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-   -   All Things Audio -- topics from 2002 thru 2004 (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-things-audio/5703-all-things-audio-topics-2002-thru-2004-a.html)

Gints Klimanis October 25th, 2003 10:41 PM

Good observation. It would be better to go with a pure delay (no feedback) effect that would allow a higher delay resolution. The effect of adding two audio signals when one is delayed has both a significant transient and steady-state response. Above a certain amount of roughly 20 mS, the two signal are perceived as echos. This is the transient response. Below that amount, usually only the coloration is heard. For any delay amount, there will be a steady state coloration caused by a series of uniformly spaced notches in the frequency response. The longer the delay, the lower the spacing of the notches. For a one sample delay, the effect is a mild (single zero, -6dB/octave attenuation) low pass filter. It's important to listen to both sharp sounds and steady state sounds, in addition to comparing the stereo field. Varying the delay amount will trade off one echo perception, coloration, stereo field. This may help explain why you preferred the sound of two frames even though three was closer to your physical setup.

Stephen Sobel October 27th, 2003 05:58 PM

DM-50 question
 
I just got the DM-50 mic for my GL2 camcorder. I know the windsock is appropriate when I'm outside. Should I use it as a manner of course when videotaping indoors as well? Specifically middle school basketball and choir concerts?

G. Lee Gordon October 31st, 2003 05:19 PM

LAV. Mic's
 
I need some advice on a good Lav Mic setup. I was considering Senheisser (excuse my spelling but you know what I mean), but a vidoegrapher friend of mine told me to check out the Audio Technica?

Mike Rehmus October 31st, 2003 11:30 PM

Where are you going to use them? General use or movies or?

Tram, Sony, AT, Senn, and others make good ones. But they all apply better in some situations than others.

Adam Kay November 1st, 2003 12:48 PM

newbie question
 
ive noticed a lot of camcorders have either 12 bit 4channel or 16 bit 2 channel. my question is this is it possible on some camcorders to use the 12 bit mode and have 2 stereo mics? either by having one as the built in mic and one external plugged into the mic socket or 2 external.

Mike Rehmus November 1st, 2003 06:12 PM

AFAIK, you can only record to one stereo channel at a time. The other channel is for inserted sound.

You also can normally only transfer one of the stereo channels at a time IIRC.

Jared Akers November 5th, 2003 12:01 PM

Mobile solution.
 
I've been cruising these posts for days and there's so many options or ways of recording audio I'm not sure which way to go.

I have a Canon XL1s, no MA-100/200

I'm going to be shooting interviews in bars and also a "game show" type setup. I've found that the onboard mic for the XL1s is GREAT and very directional, although I'd like to have more control over the audio. It just scares me a little to think that is my only source of sound for the productions. I think the onboard mic will work fine for the interviews but for the other scenerio I was thinking maybe two shotgun mics on stands ( out of frame ) and recording to an external source such as a laptop or dat.

If I use a laptop, I do have an Omni I/O breakout box but need to find some type of USB/Firewire solution for it, possibly the Omni Quatro but don't really have the extra $$$.

If I use 2 shotgun mics on booms or stands should I just record directly into the XL1s or a dat, minidisc, laptop, etc. ? If I use an external sound recorder, do I still use the onboard mic?

I know this is a lot of questions and info, sorry.. I'm just looking for any suggestions for a newbie. I'm not against looking up all the info for myself, I know everything I need is more than likely here on the board already but I'm running out of time and need a solution quick.

Thanks,
jared

Dan Measel November 7th, 2003 10:15 AM

sound forge 7.0 vs studio 6.0
 
I am going to buy some sofware to help fix up some audio in a project of mine. There are a lot of threads discussing sound forge and how good it is, but I am having trouble figuring out which they are talking about. On the SF (sony) website they have Sound Forge 7.0 and Sound Forge Studio 6.0 listed with a significant price difference. If I want to remove back ground noise and improve some other dialogue that was recorded with the mic too far away which product do I need? I don't mind spending the money on 7.0 but don't want to if the Studio 6.0 can do what I want. I'll download the demos and try them out but thought someone here might be able to steer me in the right direction and save me some time. Thanks as always for you input.

Mike Rehmus November 8th, 2003 01:08 AM

Regardless of the version, you will have to buy the add-on Noise Reduction filter to make Sound Forge remove noise.

Mike Rehmus November 8th, 2003 01:18 AM

Some of the answer depends on how noisy the environment is where you will be recording.

Shotguns aren't really made for noisy environments. They can quickly be overwhelmed and deliver bad sound.

My first choice for an interview in a noisy environment would be a wired lavaliere. Second choice, if one doesn't mind the microphone in the shot is a hand-held 'interview' microphone. Those are long and have a small head.

