Advice for an audio setup

O

oxband

Well-known member
So, I've decided to make a go for it as a visual anthropologist/documentary filmmaker (I'm a anthropology PhD student who will be shooting a movie for my dissertation), and I've saved up the money to buy my own equipment in the next week or so. Vis-a-vis audio, my thinking is that I'd like a shotgun mic, two wireless lavs, and a sound mixer. I'm thinking of a shotgun attached to the camera and not a boom pole because much, if not most, of the shooting I'll be doing in the near future will be a solo job.

A few questions then:
1 - In looking at a camera, should I only want something with XLR inputs or is something like a Beachtek sufficient if the camera has no XLR inputs

2 - Even if it does have XLR inputs, is an audio mixer a good idea? It seems from speaking with the people I've spoken to that it is.

3 - In many ways, what I buy depends on my budget which isn't yet set. I'm willing to spend a couple thousand on audio if it is that much of a step up from cheaper things, although I'm not planning on buying top of the line. I have no sense for how much better a $1,000 shotgun is from a $500. With that in mind, any recommendation for any of the audio equipment?

In terms of what I'm shooting, I'd like versatility. The longer project/dissertation is a documentary about migration to Arkansas which will include both individual interviews and crowd scenes at events. I'd love to have versatility with my equipment so I feel like I can have a decent chance at getting good sound no matter what I'm shooting.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!
 
A mixer is a great thing, but it is difficult to use when shooting solo IMO. You may still want to get one, but unless you can anthropologically grow more digits, it will be a challenge. A mixer can help boost you signal, has better limiters and filters, and if you need more than two channels will actually mix for you. It is just pretty tough to hold a camera and ride the audio levels at the same time. If you are on stix, you can mount the mixer on the tripod, and it is more realistic to use. This is the only time I use a mixer shooting solo. There is nothing wrong with shooting direct to cam and controlling audio on cam. It isn't as versatile as having a mixer, but it works fine. I would highly recommend getting a cam with XLR inputs, it will reduce your hassle factor a whole bunch.

If you intend to get a mixer, shotgun, two wireless kits and all the extras to make that work, you will need more than a 2k budget, closer to 3k unless you buy really cheapo.

Senn G3 wireless kits $700 ea
Rode NT2 shotgun 300
Softy, boom, shock mt 500
SD302 mixer 1100
Cables, headphones
luggage, misc 300

You can wiggle those numbers or debate the equipment choices, but the above is realistic for decent equipment.

Regards,
Grant
 
I'm not convinced that the difference between a $500 mixer and a $1000 mixer can be heard in the final mix. Trying to shoot AND operate an external mixer yourself is not a great combination.

DO NOT forget to add a good pair of headphones. The industry standard in the Western Hemisphere appears to be the SONY MDR-7506. Sennheiser HD-280 in Europe, etc. Recording audio without monitoring it (continuously!) is exactly like trying to frame and focus without looking at the viewfinder.
 
If you are planning on getting audio inside then you need a hypercardioid mic. A shotgun is not the right tool for indoor dialogue in most cases.

I like the AT4053b hyper.
 
Richard Crowley said:
DO NOT forget to add a good pair of headphones. The industry standard in the Western Hemisphere appears to be the SONY MDR-7506. Sennheiser HD-280 in Europe, etc. Recording audio without monitoring it (continuously!) is exactly like trying to frame and focus without looking at the viewfinder.
Click to expand...

Actually, the Sennheiser HD 25-1 are the industry standard in the UK and most of Europe as I see it. The HD 280 Pro and the new HD 380 Pro are lower cost alternatives for those who can't afford the HD 25-1.

Virtually every professional sound recordist I know uses the HD 25-1, the Sony is probably second in popularity over here.
 
Chad, why do you recommend a hypercardioid if I'm indoors? I'm buying lavs so that I can use them for interview, but I imagine there will be plenty of time - group scenes for example - that I'll be relying on the shotgun for sound indoors. Many people had recommend a rode ntg 2 or 3 shotgun to me, and those are not hypercardioid, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.
 
oxband said:
Chad, why do you recommend a hypercardioid if I'm indoors? I'm buying lavs so that I can use them for interview, but I imagine there will be plenty of time - group scenes for example - that I'll be relying on the shotgun for sound indoors. Many people had recommend a rode ntg 2 or 3 shotgun to me, and those are not hypercardioid, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...

Using a hyper indoors is standard in the film industry. The idea that a single shotgun mic covers all your needs is a cliche that's pretty common, but not accurate.

The basic reason is this.... shotguns have slits along the side that help them reject noises coming from the side. The issue is that is doesn't do so evenly at all frequencies, which isn't an issue for traffic noise, birds, ect... but in a small to medium size rooms, the human voice bounces around the walls creating an echo. The echo hits the mic from all sorts of angles, and the voice is attenuated unevenly so it doesn't sound natural. When you look at a hyper, it rolls off all frequencies evenly (well, the good ones do).

Example: If you point a shotgun mic at someone's mouth, then tilt it away from their mouth, their voice gets softer AND more unnatural. With a hyper (especially the standard Schoeps CMC461, $2k) when you tilt the mic away from someone's mouth the voice gets softer, but still sounds natural.

The AT4053b is an excellent hyper for indoors.
 
Shotguns are designed for OUTSIDE use. The slits on the side that are designed for rejecting off axis sound do not deal well with reflections off of walls. So if you are in a room other than a dead sounding studio or a room with carpet, bookshelves and couches to absorb the reverberations, a shotgun is prone to have phase issues that degrade the quality of the sound. It sounds hollow. That's not to say that sometimes you luck out and can get a decent recording with a shotgun indoors. But ask any sound person if a shotgun is the best solution for indoor audio.

A hyper will sound much more natural both indoors or out. But a hyper is usually very susceptible to wind, so they are usually found on the end of a boom pole of indoor shoots. But properly blimped they can work outside too.

Many video guys & gals know nothing about audio, and they have heard the term "shotgun" a lot, so they buy a shotgun and think they are all set. They are not. Audio is as deep area, possibly deeper of an area to master than video. The basics of an "audio for video" kit are: A shotgun for outside, a hyper for inside, and a wireless lav setup that can also be used wired (don't degrade your sound with wireless without good reason). That's 3 basic mics.

Expect to spend as much on audio gear as on your video gear! BTW I have an NTG-3 and LOVE it. Its a sweet sweet shotgun. But check out a hyper for your inside shoot. My current afforadible fave is the AT4053b, but the AKG CK93 gets some good sound too. The AT4053b goes for 500.00 when you add to cart at B&H. The CK93 goes for 70.00 less. The thing with the AKG is that it has switchable caps for different polar patterns (AS DOES THE AT4053b) but the caps other than the hyper aren't too good. The AT4053b has multiple caps too. So for 200.00 you get say and OMNI cap, and it's like getting a whole new mic for 200.00.

So if you want to pick up multiple people with one mic maybe an omni would be better suited. Still a hyper is a mic you definitely need in your kit.

I hope I haven't blathered on too much. Just don't cheap out on audio. It's 70% of video.
 
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