How can I get usable dialog in a public restaurant?

M

Max H.

Member
Hi Guys-

I need to record dialog for a radio show in a busy restaurant. I only have one go to record the talent. I'm using Countryman lav's and would love some tips on how to get usable dialog from lav's without an obscene amount of background chatter and kitchen noise. Hopeless?

Thanks for your time.
 
You'll be better off booming this. In fact, it may take a tight shotgun to cut down on the surrounding noise.

Another option is to use a hand-held dynamic mic which is far less sensitive, and the host will have to really eat the mic, like you see reporters doing on busy streets.

Max H. said:
Hi Guys-

I need to record dialog for a radio show in a busy restaurant. I only have one go to record the talent. I'm using Countryman lav's and would love some tips on how to get usable dialog from lav's without an obscene amount of background chatter and kitchen noise. Hopeless?

Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...
 
If this is for radio, why are we recording in such a hostile environment? As gpforet suggests a hand-held 3 inches from the subject's mouth sounds appropriate. Why lav if this is radio?
 
Stick a dynamic right in the talent's face. Better yet, move to a better environment and THEN stick the dynamic in their face.
 
I agree with everyone here except to add one thing.
If this is for radio and there is a reason you should be in the restaurant
the background sound could be the only way your listeners can "feel" the environment
since there are obviously no visuals to go with the audio.

Obviously you wouldnt want it to be overwhelming but hearing everything going on
might not be a terrible thing.
 
Rippie said:
I agree with everyone here except to add one thing.
If this is for radio and there is a reason you should be in the restaurant
the background sound could be the only way your listeners can "feel" the environment
since there are obviously no visuals to go with the audio.

Obviously you wouldnt want it to be overwhelming but hearing everything going on
might not be a terrible thing.
Click to expand...

A local radio conservative talkshow host who also happened to be part owner in a restaurant would frequently broadcast from the restaurant... hey free advertisement...

But definitely the background clatter of restaurant business was kept 'way down', but one did know what the venue was...
 
As long as we have established that there will be no video, there is no technical reason to record in restaurant. You could record dialog in studio and record restaurant separately. They came up with this awesome thing a couple years ago called over dubbing. The Beatles used it to some good effect but Lee "Scratch" Perry made it the art form it is today.

Can you record in busy restaurant and get good/usable sound? Probably. Would it be 100X easier to fake it? Most Definitely!
 
It really comes down to what the original poster needs/ and is going for.
if he is trying to conduct a live interview? an interview with a chef while he is cooking?
customers that wouldnt want to be bothered to leave their seats so
its either do the interviews there or nothing..etc..etc.

He says one talent but thats just not enough info to go by.
 
Don't even try to record dialogue (only) in a busy restaurant any number of things could bomb it. Noisy customers, crashing plates, passing sirens. Spend the time getting some good stereo wallah, do the voices in a nice room and mix to taste.

Most important if they're non pro voices.
Cheers.
 
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Newsmic... re50 or re50ndb... possibly akg d20 (or whatever it's called)... or beyerdynamic m58 (or whatever that model is).

It's like the gambler song... "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em"... you have to accept certain realities of "recording good dialog"... and those realities are this: The best sounding mic will NOT sound the best in a bad environment... if you have a ton of sound that you can't control, then the most isolating mic, will result in the best audio.

So... stick-mic... within a couple inches of the mouth... anything else will be disappointing.

If you do something other then this... be sure to come back and tell us how you wish you would have done this.

I've used Sanken CS3e and COS11 in a McDonald's to record an owner... while the place was busy... I did this under protest... stating that our soundtrack would NOT be good. Finally I put the cans on the producer who said "it sounds GREAT to me!"

2 weeks later I get a call asking, "why didn't you use the lav with the boom?"

Answer: "I DID use the lav with the boom... on SPLIT tracks... they were BOTH that bad!"

Trust me... remember this... if conditions are sick, then stick with a stick.
 
Raster said:
Don't even try to record dialogue (only) in a busy restaurant any number of things could bomb it. Noisy customers, crashing plates, passing sirens. Spend the time getting some good stereo wallah, do the voices in a nice room and mix to taste.

Most important if they're non pro voices.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
how many radio shows do you know of that would take the time to re mix
adding effects tracks in to a normal run of the mill interview?

I know in my market (which isnt small) a typical location interview would
most likely be recorded and go out over the air in a very small amount of time
and it is what it is.

Once again, everyone is speculating including myself because the OP didn't give us enough info
.
 
Rippie said:
Once again, everyone is speculating including myself because the OP didn't give us enough info
.
Click to expand...

Yep.

With only 'one go at it' I'm guessing it's an interview with a busy chef or restaurant owner and my answer is based on .. they're probably non pro voices so try and get them out of the noisy restaurant for a short time, even into the office.

That way you won't notice the edits to the voices after you run restaurant fx in back later .. and you've got control of all the levels.

Cheers.

PS g'day from Sydney Matt.
 
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