Anyone with suggestions on which I should get? I've been looking at the Sony wireless mic setup and also the Sennheiser. What I want to do is use a wireless lavalier mic but also have the capability to use the transmitter to connect to a mixing board via XLR or 1/4" adapter. Can both these units do this? Anyone better than the other?

A videographer friend of mine with a bigger budget than myself just picked up a Neumann-KMR81i shotgun mic for his PD-170. Neumann isn't even a company I'm familiar with- when I think shotguns I think Audio Technica or Senheisser. Does anyone know anything about this mic and how it compares against a, say...., Senheisser ME66? Thanks in advance!

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home;jsessionid=AlLJPP2pVH!-884524000?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=146370&is=REG

Neumann basically wrote the book on microphone design.
After WW2 the Neumann factory that was in the allied zone in Berlin kept producing and was eventually bought by Sennheiser.

The location behind "The Iron Curtain" is now known as Micro Tech Geffel. They also have the right to the Neaumann name.

Neuman designs are what everyoine likes to copy or attempt to copy.

http://www.neumannusa.com/pages/products/history.asp

The KMR81i is supposed to be very neutal and smooth. It ought to be at $1200

so i just did a number of audio tests using my GL-2 w/ beachtek adaptor and AT-897 shotgun (camera mounted, battery powered). and i am confused by the results.

-----------
TEST #1:
audio set on "manual"
beach set on mono (splitting the signal, right?)
beach R and L knobs all the way open (10)
R channel on the GL-2 all the way open
L channel on the GL-2 about 2/3 open

note: these settings gave me a signal that was more-or-less peaking at the green VU dot on the LCD monitor.

-----------
TEST #2:
audio set on "auto"
beach set on mono
beach R and L knobs all the way open (10)
R and L channels on the GL-2 disabled (that's what happens when you're in "auto," right?

note: these settings gave me VU readings that peaked, for the most part, below -12, probably more in the -20 range, though perhaps even below.

------------
RESULTS:
in both tests i used my speaking voice at different volumes (from a whisper to quite loud), in a variety of positions--from 2.5' to about 15' away from the mike. the tests took place in my apartment, so were pretty controlled, barring the occasional passing car, blaring rap or salsa music, outside my window.

i was surprised to find that "auto" seemed to give me more signal, less noise then "manual," which gave an appreciable hiss. and i didn't hear any "pumping" or unpleasant auto-gain effects.

that said, the "manual" signal was quite a bit louder. when i watched the tape on my my TV/stereo, i had to bump the volume down a few notches to more-or-less match the volume of the "auto" take.

so my guts telling me to shoot my audio on "auto," 'cause it seems to be cleaner, but i'm mildly concerned about the output--do i need to worry that there may not be enough audio to work with in post if it sounds fine coming through my system at home?

finally, i'm not doing dramatic work. i just need servicible sound for a low-budget documentary. and i'm not in the market for any additional equipment, just want to make the most of what i have.

and let me tack on a boneheaded, somewhat off-topic Q: nowhere in the AT instructions does it explain which mic switch position is the bass rolled off. i'm assuming it's the hyphen graphic turned down slightly at one end. is that correct? (i performed the tests with both settings; it didn't affect the results.)

thanks for any thoughts on the above,
phb

At 2 feet away from a talking head I am getting about -30dbFS. Is that right?

Found it. Vegas Audio has a DIM OUTPUT button that was selected by default that drops your master audio levels by 20dB. "so you can hear the pizza delivery or the phone" per the vegas help files. gee thanks vegas, it took me some time to find this.

I wanted to share this with the group cause I feel that if you find someone good, that does a great job at a great price and delivers on what you need, it should be shared.

With that in mind I'll paint the picture. You're using your cam and you add an XLR input box such as a Sign Video XLR pro, you mount it under the camera and you suddenly realize that you can't put your hand in the camera strap because there is a 2" long XLR plug feeding the input from your boom mic in the way.

In the past I'd have ordered the connectors, torn up a cable and soldered up a new cable to fit my needs. Those days and my eyes as well as patience are gone.