Instead of 2 shotguns which really won't bring you any advantage with a single interviewee, if the environment is quiet enough to use a shotgun, get someone to handle the shotgun in a shockmount. Something like the Light Wave Systems supermount which is easy to manage and aim. Then hire yourself someone at minimum wage to hold it. That requires minimum skills as opposed to putting the microphone on a boom pole. You really cannot depend on your untrained talent to stay in the focus point of a shotgun on a stand. Even sitting they can move enough to affect the sound.

Game shows are either boomed or the people use lavalieres. Wireless lavalieres.

Dan Lahav November 12th, 2003 05:49 PM

Rode NT4
 
Does anyone use this microphone? I'm a newbie planning on getting a DVX100 pretty soon. I've heard mixed reviews about the SenheisserME66 so I heard this was a good step up? Is this true? How would I mount this? Thanks.

Bryan Beasleigh November 12th, 2003 05:56 PM

The NT4 is a stereo mic and huge by standards. Not something you'd want to carry on an everyday basis. Dave largent does and he explains it in a post.

Do a search on "NT4" , you''ll come upwith 11 hits

Marco Leavitt November 12th, 2003 09:46 PM

B&H picks up Sound Devices
 
Finally! Too bad it didn't happen sooner. I could have saved some money.

Dave Stewart November 16th, 2003 08:45 PM

Miking a monitor
 
Has anyone tried putting a microphone on a mike stand and miking one of the audio monitors? I've been asked to do a wedding and only have one wireless mike - a handheld. I have another lav mike, but the receiver is not a camera mountable type. I thought that if they have house sound, I could just place a mike in front of one of the speakers.

Robert Butler November 17th, 2003 10:38 AM

ATR55 mic mono?
 
I think this issue has been mentioned before, but I couldn't find the thread. Anyway, I borrowed a friend's ATR55, and it only seems to record on the left channel. Is there some kind of on-camera setting that will activate both channels? This isn't a "mono" mic, is it? Oh, and for the record, I'm using it with a GL2.

This mic is only temporary, for I intend to "trade up" later (maybe Santa will be kind to me this year). I'd like to have this problem cleared up anyway, in case it happens with whatever mic I get later.

Mike Rehmus November 17th, 2003 11:36 AM

I do it quite frequently. I use a Shure Beta58 with a wireless plug-on transmitter. One could use a wired microphone if necessary but that's a lot of wire and limits movement.

I lay the microphone on the top of the monitor with the ball-end sticking out over the top lip of the monitor. I then tape the microphone to the top of the monitor with Gaffer's tape after first asking the owner if it is OK. The ball is covered with a fuzzy wind screen to avoid pumping noises (Monitors can move a LOT of air) and to avoid vibration where the microphone contacts the monitor case.

I've tried this with a lav and it failed miserably. The microphone element was overloaded and distorted badly.

I think a dynamic microphone is the best choice in these situations.

Matt Gettemeier November 17th, 2003 09:04 PM

The ATR-55 is a mono mic... you'll find that MOST shotguns are mono... a cheap-junk stereo shotgun may be out there, but for the most part stereo shotguns are VERY high dollar... even an me66 is mono... some cams can combine the L/R inputs but if not then there's an adapter from RadioShack that'll do it... otherwise just click "duplicate left" in your audio properties of that clip in the timeline.

I started out with ATR-55's and you'll be blown away when you go to an me66 or similar mic of that class... (if not better).

Stephen Sobel November 18th, 2003 06:23 PM

Speaker comparison
 
I'm trying to decide between the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 and the Creative MegaWorks 2.1 speakers (and yes, I know these aren't studio quality). I'm interested in comparisons regarding sound quality for moderate gaming, listening to CDs while surfing the net, and listening to the sound while video editing (when I'm not using headphones).

Can anyone give me feedback?

Tony Teulan November 20th, 2003 09:16 AM

Canon XL1s Picking Up Soft Static-y Noise
 
Testing cameras for a shoot tomorrow and both pick up soft static-y noise (along with other sounds) whether it's set to built-in mic or external shotgun mic.

Any ideas?

Ong Wan Shu November 21st, 2003 09:32 PM

1 input into 2 channels
 
hi all,

THe camera I am using, DVX100, has 2 audio input plug and 2 recording channels.

My question is at times when sound is coming from 1 input plug, ie there is only 1 mic, is it better to record it in only 1 channel or in both channel for best results?

Cheers
wan shu

Mike Rehmus November 22nd, 2003 10:37 PM

If you have an option, feed both channels from one input. You can then set one channel to operate with high or automatic gain control and the other to a low manual setting.

That way you get both the high and low level sounds. You can slice and dice the audio channels in post to create the best sound.

