how to attach fool proof lav???

J

JWinter

Well-known member
i use senn ew100 G2 lavs. they work great except when I (as in ME) screw it up by not attaching correctly

I am not talking about for a lock-down stationary interview as much as when talent is moving and I end up with the dreaded lapel brushes


need to really get this sorted out so I dont have it happen again

note this is primarily on males who are wearing a standard dress shirt
 
Lapel brushes? Are you trying to bury the mic in the shirt, or are you mounting it in plain sight?

By the way... for the transmitters, THESE are very handy to have around.
 
Sounds like he is having issues with the lav itself.

There is no "fool-proof" method, if you need to hide the mic. There are a bunch of tricks though.

One method is to use "moleskin" with a hole in the center. Another is medical tape. Find out the action/movement the actor is going to do, and watch what their clothing does during a blocking rehearsal. Find an area that will not get moved a lot. Then there are the vampire clips.

The trick you have to find out is: where the mic is in good proximity to the mouth, but not rubbing on anything. I have taped a mic to under a dress shirt collar with good results, but on the next actor, that was not a good position.

Basically, you have to understand the body mechanics of an actor, what clothes they are wearing, and what exactly they are doing in that scene in order to place a lav mic well.
 
yeah i guess its dependent/ i dont need to hide the lav...this is documentaries. the issue is that i place it well but the shirt ends up not supporting the weight of the mic w/ clip and so it sags or twists. mayby there are better clips than the senn that came with this lav?

what kind of tape exactly is good?
 
Gaffer's tape is your friend. Also, get a couple of tongue depressors the next time you see the doctor (or just buy them at your local big-box craft store). Cut them into smaller pieces, lengthwise, and color them completely with black Sharpie. If you wedge a little piece of wood like that behind the fabric and under the clip, it will provide some rigidity. I keep a few different lengths on hand, to fit several different situations.
 
If it's o.k. to have the mic visible, then I will position the mic based on the wardrobe. For formal (.i.e. suit), I'll put the mic on the lapel of the jacket, choosing the side based on whether the person will be turned or not. If the wardrobe is less formal (t-shirt), I'll attach it via vampire clip but ensure that the cable is supported both at the collar, and another point where cable weight will not pull the shirt down or twist it. My method is to attach the microphone to what moves. Additionally, securing the cable in two or more areas seems to help reduce cable noise.

JWinter said:
yeah i guess its dependent/ i dont need to hide the lav...this is documentaries. the issue is that i place it well but the shirt ends up not supporting the weight of the mic w/ clip and so it sags or twists. mayby there are better clips than the senn that came with this lav?

what kind of tape exactly is good?
Click to expand...
 
looking at possible alt clips

http://blog.chrisdurfy.com/?p=29

seems like most online examples are not using the senn lav that i have. the senn in much bigger which might be part of my problem...anyone know if I can get a mic that will

work with the senn unit i have
be considered "better" in terms of placement / usability (of course would also have to be as good or better sound quality)
 
If a vampire clip is an option, a Tram 'vampire' cable clip will fit most lav cables, except a B6.
The clip itself is about 1.5cm long x 1cm wide and weighs next to nothing.
 

Attachments

  • Tram cable clip.jpg
    Tram cable clip.jpg
    40.2 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
There is no silver bullet for mic placement. Every situation is different. Know your equipment. You wouldn't bring a new piece of camera gear into a hot set without practicing with it at home. Do the same with audio gear. Put the mic on different types of clothing at home and listen to it. Moleskin does help, but again, it's not going to solve everything. The more varied situations you are in with mic subjects, the more you will learn.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top