Help with location sound gear

yeah i would say that a mixer is absolutely essential when making a film as actors tend to be all over the place in dbs when delivering their lines and you'd be a pest to keep bothering the cameraman with your "can you turn mic 1 down a lil?" requests. I learned the hard way that sound guys are not appreciated on set by the camera crew. You will probably be yelled at. im sorry to be negative but i worked sound guy on a film and it was a lot more challenging than i thought it would be. you will get there, set up early, have all your wires run so that they are not crossing electrical cords then BAM! everything gets changed in the blink of an eye and everybody's looking at you to run around and undo everything in an instant.

good tips i learned that seem obvious but may not be.
hide lavs in womens cleavage. i know i sound like a perv but this is the best way to avoid mic rustling so if you are not female, then either find a woman who can help or apologize profusely while setting them up. also make sure you've got some gum and your nails and hands are clean because noone wants some creeper with filthy hands and stank breath taping a mic to their chest.

be sure to listen and let the director know right after a take that the sound is bad because of whatever incidental noise is occuring.

do not run xlrs parallel to power cables. You can cross them in a T and get away with it but running them parallel will give you hum.

test everything everyday before you get to the set. Like i said before, no one wants to wait for the sound guy.

In a dramatic scene, ask the actors to deliver their lines as loud as possible as a test and still give them a good deal of headroom. Take after take they will get louder and louder and fixing clipped signals is a very labor intensive thing that almost always results in adr.

thats about all i can think of right now and might i suggest looking into renting or borrowing equipment? you can get alot more for a lot less that way.

Smith said:

I've been given a small budget (£500) for it and I am contemplating where the money is going to be best spent. We already have a Rode NTG-1 with shock mount but we need everything else - this is the list I have compiled:

• 1 x NTG-1 compatible deadcat
• 1 x ENG-44 field mixer
• 1 x 3m ScrewFix painter's pole
• 1 x painter's pole > boom pole screw adapter
• 1 x Sennheiser HD202 headphones
• 2 x 5m XLR cables

We will be recording onto a Sony HDR-FX1

My main concern is regarding the mixer, some people have told me that I won't need one as we have a single source, others that it will greatly improve the sound, as I will be able to control the levels. My perception at the moment is that if I don't have a mixer, the job of monitoring/adjusting the sound levels will fall to the cameraman - using the on-screen VU - is this correct?

Click to expand...

As you only have the one mic a four channel mixer is a bit of overkill. You may want to look into the Sound Devices MM-1 or, if you really want the level meters, the PSC DV ProMix 1, either of which can be clipped to your belt. They both cost around US$390, so you'll save a few pounds. You should use that saved money to get a real boom-pole. BTW, the MM-1 or ProMix will still be very useful as you add other gear to your production sound kit.

Learn proper boom technique and work out to get yourself in shape. I used to use a 16 foot (3 meter) steel pole that weighed about 25 pounds or so; after an hour a day for two weeks with that puppy a boom-pole was a feather! Your arms should be in an "H" (elbows parallel to your shoulders), rest the pole in your palms and use your fingers to control mic direction.

Set the camera to record "normal" levels on the cameras audio channel one and reduce the input level on the cameras audio channel two so that sudden transients will not distort on that channel.

You should obtain pieces of carpeting and sound blankets.

Work with the DP and talent during blocking.

Know the script inside/out.

You may also want to read my blogs here on IndieTalk.

Hey,
Thanks for the fast responses guys.
Paralanguage: Thanks for the tips, especially the one about power next to XLR cables - that's the sort of thing that I'm novice enough not to know about. I've looked into renting and unfortunately the choice is very limited in the UK, and as the shoot is for a feature, it's going to be cheaper to buy than to rent for the 30 day shoot.

Alcove: Cheers for the recommendations, I've looked into the MM-1 and it comes in at £100 less than the ENG-44 that I was previously considering - this doesn't seem to be a great saving as I’m sacrificing the meters and the ability to add more mics in the future, am I missing something? - How important do you think the meters are? (Given that I'm a novice and I'm a visual person, I'm thinking that they are a good idea). The PSC DV ProMix 1 actually works out more expensive than the ENG-44 for us in the UK (something to do with import tax).
What are you thoughts on the ENG-44, do you know anyone that's used one?
Also, thanks for the tips - no need to worry about the weight of the boom - I’m a kayaker so I've got that covered...

Thanks,
SMITH

Sounds simple but if you are recording audio separately don't forget to get a slate.

Also keep a good record of which tracks go with which takes.

