DR-100mkii opt for Mixer?

J

JChang

Active member
I am shooting a new short film coming up and we are running a DR-100mkii and a Schoeps CMC641

However, while doing some tests, we are noticing that it is recording very soft.

We are using the Medium Gain Setting around the Mic Level 8 - 10. We are trying to keep noise to a minimum.

Mic is about 3 feet away from actors and we are getting levels around -48db to -32db with normal conversation. I would then boost this in post in Audition to try to get it at around -12db.

This is however introducing quite a bit of background noise.

Is there another method I should use? We do not have Lavs available.

Should we opt for a Sound Devices mixer and record into the DR-100mkii through the line input?

Thanks
 
I have the CMC5 MK41 and I use the DR100mkii but I use it with a SD Mix Pre in between and get excellent results
 
A mixer is certainly a useful addition to your kit but it's not likely to help this situstion. The problem is the voices are too soft in relation to the backgroud noise and that's a matter of mic placement. The Inverse Square law says that the closer the mic is to the talent, the louder the talent's voice will be in relation to the background. Adjusting the gain controls during recording will not alter the ratio of voice to noise. Once it's recorded the ratio of voice to noise is fixed and level adjustments won't alter it - raising the level of the voice raises the background as well. The fix is to alter the ratio as you record by moving the mic closer. Three feet is too far for optimum results ... try for about 18 inches.
 
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Thanks for your suggestion. We are trying to get the mic as close as possible.

As for the shots that are wide and the mic can not be that close, would people opt for lavs instead? All indoors.
 
"As for the shots that are wide and the mic can not be that close, would people opt for lavs instead?"
- Yes, that and dialog editors will often use the (boomed) audio from the CU takes.
 
JChang said:
Mic is about 3 feet away from actors and we are getting levels around -48db to -32db with normal conversation. I would then boost this in post in Audition to try to get it at around -12db
Click to expand...

Give that the Tascam DR-100 MK2 has a best case noise-floor around -80 dB, then boosting your your -48 dB recording to -12 dB ( by adding 36 dB of gain in post ) is going to raise your background noise-floor to about -44 dB, which would definitely sound noisy. You want your noise-floor to be -60 dB or better.

As Steve mentioned, you need to get your mic closer to your talent to get higher levels without raising the background noise level.

Otherwise, I would definitely try adding a good mixer to the audio-chain. Sound Devices mixers can supply up to 60+ dB of clean gain, and might be a solution for you if the room you are recording in is very quiet.

Another option is to try a good quality shotgun mic that can be used indoors. ( Rode NTG-3, Sennheiser 416, Saken CS-3e, etc... )
 
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