After much looking around on the web, I stumbled on several companies however I had a very specific request, I needed RIGHT ANGLE MALE XLR's to input into my XLR-Pro, everyone was offering straight males and right angle females to connect at the mic.

Then I got an eMail from Jim at AVCABLE.com who said he could do the cables, exactly at the lenghts that I wanted and with nice high quality Neutrix connectors which were (you guessed it) right angle!

I also needed a very specific screw on type connector for my Sennheiser 100 receiver as I wasn't in the mood to have it come loose during a shoot. Since the manufacturer chooses to use a screw on conectors I asked if he could spec it as well.

Bottom line (which is the way I shop anyway), is that this shop means business and customer satisfaction. The order that I needed was for (2) 1' XLR mic cables each with a right angle connector for my boom mic and (2) 1' 3.5mm mini-plug with screw on to XLR Male with right angle. Total cost about 85 bucks plus shipping.

This is very reasonable considering that you can drop 20 bucks on a mic cable without blinking (yes that would be for 20 feet) but consider that there is custom work and love in these cables!

Anyway, if anyone finds themselves in my situation and wants to clean up their cable mess on their cam, AVCABLE.COM and Jim Woodier is the man!

His tag line on his email is:

jwoodier@avcable.com
877-229-3601 (toll free)
"Cable Assemblies for Professionals Who Demand Quality"

I am in no way connected to or employed by avcable and this is strickly my personal opinion.

This was an excellent class with Jeffrey and Douglass. I learned enough in the first hour to more than pay for the class.

Acid is much more than a loop-based music-maker. It really is a good multi-channel mixer and video scoring tool that can also help you make very good music. I think it just displaced Sound Forge as my most important video sound finishing tool.

If you have an opportunity, take this class even if you have no interest in using Acid. You will learn a lot about how to think about scoring a video and how to proceed to complete the project. Douglass adds many fine points about using music to create emotions. As a teaching tool, he made a video clip of a sunset become the prelude to almost any genre of movie just by changing the music.

The sound sweetening tips he gave us for voice-overs were, alone, worth the price of admission. And the tip about using a Senn 416 shotgun for those deep voice narrations was really valuable too.

Tired of your old Royalty-Free sound library. Jeffrey and Douglass will teach you how to spice it up so it sounds new. Perhaps even better than new.

Furthermore, this was no 5 hour class. We started at 9 AM and walked out at 6 PM. Ya get more than your money's worth from this crew. The freebies were nice too.

If you went to the same kind of film school I did, they ignored the contribution music makes to the success of any production. Nothing but lip service.

VASST paid me no money for this unsolicited commercial (nor any expensive gifts, either).

Dang, Mike! Thanks for the very cool review of the day. I've forwarded this to Jeffrey.
As you can see from my absence here on the forum this past week, traveling has kept me from being as active as I usually am and like to be.
It was a great pleasure meeting you, too.
Jeffrey and I love doing the ACID classes, and the Vegas, PPT, Advanced Vegas, Premiere, After Effects, Soundtrack, Now Hear This, and other VASSTs upcoming are just as fun, and hopefully as value-filled as you perceived this day to be.
Thanks again for the kind words, these are what makes it wonderful to be part of VASST.

I will be using a GL2 to make a short movie. I have been researching different mics and read through many threads in this forum, but am still confused. I have been looking at the AT897 mainly, and need to know a few things.

Can I get an XLR to mini-plug adapter and attach the mic to the top of the camera and still get good sound? Or do I need something like an XLR-pro?

Will I need to use the mic on a boompole above actors heads? Or can I just aim from the top of my camera? The short is going to be filmed in a small quiet room.

Does the mic come with attachments for the top of the camera?

Thanks

Gang,
if you aren't registered for the FREE SONY SOFTWARE SHOWCASE EVENT in NYC for tomorrow, (june 8) GET REGISTERED NOW!
Due to security reasons, the 550 Madison avenue building will NOT allow anyone into the showcase unless they are pre-registered.
We will be turning off registration at 11:00 p.m. EST
http://www.vasst.com/registration/?sony to get registered.

