Hi,

I’m trying to figure out the best setup for my situation. First, I’m a one woman show. I have to handle both audio and video. I’d like to be able to record quick sort of man on the street interviews without any major setup. Mostly indoors but possibly some outdoors. I understand that having separate mics for indoors and outdoors would be better but let’s just say I’m mostly recording indoors. In a sit down interview I would normally wire the mic to the camera but this is going to be hard if I want to do men on the street kinds of interviews. For that I was thinking of using wireless mics. I have a lav mic (Sanken COS-11D) but I don’t want to spend time putting a lav on someone if this is just a quick 2min interview and people won’t give me the time to set it up properly. So I was thinking of getting a hypercardioid mic and getting an XLR wireless transmitter for it. That way the person I am interviewing could hold the mic in their hand without getting the mic in a frame. I do nort want to the mic to be visible. I know using a boom would be better but I think it will be very hard for me to handle a boom and a camera.
My questions are:
1. is this the best solution to my problem given the circumstances?
2. the mic I’m considering is Schoeps MK41. Given the fact that I’m recording straight to the camera with not the best preams do you think this mic is an overkill? If so should I consider some other mic that is less expensive that would still give me pretty decent results? I also read that Schoeps MK41 is prone to handling noise but I’m not sure how much of a problem that is.

Thanks

If your interviewee can hold a mic connected to a transmitter so that it is out of camera view, why not just give them a small recorder like a Zoom H1 to hold, which is even more simple. Just put an audio cue at the start of the recording and it will be easy to sync in post.

Roger

I thought about it but then I have a headphone cable going from the zoom to my head and it might be either too short or show in the shot. But are the built in mics on the zoom good enough?

The EV RE50 is the defacto standard for on-the-street interviews in the US.. but it's usually hand-held by a reporter. A $2k mic into POS camera preamps won't help much and I also wouldn't use $2k mic on the streets w/o an audio op or other alert person to look after it. When I was working ENG gigs in Manhattan, we carried nondescript luggage type cases... the Betacam camcorders were $50k+. A PortaBrace case also said 'steal me' as many street crooks knew the contents were expensive. Fortunately I'm do mostly films now with large crews and security folks... longer days though.

"Are the built in mics on the zoom good enough"?
- In a perfect world maybe.. Depends on your expectations. You would need adequate wind suppression (Zeppelin), which just ain't available for h/h recorders which are prone to air turbulence.

I am not concerned about security and like I said in my post I will most likely do most interviews indoors. Sorry, if men on the street implies strictly outdoor shooting then I used a wrong term and should have said run and gun interviews. I wouldn't consider my C100 POS but it just doesn't have the best preamps but certainly not horrible. There seems to be an issue with EV RE50 XLR wireless transmitter were it doesn't stay connected and you need to tape it so it doesn't fall out.

My questions are:
1. is this the best solution to my problem given the circumstances?
2. the mic I’m considering is Schoeps MK41. Given the fact that I’m recording straight to the camera with not the best preams do you think this mic is an overkill? If so should I consider some other mic that is less expensive that would still give me pretty decent results? I also read that Schoeps MK41 is prone to handling noise but I’m not sure how much of a problem that is.

You seem to want a mic that your talent is going to hand hold, but out of the frame, and you want a wireless transmitter for it. Yes? This is a conflicting set of requirements.

The normal way would be to use a dynamic reporters mic. But you don't want to use a dynamic from very far away (as in, more than about 10cm away from the mouth), and that would likely be in your frame.

If you opt for a more sensitive mic (a condenser), it's almost certainly going to want phantom power, which is going to be expensive in a plug on transmitter (check the price difference between a Sennheiser SKP 100 / 300 for example).

If you opt for a non-omni pattern like a hyper or a shotgun, you have to spend the time to teach talent how to hold it and point it. This isn't likely going to work in more than about 2% of your interviews. At least, I never had it work, which is why I don't try any more.

