On-set sound - crew of 1, 2 or more - how to simplify?

Thanks for all of the extra info, but this thread seems to have gotten off track...

Let me refocus back to part of my original question:

As a 1-person sound crew - how is your setup wired (what is connected to what?) and with what equipment? (How is the Rolls, etc. used and connected)

and as a multi-person sound crew?
 
I've shot the last 2 videos using dual audio as a 1 person crew. All the scenes were talking heads (interviews) so I was able to setup the boom on a stand.

I fed the mics (boom and lav) into a MixPre and then out to an SD722 recorder. Then the mini-jack tape out from the MixPre went to the camera I was using (a Sony VX2100, which doesn't have XLR inputs). I also fed the tape out from the SD722 back into the MixPre so I could monitor what was recorded through the MixPre as well.

Instead of a slate, I sent a tone from the MixPre at the start of each take that was recorded on both the SD722 and the camera.

The whole setup worked fairly well. There was just more gear and wires to deal with, but the superior audio in post was worth it. Alternatively, I could've by-passed the MixPre and fed the mics directly into the recorder and then fed the camera from it.
 
the rolls unit doesn't really help anything in a one man sound crew situation. its only handy for a boom op to monitor his mic.

when i've done 1 man sound gigs its been something like this:

me with:
boom, probably 1 handed half the time, other hand riding levels
mixer bag
wireless on subject(s), if even needed. if not, two hands on boom then adjusting mic levels by distance of mic from subject
eng snake goin to camera, and monitoring return.

and depending on whats going on and with how many subjects, thats when it gets trickier.
 
one man sound.

first connect your mixpre to cam ALWAYS HAVE A "RETURN"... means headphone cable connected to cam headphone out... ANY... EVERY... normal 2-channel snake will have this... otherwise buy a long headphone cable from radioshack and tape it to an XLR (don't use too much gaff tape for this because on the first hot day you'll have gaff glue all over both cables)...

second, plug headphone return cable into mixpre and switch to "return" on mixpre face... turn on tone at mixpre... then set levels in your cam for 12db max with tone... (18db is safer, depending on situation... on Varicam, for example, we usually do 20db max).

GAFF TAPE OVER THE CAM DIALS NOW.

Now the audio is none of the cam op's concern... you are listening to the audio that is hitting the tape and it's your baby. ONLY LISTEN TO RETURN LINE...

Mixpre will be on your hip... you will mostly boom with two hands, but you can optionally boom with boom across shoulder, or head (if you have 7506 or other phones that allow this... hd280 pro won't, for example)...

boom mic > mixpre > cam > headphone out on cam > mixpre > YOU.
 
MattinSTL said:
one man sound.

first connect your mixpre to cam ALWAYS HAVE A "RETURN"... means headphone cable connected to cam headphone out... ANY... EVERY... normal 2-channel snake will have this... otherwise buy a long headphone cable from radioshack and tape it to an XLR (don't use too much gaff tape for this because on the first hot day you'll have gaff glue all over both cables)...

second, plug headphone return cable into mixpre and switch to "return" on mixpre face... turn on tone at mixpre... then set levels in your cam for 12db max with tone... (18db is safer, depending on situation... on Varicam, for example, we usually do 20db max).

GAFF TAPE OVER THE CAM DIALS NOW.

Now the audio is none of the cam op's concern... you are listening to the audio that is hitting the tape and it's your baby. ONLY LISTEN TO RETURN LINE...

Mixpre will be on your hip... you will mostly boom with two hands, but you can optionally boom with boom across shoulder, or head (if you have 7506 or other phones that allow this... hd280 pro won't, for example)...

boom mic > mixpre > cam > headphone out on cam > mixpre > YOU.
Click to expand...


Thank you Matt - exactly what I needed.
This actually removes the recorder from the equation, but I think that might just be better for some projects - like the 48-hour film competition I have coming up.
A couple of questions about the setup however...

1) Do you recommend running a different level on each camera channel? One a little lower than the other - just as a backup? On my HMC-150, I think this is done by switching input 2 to get signal from input 1 and then setting each level accordingly. Can you (or a fellow Panny-owner) confirm this?

2) If I were to add the recorder to the mix, would you suggest just adding it to the second line out of the MixPre? How would this be monitored since I am already monitoring camera sound?

3) I haven't had the easiest time finding a 2-channel snake, can you point me to an online retailer or 2 or 3 that would have such an item? What length would you recommend if I were just buying one initially?

Thanks again for the help.
 
A PSC breakaway snake would be OK... but you don't NEED one. (the best snake uses Mogami cable... probably remote audio or something...) A "cheap" snake is still $160+... so... I wouldn't prioritize that right now... all you REALLY need is a headphone cable to go from headphone out back to return in on the mixpre... and connect all that sh*t together in a "snake-like fashion". (mogami snake will probably be $250)... cable to cam should be about 25'... but can be ANY length that's convenient. I've done gigs 10' from the cam... and some 100'+ from the cam... but a 25' cable covers my normal distances.

If you're only running ONE channel then YES, run them at slightly different levels... by one dot on the dial or about 6db difference (if one ch is -12db on tone, make the other channel -18db).

If you want to ALSO record... then just run a tape-out to the recorder... and forget about monitoring that. You can probably do fine with some normal settings (again set up with tone) or else go 24/96 and run at a safer, lower level... knowing you can gain up a lot in post if needed.

I think you'll be surprised at how capable the cam will be in getting what you want.

If you really needed a recorder our whole conversation would have been different up to now anyway... but that said... I love having the ability to easily record sound w/o video. You'll still end up using that recorder a lot I'm sure... but I was trying to speak to the title of the thread once again... "how to simplify"... when you said we were getting off track I decided to shoot for the bullseye of the title.
 
Personally, I've got tons of XLR cables, so instead of buying headphone extensions, I wired up a couple 1/4" TRS to XLR adapters that let me use spare XLRs for that purpose.
 
You have a camera with 1/4" TRS for headphone out? Or a mixer with 1/4" TRS for return in? :huh:

3x XLR thickness cables bundled into a snake would be an anaconda... and a 20' stereo cable male 1/8" to male 1/8" (which is what's needed)... is dirt cheap... much less then an XLR cable.
 
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