The strength you've got from kayaking will help (side note: I didn't know people could kayak in the UK, lol), but what you really need is endurance. I would at least try Alcove's advice at least once. If you can hold the boom for an hour, then maybe you'll be fine.

And here's a tip to save your muscles, from a massage therapist: make sure you stretch thoroughly before, but especially after the shoot. And stay really hydrated so the lactic acid doesn't sit on your muscles and give you aches. Otherwise day 2 is going to be a LOT harder than day 1.

Smith said:

I've looked into the MM-1 and it comes in at £100 less than the ENG-44 that I was previously considering - this doesn't seem to be a great saving as I’m sacrificing the meters and the ability to add more mics in the future, am I missing something? - How important do you think the meters are?

Click to expand...

It's really hard to boom and mix at the same time. As long as you are precise with the camera audio levels you should be okay without meters.

The MM-1 is almost "stock issue" for professional boom-ops; it's really quiet, supplies phantom power and has the headphones output.

Your next mic will probably be a hyper-cardioid condenser for indoor usage, so a multiple channel mixer is not yet required. The new mixer will come when you add multiple lavs and probably a digital audio recorder.

Smith said:

The PSC DV ProMix 1 actually works out more expensive than the ENG-44 for us in the UK (something to do with import tax).

Click to expand...

That sucks!

Smith said:

... no need to worry about the weight of the boom - I’m a kayaker so I've got that covered...

Click to expand...

Holding something quietly and almost completely motionless above your head is a lot different than propelling a kayak, and the boom-pole is quite a bit longer than a paddle. It's not a question of strength (although it is a question of stamina), it's a question of control.

BTW, I would get a 20' XLR cable for the boom, and at least a 30' XLR to run to the camera, preferably with an additional 30' XLR; you'll need it.



Hey, opinions are like a$$holes - everybody has one and the all stink. Only you know your current priorities and future plans.

Thanks guys,

Alcove, I'm going to be honest - I'm not really sure what the MM-1 will allow me to do, can you explain what it does simply? - i'm struggling to understand the jargon on the website.

+ If I work the boom well, then work the MM-1 well and run the XLR output to the camera for recording, will the editor have decent sound to work with in post?

Cheers,
Smith

The MM-1:

Provides phantom power to the mic (48-volt, 12-volt and T-power 12-volt.

Allows volume control by the boom-op, which can be important if the boom-op is also the PSM.

Has a headphone output for the boom-op.

Has a defeatable limiter.

Does not need an over-the-shoulder case.

When clipped to the boom-ops belt eliminates problems with "cable drag" on the boom. (Most indie productions do without a sound assistant/audio cable wrangler.)

It's made by Sound Devices; it's a tank that will last for many, many years.

It's made by Sound Devices; the sound is clean and uncolored.

Can be used for other purposes as your sound kit expands.


http://www.sounddevices.com/products/mm1master.htm



The quality of the sound will depend upon the quality of your technique, the quality of the mic, the quality of your technique, the sonic conditions on the set, and the quality of your technique. Being a boom-op is a tough job and requires the preparation which I have previously mentioned - proper boom handling, knowing the script, knowing your gear, setting proper record levels, working with the DP and talent during blocking. Knowledge is only 20% of the battle, the rest comes with experience.

Thankyou Alcove,

From what I understand:

The "preamp gain" dial will allow me to affect the signal of the sound being sent to the camera, high gain = more sensitive to quieter sounds - is this correct?

The "mon gain" dial will affect the gain on my headphones... ?

and the "phones" dial will adjust the volume on my headphones...?



How will I be able to check the sound that's actually being recorded by the camera?

Thanks,
SMITH

Smith said:

The "preamp gain" dial will allow me to affect the signal of the sound being sent to the camera, high gain = more sensitive to quieter sounds - is this correct?

Click to expand...

Yes and no - it makes everything louder, the background noise as well as what you want to record.

Smith said:

The "mon gain" dial will affect the gain on my headphones... ?

Click to expand...

No, affects the output gain of the MM-1.

Smith said:

and the "phones" dial will adjust the volume on my headphones...?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Smith said:

How will I be able to check the sound that's actually being recorded by the camera?

Click to expand...

You won't, at least while the camera is rolling. You will have to set the levels prior to shooting based on rehearsal, a solid guesstimate and a few prayers. If the director will permit it you can check levels after taping a rehearsal.


BTW, you need MUCH better headphones than the HD202 which are very colored and aimed at DJs; you will not get an accurate representation of what you are attempting to record. The Sony MDR-7506 are an industry standard for production sound.

You mean the little white ear buds that came with my iPod won't work for production sound, Alcove?

Damn!