Your more sensitive condenser held farther away from the mouth to be out of frame, is going to pick up more of the surrounding noise. That's just the laws of physics. Signal-to-noise ratio is all about getting your mic close to the mouth.

So.... somethings got to give.

The likely best solution is if you allow the mic in the frame -- then a reporters dynamic omni stick mic is the answer.

If you insist that it has to be out of frame, I suggest the old war zone reporter trick of having the reporter (not the talent) hold a shotgun mic down at reporters hip, angled up directly at the talent's mouth. This puts the responsibility for handling noise and aiming the mic on the reporter (where it should be), and gets you out of the futile task of trying to train your talent to do something that they are unlikely going to be able to do on camera, which is to remember what to do with the mic while being interviewed.


This approach has the advantage also of getting you out of having to go wireless. You'll likely be standing right next to the camera, so using an XLR cable shouldn't be a problem, and will improve your sound quality, reliability, and really shorten your setup time.

The major disadvantage of this approach is that you need to be fairly close to your talent. It's going to sound like crap if the mic/mouth distance is much over a meter.

If you consider doing this, test it first! Make sure it does what you need before you try to use it in anger.


And yes, I do recognize this is using a shotgun mic indoors during an interview. But you are going to be using a shotgun in an unusual fashion, and you're going to need all the "reach" you can get to pull this off. And your shotgun will be about as far away from any reflective walls and ceilings as you can get it.

Those are my suggestions. Much as I love my Schoeps MK41 for boomed dialog (or as a spot mic in music recording where it also shines), your requirements aren't met with a MK41.

You seem to want a mic that your talent is going to hand hold, but out of the frame, and you want a wireless transmitter for it. Yes? This is a conflicting set of requirements.


Thanks Bruce, can you clarify why this is conflicting?


Unfortunately, my client requires that the microphone does not show in the shot, unless it's a lav. The client does not want it to look like a news reportage.
I also do not want to use a shotgun mic unless someone will convince/prove to me that a shotgun mic is the best option for indoor dialog.

I generally use short rifle mics in a Rycote for talking head interviews , with the camera on a tripod and the mic plugged in on a cable I just hold the mic myself . I've had numerous rifle mics over the years including AKG CK8 , Sennheiser MKH 416 , currently have a K6 with one of the longer modules on ( can't remember the number ) , another Senheisser I've also forgotten the number of , have had numerous Audio Technica rifle mics and currently have a £50 unbranded rifle mic which works really well and I don't have to worry about .

For indoor , seated interviews , I have a few 'banqueting' table mic stands which can be placed on the floor next to a chair and a mini rifle mic such as the AKG C747 ( I have a couple of Audio Technica lectern mics on short goosenecks which have their own built in preamps and take standard XLR with phantom ) which are visually unobtrusive and great for interviews . Working indoors , wind protection isn't an issue , but outdoors you would need at least a 'softie' or better still a proper Rycote with the mic on a suspension inside the basket . I often carry a cut down floor mic stand which can adjust from about 2 feet to about 3-1/2 feet to pop the mic on - this has the effect of placing the subject where I want him and keeping him there - and it frees me up to look after the camera , although usually once the shot is framed up the camera just runs and I don't need to do much - hence I can handhold the mic at a pinch .

Both my cameras ( HVR V1e and DSR500WSP ) have decent enough audio , and while I have a SKP3000 plug on transmitter with phantom , I always use a cable as it is simpler and 100% reliable , with the external mic into ch2 , and the on board mic on ch1 as a backup .

Oh , for 'reporter' style street interviews , there's nothing wrong with a handheld dynamic mic being in shot - I still have half a dozen AKG D190s which are great mics , not too sensitive to wind , very robust ( a couple have been dropped and they keep on working ) and they are visually quite nice looking mics . For indoor use , I used to have a pair of C451/CK1 condenser mics - these were lovely and I regret selling them after a friend pestered mr for ages - quite expensive to replace now ( I also had the VR1 tubes which made them great beside a seat ) .

