Audio recording (7D and loud music)

[crammond]

Me and a friend of mine do a lot of loud club gigs (mostly EDM - trance, techno, house) videorecordings lately. We record with 7D and 5D Mk2. About 5% of the videos include interviews with visitors and DJs..

Video part of the recording comes out quite good, so that is not the problem. But the audio sucks 98% of the time due clipping (this are really very loud events - a lot of videos come from directly behind the DJ/performer).

Now we are looking at more options.

One is to go and buy a RODE VideoMic PRO, which should work good for the interviews, but I think it will not be so good for all the other shots.

The other option is Rode Stereo Video Mic, which should be good for all the rest of the videos but than not really the best for the interviews as it (that's what I'm reading from reviews) picking up sound/noise from sides and from the back..

The third option is to buy a zoom H4n (we even looked at the zoom Q3 HD and record all of the video/audio with it but I can't seem to be pleased with the video quality of the q3 hd).

Since the Zoom H4n probably is the best option, the problem starts with the highest price. How good are the microphones on the H4n? Good enough to record really loud gigs? (lot's of low bass and high tones).

Most of the time we DO NOT have an option to plug into the source and record from there so we are either stuck with only the H4n or possibly 1 or 2 more microphones connected to the H4n and placed in 2 different locations (let's say 1 for the music, the other for the ambient/crowd sound).

If we do go the H4n route with 1-2 mics...which mics should we buy?



The last thing that comes to my mind is to get the H4n, plug it into the source when we can for the recording of audio and plug another mic for the ambient - let's say a Rode VideoMic PRO, positioned on the DJ table. All of the speakers will be either behind the Rode mic or in front of it (but turned the other way) - should that do it for the ambient sound (people "singing" and stuff - they are usualyl only 1-2 meters from the DJ table)?

 

[gpforet]

Here's the approach I would take:

Use a wireless lav, with the sensitvity on the transmitter trimmed to deal with the loud ambient placed near a speaker. Or get a feed from the djs monitor feed. Have the receiver plugged into one side of the H4n.

Use a DYNAMIC handheld mic to record the interviews plugged into the other side of the H4n. Think about stuff you see on TV when interviews are being conducted in noisy places (NASCAR pit area is a good example). The interviewer is using a handheld dynamic, and using in within an inch or two of their mouth. There is no magic bullet to overcome the inverse square law. Use a foam windscreen to deal with the plosives common with close micing.

 

[crammond]

I forgot to mention that most of the interviews (or at least those that matter the most) will be done before or after the event. So currently I'm looking for a solution to get the ambient/crowd sound without clipping. The sound itself I'll get from the mixer (pluged in directly).

 

[gpforet]

Your first post says:
"Most of the time we DO NOT have an option to plug into the source and record from there so we are either stuck with only the H4n or possibly 1 or 2 more microphones connected to the H4n and placed in 2 different locations (let's say 1 for the music, the other for the ambient/crowd sound)."

Placing a mic near the speaker will capture both the music and ambience. The most difficult problem you'll have is sync since there's music in the background. That's why I suggested a wireless placed near the speaker. You won't be tethered to it, and any music bleed you get in the interview mic will have the music from the lav mic (less any latency), in sync.

For anything other than a studio or very controlled environment, the handheld dynamic is the go-to choice for interviews.

I forgot to mention that most of the interviews (or at least those that matter the most) will be done before or after the event. So currently I'm looking for a solution to get the ambient/crowd sound without clipping. The sound itself I'll get from the mixer (pluged in directly).