FAiled to mention for those attending, bring PHOTO ID to get into the building~~!!

hi there,
i know this might be a stupid question but i cannot find anyother thread on this. can someone tell me if its worth building my own boom mic and what do you recommend for the mic, maybe even the mic that comes standard with the xl1? also should i make or buy the cable cord for the boom mic,

has anyone got a boom mic? please post pictures thanks!.

Regards,

Hi Gavin!

I am assuming you have the microphone and are talking about making a boom-pole. Correct?

I bought one of those yellow light bulb removers from Home Depot, removed the bulb-gripper part, and added a section to the end that came from an old microphone stand. This works fine. As with any boom pole, don't extend the sections all the way so that it doesn't flex too much. Also, look into insulating the hand-end of the pole. I didn't try to run the wire through the pole...not sure that it's big enough...so I just use clips on the outside.

Currently, I boom with a cardiod studio microphone.

http://www.peavey.com/products/shop_online/browse.cfm/action/details/item/00488040/wc/2A2A23/fam/WM/tcode/3/studi.cfm

What I am lacking is a shockmount for the end, but with careful handling, I get by just fine.

,Frank

Hello!

I have the Sennheiser ME-67 microphone with the K6 powering module and the AG-DVX100A camera.

Does anyone know about a particular audio setting with this camera called MIC GAIN? You have to set it either at the -50db or the -60db. The manual says it depends on the mic's sensitivity.

Can someone elaborate on that?

Thanks you very much!

The K6 module and most of the capsules that go with it are very sensitive. Generally you'd set the menu choice to -50db for sensitive mics but that may not be enough attenuation for loud situations with hot mics.
If you are recording in a quiet situation or you switch to a lower sensitivity mic, you can set it to -60db for additional gain.

Anybody know where I can get a reasonably cheap on-camera shock mount for my GL2?

There are only so many shock mounts in production and they range from $40 to several hundred Canadian. The biggie is going to getting it without getting killed by shipping or brokerage.

You could look at some US sites but you'll be paying big bucks for shipping and/or brokerage. the cheapest way is US post, the brokerage fee is only $5 at canada post and the shipping would be around $12.

Essentially you have the beyer dynamic at around $30 US, followed by the sennheiser at $30 and $50 US. These include a shoe mount.

The AT 8415 is $50 US or $75 canadian and the shoe adapter is another $10-14 US or 419 canadian.

You tell us your budget before i spend any more time. Meanwhile look at B&H in NY or DVshop.ca in Toronto.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=1449

http://www.dvshop.ca/audio/mounts.html

SMPTE show in NYC next week at the Marriott Marquis hotel, Tuesday from 2:30 to (I think) 9:00 p.m.. Check out one of the most professional-oriented events in NYC. Usually a very cool show.
http://www.smpteny.com/smpteny/
Wish I could attend....enjoyed meeting a few of you in our NYC VASST.

I'm a video editor. I got AA with the Adobe Video Collection about 4 months ago, and have been using it as my primary audio editor during this time. I am still very frustrated and highly inefficient using the program.

I have read the entire owner's manual cover to cover at least two times, and have spent hours looking over the help files, and still, I can't make this program do anything simply or quickly. The manual/files spends pages talking about the difference between destructive/non-destructive editing (which I understand perfectly), then jumps straight into Bandwidths, FFT's, Impulses and Bandpasses?!?!? I have no sound mastering background, so most of the terminology is a foregn language.

I need to do very simple things for video editing such as:

1. Limiting white noise from high gain on mics.

2. Limiting the hum of vehicle traffic in the background.

3. Dealing w/ verbal audio tracks where several people are speaking at different levels - the minister, bride, and groom, all at different levels and distances from the mics. I spend hours getting all the levels somewhat constant. Can I just say "average the clips at x db and the clips at y db, and normalize them all to 90%"? The manual never addresses this simple stuff.

4. Clicks/Pops - This is supposed to be such a wiz-bang tool, but I've never gotten it to work predictably. Often in my audio, there are obvious short, high spikes in the wave form. I'd LOVE to say "if it's over x db, and less than y diraction, consider it a click and fix it" - but no, I have to spend umpteen hours highlighting EACH spike, calling up the click/pop, and selecting "repair single click". I use the auto settings, but they either have no effect, or massively distort the entire clip.