Kathy, a lot of the above info is good, but as you see it is varied enough that it doesn't lead to one clear-cut conclusion.

The RE-50 is, in fact, an extremely popular reporter's mic. As such, it's acceptable to be in the shot. It's an omni so it needs to be within a few inches from the mouth, otherwise it will pick up too much background. So while it's excellent in its place, it won't work given the conditions you imposed.

A shotgun is too long for the talent to hold, and too difficult to aim.

A short shot or hypercardioid might be a good choice ... just find one that has an internal battery, so your transmitter won't need to supply phantom power. I'd say AT-875, except that it needs phantom power ... bummer. Derek's idea of mounting it on its own tripod is good, if your shooting situation allows it. If passing pedestrians are going to trip over the thing, you're stuck with handheld.

A cardioid is certainly less critical in terms of aim, but you might be asking for too much background pickup. Probably not good, unless you're shooting in a very quiet location.

All of the above is relative. There are some details that need clarification. How noisy will it be where you're shooting? Outdoor countryside with birds? Outdoor suburban with light noise? Outdoor mid-town with traffic and construction noise? Outdoors directly under a flight path? What will the tracks be used for: documentary, news, training, widely-distributed video, etc.? Is a lot of ambient sound acceptable, or should the track be very quiet? How clean does it need to be; how pristine does the voice need to be? How tight can your shots be (i.e. how close can the mic be)? Is it the same talent every time, who can be trained; or is each shot a different stranger? Etc. etc. Tell us what's going on, and perhaps we can narrow down the choices.

PS: Why do you always find clients who want something impossible done? Unremoveable noise removed from tracks because they refuse to re-shoot (ultimately they did reshoot). Clean recording from an overly live room because they refused to treat the room (they are now considering re-treating it). A two- or three-person shoot done by you alone, working solo? Etc.

Sure I read something once. Never let an amateur hold a mic.

Just to avoid confusion , the item I use isn't a camera tripod , but a cut down stage mic stand , which is very inexpensive to buy , easily cut down by taking a hacksaw to the bottom of the column , and takes up very little floor space directly in front of the subject . Since pedestrians are unlikely to be walking between the subject and the camera there really should be no trip hazard ; as I mentioned , having the mic in a fixed position , I find , tends to make the subject stay still as well .

I bought the stand as the normal type about four feet high and cut it down to a couple of feet or so - at its lowest , the tip of the Rycote is just about waist height , and at its maximum it will be around chest height for an average person . Folded up is is very compact and easy to carry around .

Here are a couple of pictures showing min and max height .

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Pontoneer/1_IMG1578_zpsiy2sx9k8.jpg (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/Pontoneer/media/1_IMG1578_zpsiy2sx9k8.jpg.html)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/Pontoneer/2_IMG1579_zps84zsngnd.jpg (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/Pontoneer/media/2_IMG1579_zps84zsngnd.jpg.html)

I like it! Good idea, nice stand.

And I admire your optimism about pedestrians. I guess you've never seen the outtakes where "locals" come running into the frame when they see someone shooting video on the sidewalk, wildly waving their arms and making faces to get themselves on TV.


(Actually posted at 6:53AM EDT)

Thanks Bruce, can you clarify why this is conflicting?

I thought I did. That's what the rest of my post was about. I don't know how to 'splain it any better.

Unfortunately, my client requires that the microphone does not show in the shot, unless it's a lav. The client does not want it to look like a news reportage.
I also do not want to use a shotgun mic unless someone will convince/prove to me that a shotgun mic is the best option for indoor dialog.

It's easy enough to prove it to yourself. Run some tests. Either it works for you or it doesn't.

