremony scr*wing up his sound recording. I otoh would have waited until the priest said his welcome word and then grab the recorder from the altar to place it in front of the speaker again.

December 9th, 2015, 04:02 AM	#17
Steve Bleasdale Trustee Join Date: May 2010 Location: England liverpool Posts: 1,343	Re: How far do you go to secure your audio? Happened to me during a ceremony, so i waited for a moment the priest moved away slightly and stopped what he was doing for a brief moment and i just simply walked up and i then moved in with a zoom h1 and a voice recorder and dropped in two pockets and then just said sorry sir and smiled. It was OK then i apologized after and the priest was OK thankfully.

December 9th, 2015, 06:47 AM	#19
Roger Gunkel Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: LIncolnshire, UK Posts: 2,213	Re: How far do you go to secure your audio? I always use pocket recorders for the ceremony usually on the groom, as I have found wireless only to be occasionally unreliable. Pocket recorders are by far the safest, although I usually place a wireless mic nearby going to one of the cameras. The other advantage with pocket recorders is that they are cheap to buy and can be switched on and left if needs be, without any worry about recording time, range or interference. For the speeches, again always a pocket recorder for reliability with a wireless backup. In the UK, speeches are invariably from the top table so I usually put two recorders close to the speakers, with a stereo lav clipped to a close flower arrangement, to avoid thumps from the table. It always picks up the speakers best, but also reaction from guests at a lower level which I think adds to the atmosphere. I never rely on the house mic system if there is one, as so few people seem to know how to use a mic, either holding it too far away or having it right on their mouth and overloading it, then of course there are the usual flat mic batteries and general system distortion. Roger

December 9th, 2015, 09:41 AM	#20
Clive McLaughlin Major Player Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Belfast Posts: 823	Re: How far do you go to secure your audio? This is why I have backup static camcorders. On one occasion this past season the speeches had started and I suddenly realised I hadn't set the recorder on the mic to 'record'. But rather than stopping the speakers I just downed camera, pulled another recorder out and casually walked past the top table setting it on the table top in front of the speaker. I then did fly bys of the top table moving the recorder along. Not a bad solution really.

December 9th, 2015, 07:58 PM	#21
Rob Cantwell Major Player Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Tipperary, Ireland Posts: 624	Re: How far do you go to secure your audio? I would be in the 'don't interfere' camp, we've had audio problems in the past, most were operator error! when it's happened and I actually noticed it I just let it run and hoped the onboard mics would capture something useful. In the army we had a saying during drill 'right or wrong, remain steady' I would also apply this to ceremony or speeches, thankfully these days I have redundancy built in to my setup so one less thing to get too anxious about. __________________ http://www.robertcantwell.com

December 10th, 2015, 05:22 AM	#22
Roger Gunkel Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: LIncolnshire, UK Posts: 2,213	Re: How far do you go to secure your audio? Really the question of what to do if you are not getting audio is not something that should be encountered in one off shoots. You should think of it as a parachute jump, you don't get a second chance to get it right! So just like skydiving, check your gear thoroughly, know exactly what you intend to do and always have a useable reserve. Roger

December 10th, 2015, 05:46 AM	#23
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: How far do you go to secure your audio? Last year when I had to forfeit a few weddings because of my backproblems one of my weddings was taken over by a videographer that specializes in corporate videos and he only had a few weddings under his belt. In the church he placed a tascam dr05 in front of the church speaker but they told him the speakers didn't work so he placed the recorder on the altar facing the priest, he only had another recorder with a lav on the groom. Not sure why he choose the altar instead of the lectern because if I had to choose I would find the family and friends speaking at the lectern more important. But anyway, the ceremony starts and he notices the church speaker do work, does he go back to the altar to get the dr05 when possible? No he doesn't, he doesn't dare and just leaves it up there for the entire ceremony scr*wing up his sound recording. I otoh would have waited until the priest said his welcome word and then grab the recorder from the altar to place it in front of the speaker again.