5. Simple fades to different levels in wave edit. I have a quiet section that gets loud, then gets quiet again. I want to smoothly fade up, then back down, much like changing the levels keyframes in the multitrack, but I can't do this in wave edit. I have to select where i want it to ramp down, goto "amplitude", select the proper dB start and end, apply the effect, highlight the center perfectly, then highlight where I want to ramp back up and do the reverse - and if I'm off by so much as a couple samples in the highlight, there's an audiable click. Aufghglkdf!!!!!

I could go on and on. AA is obviously an extremely powerful program, and thus I want to keep using it. However, it is so horribly inefficient for what I use it for. Editing a ceremony with 3 mics takes me about 12 hours - about 5 of which is time spent jacking around with clips in AA.

I've tried so hard to learn this app and am so overwhealmed by it that I just don't know where to start. Can someone please direct me to some tutorials that address some of these simple tasks????

You're in luck. Ron Dabb's book on Audition addresses some specifics like this, although they're not exactly the same.
CMPBooks.com will have it, so will Amazon. Look for old Cool Edit Pro tut's too.

http://www.bbctraining.com/onlineCourse.asp?tID=2292&cat=2772

http://www.mp3-faq.org/tips/cepcass.htm

http://freewebhosting.hostdepartment.com/h/howtorecordaband/drums.html

Hope these help. I'm pretty familiar with Ron's book, I edited it, and there is lots of real-world experience in there.

Hi there...

I'm going to be shooting some footage that will basically consist of two cameras and spontaneous action by people at live concerts/festivals.

Our cameras are Canon GLs (a 1 and a 2). I'm currently working on the best way to handle lighting and sound with the least amount of equipment and the least amount of need for extra power sources as we'll be driving around on a golf cart and randomly stopping to record and interview.

I've got the rudimentary lighting scheme pretty well figured out with flashlights and a possbile 12-volt to invertor setup.

Now I'm thinking about sound. My plan is to run a shockmounted AT822 Stereo mic directly into the GL2's mini port and a boom/stand mounted AT897 into the XLR box connected to the GL1. I'm trying to avoid needing to power a mixer and figure I can grab the best sound in post (or mix them if they both sound good).

I'm basically hoping for comments on this setup to see what you all think. Suggestions welcome for the sound setup and any additional ideas for "decent" lighting solutions.

Thanks,
Kevin

Sounds like you have the audio issues well under control. The mics are good mics, not sure about your flashlight setup, and not sure why you couldn't just use small softboxes running on 12volt dc, clamped to your golf cart. But, that's more a lighting forum question. The audio rig will/should work well. Make sure you have good windscreens of some sort if you're gonna be outdoors.

I'm not on the level of most of you guys financially. I buy my equipment out of my own pocket and can't afford the best equipment.

That being said, I needed a shotgun mic to get better sound on my new Panasonic AG-DVC30. If you have to money to drop down on XLR adapters and higher end microphones then this doesn't concern you. I bought the Azden ECZ-990 because it was cheap and did what I needed it to do. If you are like me and are looking at buying one let me tell you a little about it:

*It is small, fits nicely on the bracket. It won't creep into shots like some longer shotgun mics.

*It has 2 settings, long and short. Long is more directional, short is better for picking up ambient sound.

*It has a pretty long, curly cord. It might get in the way if you are having to switch to and from handheld use.

*It did a much better job in boosting the levels of audio than the on-camera mic.

*I went outdoors and shot with it, and there was a very light wind blowing. It didn't do too well. The wind was flooding the audio and the levels were maxing out. Luckily the AGDVC-30 has a wind screen function built into the camera, once I turned that on the problem went away. It could possibly be fixed by a good windscreen, not sure though.

All in all, it's a decent mic for $50. If I could afford better I would get something else, but it gets the job done.

I too buy my own equipment, most here do.

I'm glad things worked out for you. So long as it does the job that's all you need. What is the diameter of the mic, you may be able to buy a cheapo wind screen that'll make life easier outside.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1578202442/qid=1088475506/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-8644837-2007019?v=glance&s=books

Thought I'd pass the info along. Very useful book, for Forge users and anyone on the PC editing audio. There is one chapter that is just dedicated to audio prep, so it's also somewhat useful for Peak users.