Hi Greg to answer your questions. I will be using the microphone indoors in open spaces so there will be some level of noise were people are talking softly or walking by (but it will not be as loud as at a trade show for example). The track does not have to be super quiet and some ambient noise is acceptable. The person speaking needs to be intelligible. The shots will be mostly medium shots let's say roughly from waist up). It will be a different talent each time.
Why can't the transmitter provide phantom power?
I like Derek's stand idea but on some occasions I will have the person sitting at a desk so I won't be able to place the stand in from of them. I think booming or lav are my only options at this point.

And why do I always find clients that ask for impossible, well they find me I don't find them!

I thought I did. That's what the rest of my post was about. I don't know how to 'splain it any better.

I didn't understand why adding a wireless transmitter would make requirements conflicting. I get that holding a camera out of the shot by the interviewee might be conflicting but not sure how the wireless transmitter would have anything to do with that.

I like it! Good idea, nice stand.

And I admire your optimism about pedestrians. I guess you've never seen the outtakes where "locals" come running into the frame when they see someone shooting video on the sidewalk, wildly waving their arms and making faces to get themselves on TV.


(Actually posted at 6:53AM EDT)

Ha , yes , I've. been 'photobombed' by passers by on occasion , but mostly I shoot fairly close to the subject with the camera only about 3 or 4 feet away from the talking head and usually try to stay away from the foot traffic .

Kathy , yes a lav may be your best bet for the desk shot , or a short mini rifle mic like the AKG C747 or AT 857 , which are about the size and thickness of a pencil , often seen as lectern mics or on news broadcasters desks , they work well from two or three feet away and can be positioned on a desk just out of shot - being hypercardioid they reject quite a lot of ambient noise and room reflections .

Some transmitters do provide phantom power , but entry level ( cheaper ) ones usually don't - for example the Sennheisser EW100 series don't although the EW500 does , as do the pro 3000 and 5000 series . However if my camera is only going to be a few feet from the subject and at most a mid shot with no possibility of the mic being seen , I'd run a cable to the camera every time : simpler and more reliable .

I will be using the microphone indoors in open spaces so there will be some level of noise were people are talking softly or walking by
Do I understand correctly that you will never be shooting outdoors? If that's true, and the description above is accurate, that makes things much less demanding.

some ambient noise is acceptable. The person speaking needs to be intelligible.
Just "intelligible"? If realistic ambience is OK, and the actual ambience is not loud to begin with, again that makes things easier.

The shots will be mostly medium shots let's say roughly from waist up). It will be a different talent each time.
In that case, the talent can't possibly hold the mic. No human has arms that extend far enough below waist level, and wrists with enough articulation, that they can hold the mic down that low and look relaxed on camera. Remember, the tip of the mic will need to be at waist level, so they'll need to grip the mic at least 6" lower than that (depending on the mic dimensions). And they'll need to hold the mic several inches in front of their body. Nope, unless your talent will be an octopus, you need the mic on a stand. (If it were an MCU, then the talent could hold the mic ... if the talent could reliably follow directions.)

Remember that if the mic is this far away from the talent, room acoustics (reflections) will become part of your audio. You know what that's like, right?

Why can't the transmitter provide phantom power?
In theory, it can. But most transmitters are designed to be small, light, and inconspicuous. The additional electronic components needed, and the larger battery size needed, will make the transmitter bigger, more complex, and more expensive. Is that what you want?

Besides, it now sounds as if you are shooting in a more controlled and less chaotic environment (compared to your original description). Just use a wired mic, and be done with it! Get an AT-875, you won't regret it. It's a short shot, and it will have less problems with reflections from ceilings when you have to boom a shot.

I like Derek's stand idea but on some occasions I will have the person sitting at a desk so I won't be able to place the stand in from of them. I think booming or lav are my only options at this point.
Why can't you place the stand off to the side, rather than below? If they're at a desk, you will be framed tighter than a short shot, so you should be able to get a good mic position off to the side. Only problem would be if the talent turns their head away from the mic frequently.