Curt Kay November 24th, 2003 12:46 AM

Sound Interview Questions
 
Hey everyone-

For my senior project in high school, I am writing a 10 page paper about independent films. I am turning to all of you for your help. I need to conduct an interview and I figured the easiest way is to post the questions on the dvinfo board. There are 4 different set of questions; feel free to answer them.

Topics:
Marketing in Films - http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17508

Sound Importance - http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17507

‘Hollywood’ Films vs Independent Films Questions - http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17509




These questions are specifically aimed at sound production.


What is sound so crucial to the outcome of a film?

What is the common sound equipment used for an indie film maker?

How important is position of the microphone when recording?

Does it matter what type of a microphone you use for different scenes?

Do you think independent films will have the same quality as ‘Hollywood’ films soon?

Is there an unseen force behind sound?

How does sound show the mood in the film?


Thanks a bunch guys!

Robert Knecht Schmidt November 24th, 2003 02:33 AM

You might start with a bit of book research on some of these questions. Easily available and eminently referrable is Tomlinson Holman's Sound for Film and Television--that'll get you off to a good start.

(About the author: While Holman worked at Lucasfilm, he developed the technologies that led to THX, which is named after him. These days he's a USC professor with appointments in both the Cinema-Television and Engineering schools, and he teaches the introductory sound production course, most of the material of which is covered in his book, the [or one of the] texbook[s] for the class.)

I suggest this because, while all of the questions except perhaps the mystical penultimate one are good ones, they will yield deeper and more satisfying answers if they are first honed and focused with just a modicum of knowledge about sound production for film, the nature of which is at once too rudimentary and too involved to fritter away interview time covering. For example, one question would seem to indicate you already understand that different microphones are useful for different recording scenarios, so why ask such a question in this its most ingenuous form?

You'll come off as a more prepared interviewer with a little bit of homework first.

Another book I can recommend is Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices, by Rick Schmidt (no relation). There are several revisions; the older, the more obsolete as far as sound equipment goes. My copy informs me I should rent an analog Nagra!

(...Sound is an unseen force, an oscillating shock wave that propagates through a medium...!)

Rob Lohman November 24th, 2003 08:25 AM

Perhaps this can help you a bit. Most reviews seem to be for
the 5.1 sets from the two companies.

Michael De Florio December 1st, 2003 06:39 AM

To mic or not to mic, is the question
 
Hello, I did a shoot in a nightclub not long ago.....ok, last week. I went with all my new fandangle connections ( as in XLR to rca,to phono, joiners etc) as l was caught out once at a live recording of a band and figured, hell, l am in control, l know what l am doing......l have been around .....l have worked on commercials, rock clips etc.....oh my...how wrong l was. I must admit though, l am not a cocky person but for the sake of this excersise l will make myself one...!!!
OK, here l am..months later with all these new connections, as that night went very bad, you see, the band was a very well known band but the engineer was very young and couldn't give me an output...so fast forward to last week.....here l am, nightclub scene, shooting a hair show with all these connections and just to add fire to the fuel, l broke a cardinal rule...I GOT THERE LATE WITH 20 MINUTES TO SHOWTIME.....
Ok, my question is this ( ok, if you have read this far then it must have got your attention so here it is...lol...)
The DJ of the city's major nightclub coculdn't give me a signal out of his mixer as the connections l had were right but wouldn't fit behind the desk as they were XLR....so....ok ok, if l got there early then l may have had a chance to sort it out but i didnt so what is the best way to mic a live show..very loud music with intro's and outro's and is it better to get a feed from the mixer or get two mics and get a stereo effect as l had to go with the mic on the pd-150 and those that know would understand and be pushing the cheeks to the forehead in a " oh my god" sort of look....but it is sort of ok and will do...as it will have to do...ok l know l went around the long way to tell you this but why be boring...regards MIchael

Bjørn Sørensen December 1st, 2003 12:45 PM

I need a speaker!
 
I need a professional speaker to speak the commentary to a new compagny presentation (english/british). Do anyone know such a company?
There must be studios that can have my text emailed and then speak the text and email it back to me as audio files.

Len Feldman December 1st, 2003 12:56 PM

Here's a company to try: InternetJock (http://www.internetjock.com/). They did a ton of voiceovers for us a few years back. They're fast, inexpensive and high quality. Also, they have voice talent available from the U.S., Britain and Australia, as well as Spanish and Portuguese speakers. Sorry for sounding like a commercial, but Bob Ancheta and his team did a great job for us! Good luck!

Sincerely,
Len Feldman
Riverbend Entertainment

Rob Lohman December 2nd, 2003 06:50 PM

Please try to formulate your questions orderly, this is very hard
to read.

Basically the best way would be to record the original signal
from the desk *AND* the sound from the floor so you can get
the cheers etc. If you only record from the floor with a mic you
do have to be careful with the levels to not get bad sound.
Ofcourse it will probably always sound as recorded music in
a room.