Hey,
You guys probably get tons of posts like this, but I tried searching, but I need your advice.

I have a GL2, and Im looking to but a Wireless system, both a Handheld, and a Lapel mic's.

I dont want to spent over 400.00 what do you recomend? I have a Azden WMPro now, but I'm selling it and going to get a better set.

I was thinking about 100LT? Or an Audiotechnica Pro-88w but their vhf ;-(. series. I guess I should go with UHV vs VHF is that a good choice?

Please help me out!

Very difficult to buy that much new equipment with your budget.

I'd not try VHF at all.

Best option might be something like the Sennheiser 100 kit with a lav and a plug-on transmitter. Then you would need a metal-body microphone to plug into. But the price will be about $500 plus the microphone.

I have a 100 setup that includes the lav, the plug-on and the Senn handheld microphone with integrated transmitter. Gotta say I like the plug-on because I can chose just about any microphone I want. It's just more flexible.

Hey guys,

I am trying to make a decision on a wireless mic setup using 2 lapel mics and one receiver. Im looking at the Azden 221-LT. I think it is a new system? It consists of the 221R receiver and the 31LT lav with a bodypack. Im just wondering if anyone has used this system or should I just go with the WR22-Pro and 2 WL/T Pros? Any suggestions?

I have a TRV80 with Azden SGMX short shotgun mounted on the camera. During normal to moderately loud scenes the sound is quite good. However, with loud sounds (such as yelling during a dramatic scene) there is a lot of distortion. To my knowledge the TRV80 doesn't have audio recording level adjustment, so I have to rely on the the unit's automatic capabilities.

Is this the microphone's fault or the camcorder (I noticed the same effect when hooking up the Azden to an older D8 camcorder, the TRV720).

I suspect it is the automatic level controls being overwhelmed, but can anyone confirm this?

i m not an expert but it does sound like the cam auto adjustment.
does it continue to be distorted if the loud noise is atleast a few seconds long? or does it adjust?

maybe try moving the mice back a couple feet?

I've been looking for a shotgun mic under $500, and the choice comes down pretty much between ME66 and AT897...
Can anyone compare those two models for me?
It'll be used with my dvx100a...and to make indie films...
I'd really appreciate a detailed review of both mics, in terms of performance, funtionality, durability, etc...
and also please make me a recommendation considering that the price does not matter as long as it's under $500...
Thanks~^^

hi. i am a videographer. when shooting weddings, i like to be around bride and groom while they make preperations before the actual ceremony (getting hair done, fitting on dress, etc.). using the onboard mic which came with my sony pd150, doesn't really do the job when trying to capture dialogue.
i DO have a uhf wireless mic device. so i was thinking of placing the transmitter hooked up to a microphone, in the area where the people are talking, freeing me of having to stay very close to them in order to record what they are saying. what microphone would you suggest i hook up to the transmitter to get good clean (as much as possible) dialogue?

the smaller mic, the better. i don't want it to stick out too much.

thanks

I REALLY like the new AT 899, it's a great mic for direct placement. You could also use one of the AT boundary mics with the quad element.
A Sony ECM 55 would be great here too.

A guide to using and choosing mics from m-audio. Very well done, if I do say so myself.
http://www.m-audio.com/images/en/manuals/Record-Now_Mic-Guide.pdf

I just got my Azden SGM-1X today and I am looking for some better wind protection.

Due to a limited buget, I have decided between these two "furrys" that fit over the standard foam windscreen.

Are they basically the same, or is one much better than the other?

Thanks for your help.

I just bought a Mike Muff for my GL2, and it fits great.

Let me add that I am trying to reduce the pickup of camera noise with a piece of thin foam rubber (adhesive on one side) cut to cover the bottom of the onboard mic. The Mike Muff fits great with or without the foam rubber stuck to the bottom of the mic.

I am planning to due some dual system sound shoots (specifically for a 48 hour film festival) and considering laptop recording.

I have a Thinkpad t41p with a 7200 rpm drive, plenty fast for recording audio but of course has build in crappy sound,

Consider either a Echo Indigo IO http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/IndigoIO/index.php or the new Behringer BCA http://www.behringer.com/BCA2000/index.cfm?lang=ENG but can't decided which is more usable.