And why do I always find clients that ask for impossible, well they find me I don't find them!
I want to see your business card. It must say "over ninety-nine years of experience" and show you wearing a superhero's costume.

(Actually posted at 12:50 PM, EDT)

Wireless plug-on transmitters that provide phantom power are generally more expensive.

The Sony UWP-D system plug-on transmitter has switchable phantom power and I've had good results with it.

I think in the situation you've described, and with the potential for picking up too much ambient sound already discussed, I might try an AT8031 on a short boomstand like Derek's. Either wired or if wireless it can go phantom or internal AA battery. It's a medium sensitivity cardioid that already has a vocal windscreen basket built in, but a small furry cover or extra foam windscreen can be added.
It would be less prone to positioning errors than a more directional mic, but would need to be as close to the edge of the frame as possible. It's $179 online everywhere and good at a lot of tasks.

I have a boom arm that I salvaged from a mic stand where the boom attachment zinc casting had shattered. Essentially it's a slim, 29-inch boom pole that can easily stow in the tripod bag.
If you couldn't use a small stand, then a small boom like this gives a few feet of extra reach for closely spaced interview situations.

Will you have an opportunity to test how much ambient sound you'll be shooting in?

Also keep in mind that if you put enough signal into your camera that it starts activating the limiter on vocal peaks, it can make the ambient sound more apparent since the interviewee's voice will be suppressed slightly but not the ambient sound in between.

I saw on the web this week that Rode have just brought out a kit called their Newshooter kit.. you get a transmitter which provides phantom power which plugs into a hand held mic.. but has a jack for a lav and can be belt mounted.. looks pretty versatile.

I did a trade show as a oneman band.. a while back with loads of interviews... to remain mobile I used a monopod and a wireless lav for the talent. It was really easy to just clip the mic on a lapel and let them hold the transmitter or slip in a pocket quickly... None of the interviews were more than a minute and I could monitor it with earbuds so I didn't feel too cut off...

If you are on a tripod, a short boom with an ME64 or such like should get decent audio and be out of shot.
cheers
Gareth

I have recently discovered what may be my favorite stand after 50 years of using various stands. Manhasset is legendary for making music stands used by individuals, institutions and professionals around the world. They make a microphone stand with a (NA standard) 5/8-27 thread and a quick-fold tripod base. It uses the famous Manhasset friction clutch-lock which apparently lasts forever. I have used Manhasset stands for over 50 years and have never seen one with a failed clutch.

In fact I used it recently with a ball-head camera adapter as a mono-pod but with the option of quickly folding out the tripod legs. For me, it was far superior to any traditional photography mono-pod product I have ever used.

IMHO, it would be ideal for holding a hyper or shotgun mic in a highly portable application.

http://shop.manhasset-specialty.com/p/model-3000-microphone-stand-box-of-1

I ordered a couple directly from the manufacturer and got delivery in 2 days. Made in USA and Best in Class around the world IMHO.

If you're shooting alone and your goal is super fast and simple for a 2 minute interview, I think your best bet is to do what the news photogs do: either quickly attach a lav onto the subject and know that it'll be visible, or get close enough to the subject to use your on-camera shotgun, shooting with a wide lens. Both options are super fast and simple.

If you have a reporter who is conducting the interview while you shoot, then they could be tasked with different options like holding a mic, rigging up a boom or mic stand, or hiding a lav while you setup your camera, light(s), and dial in framing.

As others have mentioned here, having the subject hold the mic rarely, if ever, works like you hope it would.

Also I recommend getting a Sennheiser PZA900 to give you the option of using your lav both with a wireless transmitter or wired into your C100.

Cheers,
Slavik

P.S. There are cheaper hypercardioid alternatives to the Schoeps, if you end up going down that road for indoor interviews. The Audio-Technica 4053B and the Audix SCX1/HC are both around $500.

