recording loud sounds

Slash6airhead

Slash6airhead

Member
Gun shots, helicopters, race cars ect.
What type of microphone would be best for such applications?
Providing you could be within a foot or so from the sound. I need a mic. that wont get over loaded.
What would be your approach?

 
Disclaimer: I have no expereience with recording coptors, guns and 250mph vehicles.

My guess would be the industry standard indestructible SM 57. Ribbons would tear apart, Condensers would overload. Definitely -20db (or more) pad the input.

IMHO, I would guess that you really don't want to be 1 foot from a helicopter, race car or gun firing live ammunition.

Loud sounds like the aforementioned are colored by the environment around it. Take a gunshot - does it take place in a room, forrest, industrial complex...etc? Each would color the sound source with ambient reflections. Being too close to the source, besides the potential danger, will probably result in a recorded sound byte that is unnatural to the listener.

just my 2 cents.
 
AwakenedFilms is right about using a dynamic to close-mic a loud sound. The SM57 is a good choice, although it will be more susceptible to gusting than an SM58. My preferred "stunt-mic" is actually an Electrovoice 635. The omni pattern tends to give the effects a more natural sound. It is also far more wind-resistant than most dynamics, as well as being tough as a brick.

If you're mic preamps have variable gain stages (eg. SD 442, PSC Alphamix) you probably won't need an inline pad on a dynamic mic. Then again, if the sound's loud enough you may even be able to plug the mic into a line input.

Dynamics can be a bit dull in the top-end, so I usually like to add a stereo pair of condensors at a bit of a distance. That will give you the sharp detail and space without saccrificing the presence and intimacy of the up-close dynamic. If the effect has a tremendous amount of lof-frequency energy, I may add an AKG D112 to the close-mic.

To monitor, you're likely to need a pair of isolation headphones. The Remote Audio HN-7506 will give you excellent isolation without sacrificing the sound (they use a pair of Sony MDR-7506 drivers). They'll also protect your precious ears. While you're at it, use all the neccessary protective equipment (safety glasses, hard-hat, steel-toed boots, gloves, respirator, etc.)

Most vehicle effects can be recorded at fairly low speeds by keeping it in a low gear. High engine RPM will give you an angrier, more dangerous sound. Car passby's may benefit from high speeds, though, since you can achieve a more dramatic doppler effect.
 
Both answers were gold thank you.
I recently went to watch paint dry, this is to say I went to a NASCAR race
With my trusty Neumann and my S.D. 702t(my first race with my new rig). I see what your saying about being farther away. I used both variable close 3 ft. and far from 3ft to 25yds. Very different sounds. But none right on. I will look into the dynamic. I’ve got the time to learn and venues come up often between IMSA, HSR, Moto GP, and World Super Bike. My goal is to record and meld with music. So even a distorted V12 could end up sounding great. Though I would rather tweak in post with a clear accurate sound. A huge thank you to you both. We all learn somewhere and I certainly am learning from you.
 
I have a couple 635a(b)'s in my kit. The black finish makes them rather camera-friendly when I'm shooting ENG-style interviews. They're ubiquitous in broadcast journalism (especially radio), so you shouldn't have any problem finding one used.

One of my favourite tricks with them is to wrap them in foam pipe insulation and tape them directly to the door panel of a car. If they're rear-facing, I can get up to about 60 km/h before wind becomes an issue and I have to rig a foam windscreen.

By the way, excellent choice on the 702t. One of the things I really like about TC recorders is that you can have two recording teams gathering different perspectives, and everything synchs up during the masterring phase.
 
I agree that the SM58 is a great all around mic. I've used it for gunfire sound gathering with great success. I've also successfully used the Electro Voice RE-50 hand-held. This mic is great for interviews too due to it's long handle and black finish.
 
wabbit said:
Interesting, I have killed/lost many a foam insulation on cars, gonna have to give that a try next time.
Click to expand...
A bit of heavy-duty double-sided tape keeps the mic from slipping out of the pipe insulation. To keep the foam windscreen from flying away, I secure it with a strip of open-weave carpet tape right over the end of it and down either side of the pipe insulation. Between that and the yards of gaffer's tape, nothing's going anywhere. Of course, this tends to chew up the windscreens a bit, but you can buy those in bulk.
 
Aaron Murphy said:
I agree that the SM58 is a great all around mic. I've used it for gunfire sound gathering with great success. I've also successfully used the Electro Voice RE-50 hand-held. This mic is great for interviews too due to it's long handle and black finish.
Click to expand...

That’s pretty comforting to know you can still get great pro-sound with a sub $200 mic.
Would you be confident using a recording from a S.M. 58 for a feature? Is there something more directional that can handle a sound that extreme?

Which is prefered and whu the SM58 or the Electro Voice RE-50?.

would I be able to get by if I bought an external limiter/compressor with more headroom for my 702t? When recording NASCAR I found that I clipped even with the gain all the way down. Maybe that's due to Inexperience. Still trying to understand the Limitations of the 702T.

 
Slash6airhead said:
would I be able to get by if I bought an external limiter/compressor with more headroom for my 702t?
Click to expand...


I think you might want to try an in-line pad first, if you can. If that doesn't cut it, I'd use a brick wall limiter over a compressor. For me, it's easier to keep a limiter from "pumping".
 
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