The Indigo's huge advantage is size - no carrying around a mixing box and drivers are running at around 2ms latency for 24/96 two channel recording. However, only 1 1/8" minijack for input - so I would have to carry around my Samson Mixpad 4 for phantom power, XLR and monitoring.

The Behringer unit could replace the Indigo/Samson combo but it's a bulky box and though it uses USB 2.0 for low latency, it's too new to see reviews out on latency performance.

I know it's too much to ask for a Cardbus card with snap on XLR and phantom power, but I'm torn between which setup is more usable in the field for a two-man sound crew (mixer and boom).

Does anyone now where I can find sound equipment like zeppelins, boom poles, etc. used? It seems like there should be some floating around somewhere?

Thanks,

Michael

After much research... I went ahead and ordered a Beachtek DXA-8 from B & H. I will be purchasing an Oktava MC-012 to go with it. B & H doesn't sell the Oktava.

I want to go to the best place to order my mic, and am sure someone will have a good reputable place to order from!

Thanks for all the advice... I put it to good use, as you can see by my choices!

I'd actually go to the sound room and pay the extra for the piece of mind.
http://sound-room.com/customer/home.php?cat=2

The Oktava with a cardoid cap is 193US and the kit with a cardoid, hyper and omni is $299.

You could also try www.avr.ca I paid the equivilent of 195 us a kit but they'de be shipping from Canada to the US.

The Beach is a good choice.

I'm thinking about buying a KSM32 to mic a guitar I have. I'm wondering if this mic would work well with my VX2K camera. It is a really nice condenser mic for studio recording, vocals and instruments.

Charles

The Shure KSM32 is a pretty decent mic, but it will not work with your
VX2K without an adapter . . . one that provides phantom power.

In what situations are you thinking about using it w/ your camera?

Ebay is probably about the best, but because stuff like blimps and poles in
good conditon are always in demand, they usually go as part of an
entire kit which normally includes the mic the seller really wants to broom.

There's a *mangled Rycote kit* on Ebay now for under $100.

Deleted -

Stay away from that "stuff" and if it's a consumer mag stuff it where it belongs in the garbage or under the cat's litterbox. get back on track with quality gear.

Going to Northern Romania to find folk music for inspiration and enjoyment. But I want to share memories and I'm an audio engineer so I'm a bit of a gearhead. But I don't want this to be a "Busman's Holiday" and lug around a lot of gear. I want pictures so camcorder seemed good idea. I'm starting from zero. I plan to get Panasonic DV953 and MKH416 and Beechtek DXA6 and I will be traveling alone in a rental car. A few questions:
1) Are these good choices?
2) Will 416 pattern be too narrow for a group of 4-6 people? Will I have to stand too far back?
3) Would a stereo Mic be of any use? With a shotgun MS stereo can I record unmatrixed and use just cardiod side as Hypercardiod (shotgun)?
4) Can I use DV953 'AV input' to bypass mic pre and achieve equivalent of Greg Winter mod?
5) Do I need release form in case I want to sample or somehow use commercially?
This is a great forum, I wish I found it earlier. I'm leaving in 5 days to work in Berlin til Aug 1, then to Romania. Thanks in advance for qiuck answers.

Is there an adapter or box that will convert a line level feed to mic level?

I only have a MA-300 mic adapter on my GL2 and was just trying to prepare myself for any situation I may run into at some upcoming weddings.

Would be nice to run an output from the PA to the MA-300, but it only accepts mic level inputs.

Thanks

Actually I'm getting a Sony TRV900 camera.

Yes, they are called *in line pads* and feature a resistor of your choice.
They look like what we call a female XLR barrel (or coupler) with the
resistor inside.

I would recommend a -20 or -30 dB pad. Beachtek uses a -50 and from
my experience it is too much. A hot mic like the K6/ME67 will overload
without using the -50 pad, but you don't get enough signal with it.

I don't know about the GL2, but the XL1 has a menu setting you can
adjust for -10 line level. You will need a pad if you want to tame the
+4 dBv tiger.