I have recently discovered what may be my favorite stand after 50 years of using various stands. Manhasset is legendary for making music stands used by individuals, institutions and professionals around the world. They make a microphone stand with a (NA standard) 5/8-27 thread and a quick-fold tripod base. It uses the famous Manhasset friction clutch-lock which apparently lasts forever. I have used Manhasset stands for over 50 years and have never seen one with a failed clutch.

In fact I used it recently with a ball-head camera adapter as a mono-pod but with the option of quickly folding out the tripod legs. For me, it was far superior to any traditional photography mono-pod product I have ever used.

IMHO, it would be ideal for holding a hyper or shotgun mic in a highly portable application.

Model 3000, Microphone Stand (Box of 1)*| Manhasset (http://shop.manhasset-specialty.com/p/model-3000-microphone-stand-box-of-1)

I ordered a couple directly from the manufacturer and got delivery in 2 days. Made in USA and Best in Class around the world IMHO.

richard-

sounds great!

would love to see a pix ;-)

thanks in advance.

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions

I have recently discovered what may be my favorite stand after 50 years of using various stands.
Model 3000, Microphone Stand (Box of 1)*| Manhasset (http://shop.manhasset-specialty.com/p/model-3000-microphone-stand-box-of-1)

Richard, thank you for that link! I have often pondered the possibility of modifying a folding music stand ... and now someone has done the work for me. Excellent recommendation, thanks again!

I just used one of these adapter gadgets (from Ebay) to mount a small "handicam" on the Manhasset (or other) mic stand.

On-Stage CM01 - 5/8" 27-thread to 1/4" Camera and Microphone Stand Adapter | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/On-Stage-CM01-5-8-27-thread-to-1-4-Camera-and-Microphone-Stand-Adapter-/361362130212)

I originally got these adapters so I could use them for fixed "spot coverage" (like a spot microphone) for small cameras. (Handicam, GoPro, etc.) Small cameras aren't much bigger than some microphones, and they are quite convenient for things like "reverse-angle" coverage of the conductor, etc. Nobody notices just another "dress black" mic stand in the middle of the orchestra.

Sometimes I use the cameras "iso" where they are just started before the concert and left to run on their own. Video can be "synced" with the on-board microphone audio track as a reference. And sometimes I use the cameras wired to the video switcher for live streaming, broadcast, or just "image magnification" (IMAG) on the large screen(s) for the live audience.

But that is rather off-topic for Kathy's MOS interview thread. Sorry for the hijack. We now return you to the original topic.

As your client doesn't seem to be concerned about a lav mic being in the shot, why not just take the simplest and quickest option of a lav mic straight into a voice recorder in the inside pocket of the interviewee. I use them all the time for weddings where it takes a few seconds to mic up the groom and also use them on occasional corporate work. Sometimes the simplest option is the best.

You won't have to wear headphones as you can use a standard setting which you know works. No worrying about wireless signal dropout and interference, so again no monitoring necessary, just check it's recording before putting it in their pocket. Also no problem with distance from mouth as it is always the same with a lav.

Roger

Roger, do you just leave the mic cable hanging loose?
My H4N hardly fits in a pocket, I would need to get another recorder, what do you recommend?

I use Zoom H1s, and I also use a couple of Sony PCX-312 recorders and a later model which is identical but with more onboard memory. The Sony's are much smaller than the Zoom and there are various other models on the market by Tascam and other manufacturers.

The Zoom has level meters and records wav or MP3 format but is a bit big for pocket, whereas the Sony's are MP3 only but I find the quality is excellent for voice recording. I use a short lead on my lavs, which are clipped close to the interviewee's lapel, or wherever you would normally clip a lav. The cable is concealed in the normal way en route to the recorder, so if the interviewee is wearing a jacket, the cable is hidden under it. If a shirt, then the cable goes inside the shirt, all normal lav stuff whether you are running a recorder or a transmitter.

