Low cut or no-cut?

[Michael Carter]

Just curious - how many of you guys use a low-cut switch or pad (or mixer setting) on set?

I don't do a lot of location sound, but lots of music mixing - and I tend to capture the full range and EQ the lows specifically (and when mixing music, you cut an amazing amount of lows from tracks to leave space for the actual low instruments).

Is there a benefit to not capturing the lows in the first place? I assume a given EQ curve from a high-pass filter on a mic can be pretty exactly replicated with a high pass curve in post - but in post you can dial in the exact low cut you need, not a one-size-fits all switch.

The one thing I've heard in the music world is that the converters can focus their conversion on just the audio coming into the converter, so cutting lows at the mic gives you a subtle smoothness to the highs - but most engineers want the full range for raw tracks. (And I imagine studio-quality converters at 24bit or higher have no problem with the extra bass).

Just curious, after several threads here weighing gear pros & cons and "no low cut" being a deal breaker for some...

 

[Alex H.]

Low cut is great for dialog, since the human voice isn't going to lose much of anything under 100Hz. Getting rid of rumble in the field makes things easier in post, in my opinion.

 

[gpforet]

I start with the low cut on my mic. All dialog mics have the low cut (typically -6db at 80hz) enabled.

Then at the mixer if I'm still getting too much rubble, I'll enable the low cut for that channel. MY mixer offers me a 6db/octave slope high pass at either 80 or 140. If I'm still getting an overabundance of lows, I'll kick in the 80hz high pass on the mixer. I've never needed the 140hz high pass. My iso tracks get the signal after the high-pass on the mixer so my choices are premanent.

For recording sound effects, I usually run the mic without low cut, keep my levels around -10 at peak, and go direct to track without anything. If anywhere but in still air, wind protection is necessary to capture this low end without being tainted by wind. On my outdoor rig, I record with the Rycote blimp with Lyre mount. I also have the windjammer (dead cat). My indoor mics use the Rode Softie.

Hope that helps.

 

[Noiz2]

I almost always have the low cut in, even for FX recordings. Of course it depends on what your recording, but most FX don't have much of use below 80Hz and you eliminate a lot of rumble I would filter out in post anyway.