Oktava outdoors and inside a car?

FiddlerMD

FiddlerMD

Well-known member
For my spyfest entry, I may need to record some sound inside a car and some outdoor stuff. My only mic is the Oktava. This is a no-budget thing for me so I"d prefer not to spend anything much on things like BBG even though I know i need one :) cause i can't justify the cost at this point. are there any DIY type solutions to make the oktava OK for outside shoots or should i just do some ADR afterwards and mix in atmosphere sounds?
Also, for car recording, is there anything to watch out for in terms of placement. I potentially need to get audio for 1 person in driver seat and 3 in the back. any suggestions there would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
 
I don't know about any DIY soloutions to replace the BBG. I have the BBG and Jammer and they ROCK outside in the wind. Remember that they are much cheaper than a zepplin. I think you will be screwed trying to go without outside especially since you don't have the low-cut (I am assuming you are going straight into the camera). The BBG is a great investment since it works with other hypers too (Schoeps, AKG etc.)

Mic placement in a car could be tough or easy, can you describe the shot more?
 
If i understand correctly, you have one mic that you want to cover driver seat and the back seat. thats tough. especially if its doc style with no written lines.. i would think placement would need to come from passenger seat angled to get all your players. some might sound a bit off mic and distant in order to get all of them. Chances are, it will sound boxy since you are getting all the car reflection. Probably most important is to keep the windows up and the AC fan at no more than 1 and hopefully off if you can.
 
I would have windows up and no ac fan at all... your placement sounds like it may work okay... if your Oktava is a cardioid it may be even better for this one. I would suggest that the car should NOT be moving or engine running, but if you feel you need it to be then you'll probably want the mic pointing up at everybody from down low... just out of frame and splitting the distance between the actors.

Expect to roll off everything from 80-100hz and down in post.

About the BBG... the only time you need it is when you need it. A good foam like the Shure A81ws will be okay in a lot of situations, but it's not guaranteed... a full blimp (with fur) is an assurance that you will NOT have wind problems outside... the BBG/Jammer is the cheaper way to get 95% of that same assurance. If the outdoor conditions are not demanding (relatively calm day) then there's nothing wrong with using a lower level of protection... if you get wind rumble then you know you needed more... if you don't then you were fine. Without being able to predict the conditions of the outdoor shoot on the day you're shooting it's pretty hard to say if something else will be good enough.

It's like asking if you really need an umbrella this June 17th.
 
to clarify-
I have the hyper oktava
the shot is narrative style so i can do multiple takes
I need to mic driver seat and 2-3 people in back seat
car will not be moving (but will probably be outside)
 
multiple takes = no prob. depends now on what you want cam to see. fun place to put mic in a car:
Front Seats:
- top of dashboard
- inside sun visor
- near knees of driver on "hump"
- behind steering wheel
Back Seats
- behind front seat head rests
- anywhere behind front seats
- near cup holder in middle

maybe others will chime in with thier car mic locations
 
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