Roger

Though this is probably out of budget, but Lectro just released the PDR. Very small, jams from ext. TC, records to micro SD media and runs for about 6 hrs on a single lithium AAA battery. I'm sure the sound quality and build is top shelf, typical of Lectro. It is not a transmitter/recorder like the Zaxcom.

Do you know the price of the Lectro PDR? I can't find it.

EDIT: found it $900

Tascam DR-03 is perfect for this application, if you are now deciding to use a lav. The Tascam PR-10 is very similar, but seems to sell for a higher price. Both are available now on eBay.

Also, some of the Philips "Voice Tracer" line are good options, but others are not. You really need to read the specs closely before buying on of these.

I'm also interested in the Tascam DR-10L for this type of work.

It's just a very small pocket recorder that comes with a locking connector lavalier mic.

It doesn't appear to have any metering, but I'm just looking at the manual on the internet and haven't seen or used one in person yet.

Is this BS?
Mikme (http://www.mikme.com/#capture-your-creative-moments)

Its another crowd funded project that isn't on the market yet and is projected to sell initially at $399.

It way well be good quality when it hits the market, but personalyl I think it looks very quirky and I am not overenthused about bluetooth transmission to a phone app for profesional reliability. If you used it as a stand alone recorder for your interview project, I can't see any advantage over any other recorder and mic option and still think a lav and small pocket recorder is a far better option for a fraction of the price.

Roger

that's what I thought. Thanks Roger

Kathy I feel you are over thinking the interview project to such an extent that you will just get more anxious and confused.

Miking a single interviewee is pretty basic and you are not looking at the huge dynamic range and sound to noise levels that you would require for an orchestral recording. you have basically 3 straight forward options:-
1) An out of shot mic either hand held, boom mounted or on a stand. As you are mostly indoors then wired is fine.
2) A lav wired to a TX on a belt or waist band and back to the camera RX
3) A lav wired to a small recorder in pocket or on belt/waistband, synched in post to camera mic sound.

Personally I think 3 is the most simple and trouble free with good quality obtainable from an inexpensive setup.

Roger

This wont work for all attire but it will work a lot of the time. Since visibility is such a concern and speed is important consider taking the lav wire up the back and taping it inside the collar or other garment piece to hide it. Stuff the wire up the collar in the back and put the lav at the opening in the front, completely unseen if you want. You must use real gaff tape to tab it to the garments, do not use duct tape on peoples clothes.

Note: I hate seeing an over the shoulder exposed lav wire. Nothing looks more amateur, many garments can easily hide it. Do a little searching on concealing lavs and you will find all kinds of info, including how to avoid garment rub.

Kind Regards,

Steve

A friend of mine shot news, professionally. He'd generally have a sound person as well as an on-camera mic as a backup. But sometimes with a breaking story, there was no time to get an audio op.

For solo, man-on-the-street shots, he'd zoom the ENG lens wide, grab the mic from the camera, get close to the subject, and hold the mic in his left hand with his arm extended just out of the frame. As I recall, he was using an ME-67 or similar short shotgun.

This has these advantages:

1) There's no additional equipment. The ENG cam already has an on-camera, short-shotgun mic with a short wire into the built-in preamp.

2) This gets the mic closer to the subject. Rather than, say, a four foot distance, it's now a two foot distance.

3) It's out of the frame.

4) It's held by the professional, not the subject.

5) It's quick and mobile. You can start the interview right away and move on immediately without any set up or tear down time needed.

Of course, it was better with a sound person. He could stand further from the subject. And the sound op could use a boom, blimp, long shotgun, and focus totally on sound. But his solo solution got pro result as fast as he could move his feet.

Alan Barker suggested the Sennheiser ME 64 for his PD150, many moons ago. I have continued to use it on the EX3 and will test on the Z150. It has worked amazingly well, in situations as complex as interviews from the floor of national political conventions during speeches and outdoor demonstrations. See link to his updated suggestions. Simple Sound Kits (http://www.alanbarker.com/alanbarker/Simple_Sound_Kits.html)