Help using both wireless and Boom Mic

claxius

claxius

Active member
Hello, sort of a noob in need of some advise. I have a wireless mic and a shotgun mic attached to a boom pole and a dvx100b.

How can I get the best audio? Wireless mics make me very nervous whereas boom micing is a lot "safer".

When I'm shooting just one person should I have them on the wireless with sound going in both channels -OR- can I have the wirelss going in one channel and ALSO hang the boom mic over them to get audio going in the second channel?

Basically, is it ok to get sound from one talking head with BOTH a wireless in one channel and a boom in the other or should is it better to stick with one mic or the other in both channels?

Thanx
 
One boom mic is fine unless you need a backup. Unless you have an expensive
wireless, the boom is usually going to be better audio. I wouldn't bother with the wireless unless a fast moving subject justifies it.

If you want a backup, it is fine to put the boom in one channel and the wireless in the other.
That way you have two independent sound sources to choose from.
 
Just a note - if you use both a lav and a boom, be sure to send them to separate iso tracks and don't try to mix them. Because the boom mic is farther away than the lav, the voice arrives at the boom slightly delayed from when it hits the lav. As a result the phase of the boom signal is shifted slightly with respect to the lav and if the two are mixed you can get some weird comb filtering effects.
 
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program the inputs in the dvx 100a input 1 to channel 1, input 2 to channel 2 (under the LCD).

Make sure that both inputs are set to "mic" level (on the front of the cam) (unless your wireless system outputs "line" level)

turn phantom power off on both inputs (under lcd) also called mic power +48 volts

connect the boom mic to channel 1 or 2 and then turn on phantom power for that channel only.

boom it in close 12"-24" above and in front of the talent. Drop the mic all the way into the shot and then slowly raise it until it is barely out of the frame.

Do a test with headphones by scratching lightly on the mic (do not tap or blow on the mic) make sure it is only being recorded on one channel.

Record the audio hot enough (so it peaks above -12 (to the first red bar)) but not too hot (where it hits all the way to 0 (the last red bar)). If the audio goes to 0 db it will be utterly useless distortion.

In post you will have the option to pick which mic to use. Do not mix them.

After you get good with booming, you will probably always use that, but this is a good safety net while you learn.
 
saneproductions said:
program the inputs in the dvx 100a input 1 to channel 1, input 2 to channel 2 (under the LCD).

Make sure that both inputs are set to "mic" level (on the front of the cam) (unless your wireless system outputs "line" level)

turn phantom power off on both inputs (under lcd) also called mic power +48 volts

connect the boom mic to channel 1 or 2 and then turn on phantom power for that channel only.

boom it in close 12"-24" above and in front of the talent. Drop the mic all the way into the shot and then slowly raise it until it is barely out of the frame.

Do a test with headphones by scratching lightly on the mic (do not tap or blow on the mic) make sure it is only being recorded on one channel.

Record the audio hot enough (so it peaks above -12 (to the first red bar)) but not too hot (where it hits all the way to 0 (the last red bar)). If the audio goes to 0 db it will be utterly useless distortion.

In post you will have the option to pick which mic to use. Do not mix them.

After you get good with booming, you will probably always use that, but this is a good safety net while you learn.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Can someone explain the reason for turning off the phantom power?
 
you don't want to plug or unplug mics with phantom power on.

turn off, plug in mic, record, turn off, unplug mic.

You don't want phantom power going to your wireless reciever because it can add really weird noise to the system and it doesn't need it.

In fact, make sure you are using a shotgun that requires phantom.

What shotgun are you using?
 
saneproductions said:
you don't want to plug or unplug mics with phantom power on.

turn off, plug in mic, record, turn off, unplug mic.

You don't want phantom power going to your wireless reciever because it can add really weird noise to the system and it doesn't need it.

In fact, make sure you are using a shotgun that requires phantom.

What shotgun are you using?
Click to expand...

Okay thanks good to know. Unfortunately I havent been doing that. I'll do it now. My shotgun is an audio technica at835a....

Also...

Which is the best option...a wireless or a boom/shotgun mic? I don't have much experience with a wireless and it is really important to get quality sound. Is wirelless only used for certain situations or does it get better sound?

Also...

Am I sacrificing quality by having two different mics recording on just one channel each as opposed to one mic recording on two channels?

Thanks a bunch
 
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you don't already have the wireless?

I never ever use wireless unless I have no other option. Wired is always better and it is 10x better on the low end of price. The minimum professional wireless setup is the sennheiser g2 system ($500) and the lav that comes with it is terrible, so you end up needing a $180 countryman EMW for a replacement anyway. For $200 you should be able to get a wired countryman EMW and have better sound.

That said a quality boom mic will sound better than any lav. The trick is knowing which mic to use for the situation, getting it close enough etc.
 
claxius said:
Am I sacrificing quality by having two different mics recording on just one channel each as opposed to one mic recording on two channels?
Click to expand...

You are likely insuring quality by recording each mic to it's own channel. In the NLE you can then adjust each of the channels separately, including mixing them or muting one.
 
Wireless is always a last resort - wired is the way to go (unless you're running Zaxcom or Lectro 4xx series, anyway). The only time you may "have" to use wireless is when the shot is sufficiently wide that you can't get the boom in properly (12-18" from the person talking). That being said, I will almost always run wireless and the boom, primarily because I am almost always working with novice boom ops and quite often they end up off-axis in a scene with any movement.

Another reason you always want to keep wireless on a separate channel is because of drop outs and RF hits. If you mix your boom with your wireless and you get an RF hit, you've blown the entire take. If the wireless is on its own channel, then you still have the boom in the event of RF problems.

Before I had multi track I always summed all my wireless to one channel, and the boom to the other. Never the two did meet (until post, anyway).

Phil
 
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