Film Sound Recording (Stereo / Mono)

[castrofilipe]

Hi there!

I'll be directing sound within a few weeks on one film!

My doubt is the following, I have a weak pair of stereo mics, a Behringer C-2, and i have the classic Sennheiser Mkh 416, then i was thinking of recording the mono side with the sennheiser, in the boom pole, right in top of the action, and to have the C-2 right back, capturing the other reflexions, and other sounds of the action.

Can any of you help me or advice me?

 

[Alex H.]

Dialog is always recorded in mono. Even if there are two mics in operation (i.e. two actors, each wearing a lav), the mics are recorded separately... this is not stereo, but is actually dual mono. The larger productions, which may have 6 or 8 mics running at any given point, multi-track their recordings. Splitting mics to separate channels allows greater control over the mix in post.

You haven't specified how the audio will be recorded. Will you be going straight to the camera? Will you have a separate recorder (DAT, solid state)? Will you be running through a mixer? Do you have any wireless lavaliere systems, or can you rent? Wireless lav systems can come in handy for wider shots where the boom just can't make it in.

The 416 will get you through quite a bit, but shouldn't be your only tool. If it is the only mic you use, and you are going through a mixer to the camera or straight to the camera, make sure that you record it to both channels with the second channel set a few dB lower as a safety in case of sudden peaks. You want the mic to be as close to the actors as possible.

The Behringer C2 mics are a matched stereo pair, but that doesn't mean that you have to use them together. Now, I'm not a fan of anything Behringer, but sometimes you work with what you've got. And what you've got are a couple of cardioid condensers, which may come in handy for dialog indoors (hypercardioid is better) or even outdoors depending on how close you can get and what environment you're in. Put one on the end of your fish pole and see what you get. And if you have a second boom op, the other mic can come into play for better coverage of a larger group of actors or a wider field of action.

Honestly, my best piece of advice would be to get this: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=133986

Sound is a complicated world, and it's more than can be covered in a few posts, especially if you've never done it before.

 

[Noiz2]

What he said. Part of why you don't want to "capture the ambiance" during shooting is that unless your film is about making a film it's the wrong ambiance. The other big reason is that the film is going to be edited. Any background no matter how perfect is going to make editing a nightmare or at least a nightmare for sound post when they try to get rid of the BG so the cuts don't jump. The ambiance needs to be added in post.

 

[castrofilipe]

Responding to C2V, i'm using a digital recorder, and the aesthetic of the film, doesn't require wide shots, so i would be able to use the boom pole, quite easy!

then if i use the Mkh416, "following the actor" and i was wondering to use the C-2, to record other sounds, almost ambiance, but not, the "main sounds" that occur on the action. The C-2 will be recorded to seperate channels, but, what i was talking about stereo, was that i was thinking about using the XY technique.

What do you think about it?

And now to Noiz2, thanks for the advice, that really makes sense and sometimes that fact doesn't occur on location. Thanks.

Thanks to both of you!

 

[Rippie]

castro,
Use the boom mic and only the boom mic.
The "ambiance" mic thats recorded at the same time cant be used. It would have the same issues when you cut back and forth.
You need a solid ambiance track that wont "break" when you cut to a different angle.

Here is the blunt easy to understand answer.
It is NEVER done this way on set.
So as a newer person (you) i wouldnt exactly be trying to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Alex H.]

Responding to C2V, i'm using a digital recorder, and the aesthetic of the film, doesn't require wide shots, so i would be able to use the boom pole, quite easy!

then if i use the Mkh416, "following the actor" and i was wondering to use the C-2, to record other sounds, almost ambiance, but not, the "main sounds" that occur on the action. The C-2 will be recorded to seperate channels, but, what i was talking about stereo, was that i was thinking about using the XY technique.

What do you think about it?

And now to Noiz2, thanks for the advice, that really makes sense and sometimes that fact doesn't occur on location. Thanks.

Thanks to both of you!

Echoing Noiz2, all the ambient sounds are added in post. Get the boom in close and record the dialog clean. And don't forget room tone (interiors) or wild tracks (outdoors), which would be 30 or 60 seconds of "silence" (everyone standing perfectly still) as soon as the take is done. That provides a recording of just the set's or location's noise floor, which will be used by the sound editor to smooth out the dialog from take to take. These tracks must be recorded using the same mic as the dialog, in the same place, with all the same equipment running.

As for the XY micing, that's a perfectly viable stereo recording technique. And where that can come in handy is in recording natural sounds later, away from the camera and dialog. Great for snagging sounds of birds in the forest, busy city streets, etc. But you do not want to record the "ambient" sounds that occur in the room during dialog. If any of that is needed, it's better added in post using a reverb generator.