Placing a mic near the person or the speaker?

M

Mark-P

Well-known member
I need to record a presentation on a DVX-100 that will feature several people speaking through a mic at a podium that will be amplified through a large room.

1. Would it be better to run XLR cable from the DVX to the podium, and place a mic on the podium OR would having a mic running from the camera to a location near one of the speakers be sufficient? Running the mic through the room to the podium is going to present some problems so I was just wondering if it a bad idea to try to place the mic near one of the speakers instead.

Thanks.
 
now and then when I HAVE TO do a wedding (I HATE IT, but how do you say no to friends), I almost always put a wireless lavier close to the speaker, with good success. I offset the volume, recording one channel lower than the other. for incase of distortion. No need to mic up each person coming to podium everytime. I've never had feedback problems.

the problem is people never have the same mic technique, never keep the same distance from the mic, etc... the sound person usually alters the volume so that everone can here, thus the wireless mic .

- Derrick
 
You have four basic options:

Mic the speaker yourself: This is ideal, since you'll be able to mic them in a manner that best suits your own needs. A wireless lav is ideal, assuming you're only dealing with one speaker. Another option would be an omni mic such as an Electrovoice 635, which will be much more forgiving in terms of off-axis response. Podium mics are typically cardioid, mainly to avoid feedback loops. Since you're mic won't be feeding the PA system, feedback isn't really your concern.

Get a feed from the PA mixer: talk to the PA mixer before-hand, because they may be able to provide you with a dry feed of the podium mic. Be aware that this PA feeds and press-bridges aren't always the cleanest, and often I've been stuck with a heapin' helpin' of hum.

Close-mic the PA system: This can be a really useful strategy since its so easy to set up and can give you a rock-solid wired connection. A mic mounting clamp is a handy device for this, but check with the PA mixer before you start clamping mics onto their PA stands. A dynamic mic is a safe choice, since PAs tend to be pretty loud. Again, I like the EV 635 for this kind of job. One downside is that you'll be stuck with any colouration from the PA system, so a dry mixer feed is usually preferable.

Set up an ambient "room" mic: A last-ditch option by itself, this is a very good accompaniment to one of the other mic'ing strategies. A room mic will ensure that you catch any audience reactions.
 
The mixer feeding the speaker is probably ideal, as others have mentioned.
(You should definitely not use the distorted sound coming from the speakers!)
 
Feed from the mixer.. and/or chuck a second mic next to the podium mic as is sometimes done on television...
 
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