Professional audio questions.

AmateurFilmmaker · Nov 29, 2015

What type of microphones would you recommend using to record quality audio for a short or feature film, commercial, or documentary for example?

I've seen videos on the rode go or pro for instance, and they didn't seem to be as high quality as i'd imagine them being when used during tests in the videos--even with windscreens on them.

There would be hissing, background noise in the audio during the subjects dialogue, and unwanted sounds of other types on the audio. Were the microphones not high quality enough to give better audio? Not the correct ones to use? Used improperly? They were used outside as well during windy conditions, and the problems increased. Which ones do you recommend one use to get the highest quality audio possible? Makes and models? How should they be used as far as settings go? The videos mentioned something named "DB" for instance. How does that effect the audio quality the microphones produce/record? How should those settings be set for instance? What about post production work? Should anything be done to the audio there? Can anything be done? If so, what? How can/should it be done? If not, why not?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa5vcHOY1Z4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owh5oJRATw0

Sweetie · Nov 29, 2015

What type of microphones would you recommend

Microphones are situational. You use the appropriate microphone for the appropriate task, condition and production requirement.

I've seen videos on the rode go or pro for instance, and they didn't seem to be as high quality as i'd imagine them being when used during tests in the videos--even with windscreens on them.

The microphone is only part of the equation. What you plug them into to record is as important, if not more important. If you plug a great microphone into a camera, it'll get let down by the cameras preamps and lack of control etc.

There would be hissing

Likely to be the noise floor of the pre-amps on the recording device.

background noise in the audio during the subjects dialogue, and unwanted sounds of other types on the audio.

Probably a locations issue.

Were the microphones not high quality enough to give better audio?

Might or might not. It depends.

Not the correct ones to use?

Possibly

Used improperly?

Also possible and likely.

They were used outside as well during windy conditions, and the problems increased.

Sounds about right.

Which ones do you recommend one use to get the highest quality audio possible? Makes and models?

The right one for the situation.

You can invest in $50k in equipment and still not have the correct range of equipment to handle most of the basic situations you'll encounter, let alone every situation that can arise what can happen on a "feature film, commercial, or documentary"

How should they be used as far as settings go?

The right way for the combination of hardware and situation.... oh, and requirement.

The videos mentioned something named "DB" for instance. How does that effect the audio quality the microphones produce/record?

It normally doesn't. It's a measure of volume.

How should those settings be set for instance?

Set correctly.

What about post production work?

Should be done.

Should anything be done to the audio there?

Everything that needs to be done.

Can anything be done?

Once again, lots.

If so, what? How can/should it be done?

The appropriate things.

If not, why not?

Yeah, why not!

This is exactly why people need to hire audio professionals to shoot their films. You're not even sure what questions to ask so you've resorted to the vaguest of questions without knowing that you've missed almost every piece of information required to allow anyone to answer your questions with anything but the most vaguest of answers.

One thing for sure. The operator is often more important than the equipment involved. This of course assumes there's at least hardware that can function to perform the required task.

If you really want to learn to do audio for your films, I suggest that you start reading about audio to get to the point where you're able to ask questions that may lead to useful answers.

Good luck with your productions.

AudioPostExpert · Nov 29, 2015

AmateurFilmmaker said:
The videos mentioned something named "DB" for instance. How does that effect the audio quality the microphones produce/record?

dB = Decibels, a logarithmic scale used for measuring the energy (amplitude) of an audio signal. If you have 0dB then you have no sound, so it makes a fundamental difference to audio quality, just as zero light would affect picture quality.

AmateurFilmmaker said:
How should those settings be set for instance?

This, along with all your other questions, can't be answered simply. It's the same as asking what lighting settings, camera settings and grading settings you should use to shoot a short, commercial, feature or doco. Those who operate audio equipment professionally, have years of experience/training because as Sweetie basically said, it all depends (on the conditions and what you want to achieve).

AmateurFilmmaker said:
What about post production work? Should anything be done to the audio there? Can anything be done? If so, what? How can/should it be done? If not, why not?

If you look up the crew on any film on IMDb and go to the Sound Department, you'll probably find a list of around 20 (or up to about 70) members of this department. A few will be the location sound team but most will be the audio post teams. Even with a large audio post department, it usually takes at least 2-3 months to complete all the audio-post on a feature and can take double or triple as long. Audio-post is an unavoidable, required part of commercial/professional filmmaking (shorts, docos, commercials, features, soaps, etc.). So "yes", a great deal can be done (and must be done). As to what/how, you're again asking us to explain how to fulfil a number of different filmmaking roles, each of which take years to learn. So again, there are no easy answers.

I suggest you spend a little time on filmsound.org, looking up the main audio-post departments (dialogue editing, Foley, Sound FX, ADR and Re-recording) and then when you've got a handle on some of the basics, feel free to ask any specific questions you may have.

G

Professional audio questions.

AmateurFilmmaker

Sweetie

AudioPostExpert