Mic Suggestions

A

alp33

New member
I have a total newbie question about mics.

I have an HVX200 and have never used an external mic with it before. I have this vision in my head of something I want to edit that will focus on the close up sounds associated with an activity. For instance I want to film in macro close up things such as a key being inserted into a lock and either simultaneously, or separately record the sound associated with the shot... to all be edited together later into a string if intense sounds and close up shots.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to what mic or what type of mic to purchase in order to accomplish this?

Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
Oh, you mean the hyper realistic sounds like in the "Playtime/Mon Oncle" by Tati. (just look it up on YouTube etc)
Better use Foley or if you really must use planted/hidden mic(s). As you imagine closeups of the activity you probably can mic it relatively easily with a hyper or with (planted) lavalier(s) it all depends on the final mix tough, just make sure the levels are "exaggerated" for the sounds you need to be hyper realistic.

BTW I'm no expert by all means but I see it done so.

T
 
Yes, I suppose hyper-realistic is more or less what I am going after. The scene I want to shoot is going to be relatively short (20-40 seconds) with very short individual clips.

So I dont think I will need to hide things because all the shots will be very close up. Plus I can just mic a something in a different shot if I cant keep the mic out of frame, then place the audio over the the video previously captured.

What is a foley?
 
alp33 said:
What is a foley?
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Foley is something/someone who will do all the effect/FX sounds in post production, in most cases in a studio. A foley artist has her/his own sound bank and all the "usuals" to record "post live action sounds" for you and it will cost you less than some good mics and setups for the real live recordings of same things.
Actually the foley part can be done in one to three days in the studio for the whole movie, for 1 to 5 kilodollars, again, for the whole movie, do your math.

I've discovered that it's better to stick to the overall vision,the goal, objective, than to get your own original sound bank and microphones and sound recordist and engineer and more money to be wasted and more money to be...
...actually just today I reached the level of seeing all the interspace and this as well many other forums as purchase councils to drive purchases that are not at all necessary but only advisable. Almost every bit of information searched and researched is related to return of investment AKA bang for the buck instead of the intent.

Essentially greed will waste the money, but if money is no concern you can do everything with it, burn it and throw it away and...

T
 
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I see. Thanks for the advise. A lot of the sounds I want to capture are essentially specific sounds associated with surfing that probably wouldnt exist in anyones sound bank, and would be difficult to reproduce in a studio (footsteps in the sand etc). I see lots of mics on B&H for under $500 and it seems like if I pick the right one that can isolate the sound I am going for and de-emphasize the background noise, it would work. I suppose the mic I am looking for would probably be some sort of shotgun mic placed very close to the subject being recorded.

It would certainly be nice to have someone handle it all. But I am just not sure that such a thing makes economic sense.... but maybe I am way off. Like I said, I am new to this element of production. Action sports video's dont ordinarily have real sound production.
 
Foley isn't necessarily about recreating one particular sound with one particular sound. You have to think outside the (sand)box. Sometimes, taking one sound and layering it with three or four others, or by modulating it, you create something that seems "more real" than the actual sound ever would. Remember that punch sounds (body hits) in feature films are often created with things like wet leather, or a basseball bat and some shredded cabbage. And the foley artist for the original Indiana Jones films created the squirming bugs sound (Temple of Doom) by wiggling his fingers around in a dish of his mother's macaroni casserole. And once you'v created the foreground sound source, you mix in the ambient sounds (such as the ocean in the background). It's an intense process, but there's a definite art form to it and most often the best results come from using "found sounds," or things from your household junk drawer, closet, attic, fridge, or a scrap yard.
 
Yeah, I figured I might have to layer things and use other sounds to make things pop just right. But I still need a mic to be able to really start. I presume that almost any external mic would be a step up from the built in mic, but perhaps I am mistaken? I would just prefer to buy the right equipment the first time. So if anyone has any suggestions about Models/Types/Brands, I am all ears....
 
As we're still waiting for our Oktava 012 hyper cardioid I can not advise from first hand but it seems the most popular mic for such jobs. It's really sensitive too so you don't have to crank up your recording device's amp. And it will save you some money to get at least the Rycote Invision suspension mount and some decent wind (mic movement) protection.
Maybe others can chime in on the Oktava hyper as this really is a popular mic around here.

T
 
Toenis said:
As we're still waiting for our Oktava 012 hyper cardioid I can not advise from first hand but it seems the most popular mic for such jobs. It's really sensitive too so you don't have to crank up your recording device's amp. And it will save you some money to get at least the Rycote Invision suspension mount and some decent wind (mic movement) protection.
Maybe others can chime in on the Oktava hyper as this really is a popular mic round here.T
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Tere Tönis,
may I ask from where you are getting your Oktava ? I am quit close to get one as well and was digging into the net. We got Russia quite close which has good offers for it :)
Äitä
CIPO
 
CiPO said:
Tere Tönis,
may I ask from where you are getting your Oktava ? I am quit close to get one as well and was digging into the net. We got Russia quite close which has good offers for it :)
Äitä
CIPO
Click to expand...

We're getting our "movie edition black hyper 012" through oktava-online that I believe is some sort of German importer. Lead in time is two weeks and one week for delivery. And sure you can get sans vat invoice if yout company is registered.

...

T
 
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