Mike Bridgman December 6th, 2003 11:53 PM

Azden SGM-1X vs. SGM-2X
 
Just wondering what the difference in sound quality is between the two? I've heard good things about the 2X and wondering if the $150 1X would be a smart buy...

Ben Lynn December 7th, 2003 09:41 PM

I own a 1X and I have no complaints about the sound quality. In fact, I bought it because I liked that it was a medium range and not the long range of the 2X with the barrel. I think that the medium range is a more workable pattern and I've had good results with it. I also saved a $100 by going with the 1X as opposed to the 2X.

Ben Lynn

Danny Tan December 9th, 2003 09:54 AM

Sony ECM-MS907
 
what are the reviews of this mic?

Miquel de Pablo December 11th, 2003 10:27 AM

It's a nice little mic, useful for live music and ambient sound recording. It comes with a small stand, so you can set it on a table or chair. I wouldn't use it for interviews unless you can hold the mic close to the speaker's face. The stand has a large threaded whole which is supposed to fit a normal mic stand, but I haven't found a mic stand that cat fit that. As far as sound quality goes, it's not as good as an AT 825, but better than a GL2's built-in mic.

Arthur To December 15th, 2003 02:39 PM

XL1s external vocal mic non-stero problem
 
Hey on my xl1s i used a external vocal mic for thsi one project i had to do for school , i use the ma-100 to plug in the xlr, but in the audio levels reader, only my Right or Left signals showed audio (dpending on which XLR plug i plugged it in with)

is there a setting i need to configure or a change in the menu or a hertz/channel option that i have to alter?

i hate mono

thx

-arthur

Jay Massengill December 15th, 2003 02:57 PM

As far as I remember, the XL-1 and MA-100 don't have any ability to send a mono signal to both input channels.
You can however fix this easily while editing. (At least you can fix it as well as possible without using a stereo mic.) It will depend on which Non-Linear Editing software you're using, but most will allow you to duplicate a left or right track onto the opposite side. This will give you 2-channel mono, which isn't true stereo but will at least have the same sound coming from both speakers. For dialog and most other sounds in video that need good clarity and don't require directional (left/right) info, this is actually the way to go.
You could also use a "Y" connector between the MA-100 and the camera's RCA inputs. The Y would have one female end and two male ends and would be connected from the output of the MA-100 that matches which side your mic is plugged in. The two male ends would go to the camera inputs. This will cut your signal level though and may introduce too much noise into an already poor adapter (the MA-100). If you can't fix it in editing though, this is about the best you can do on the cheap and dirty side.

Steve Lehman December 21st, 2003 03:57 PM

mixers
 
Does anyone know about, have or use the Mackie DFX 6?
Looks like a good mixer for a reasonable price ($190) - any thoughts?
This will be used for events with several mics - weddings, etc.

Mike Rehmus December 21st, 2003 08:32 PM

They are very popular but you won't find the serious sound pros using them. They complain that the pre-amps are noisy and the Mackies don't stand up to really heavy use.

Of course these are people that are willing to pay $4,000 and up for a small portable mixer and as much or more for the recording device.

My take on Mackie construction is that as long as you (or I) use it or at least supervise its use it will do fine. Don't think they would stand up to rental or really heavy use by the hired help.

I have a couple of 8-channel Mackies that have been in use at the local college for about 8 years. They both work fine but aren't really used that much either.

Take a look at the Folio while you are at it.

Law Tyler December 21st, 2003 09:03 PM

Attn: Samson Micro AL1 + T32 owners
 
Which transmitter do you prefer?

I am using a Micro32 as the receiver.

The AL1 is clipped to the collar, using the built-in mic, whereas the T32 is of course using the lavalier mic.

The T32 has a lot of kick, but at the expense of noise, whereas the AL1 has almost no background noise, and one can always pump up the gain on the receiver (which increases the noise also).

I am using this for a wedding, hence the bride a couple feet away has to be picked up. Hopefully the priest will let me put on another AL-1.

Dustin Waits December 21st, 2003 09:58 PM

Azden SGM-X
 
I am using a trv950 to shoot and I was thinking of buyng a the sgm-x. I make mostly bmx videos and I need a good mic to pic up the sounds from the bikes/riders. I am on a very tight budget so this is probably the most money I will be able to spend on a mic. Is it worth the buy?

Thank you.

Harry Settle December 21st, 2003 10:02 PM

I use the SGX on my VX 2000, and like it very much.

Dan Brown December 22nd, 2003 01:35 PM

AT897 In Stock
 
I just saw it at B&H, $280. This is a new 11" shotgun with just a slightly wider pattern than the 835b (which is 14.5" long). It's got a better S/N ratio too. The latest from Audio Technica, I'll be looking forward to hearing a review from more experienced users.


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