Reducing noise with Audio Technica Wireless...

M

Muskoka

Member
For the sake of letting those here who know so much more than I, let me allow; I'm not an audio specialist. I'm is a still photographer with 25 years in the game who has been shooting moving pictures now for a little over a year and a half. With that said...

I have an Audio Technica ATW1821 dual channel wireless lav kit with the standard mics (this one; http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...echnica_ATW_1821D_ATW_1821_Dual_Wireless.html), running into a Tascam DR-60D (the original one) external recorder, then from there into the camera for a reference track. I've made adjustments on both the receiver and on the Tascam and am wondering what I should do/where I should begin to have a lower noise floor in the can before I getting into post. The noise floor isn't insurmountable, I can generally get it down well in FCPX, but it definitely is something I want to get a lot cleaner at the time of recording so I don't have to spend nearly as much time cleaning it up after the fact.

I'm primarily shooting one-on-one interviews, once in a while with two subjects, in controlled settings, with an occasional location in an uncontrolled area (outdoors, warehouse, etc.).

I do recognize that finding the ultimate sweet spot will be an effort in trial and error, I'm looking for a starting point; do I crank up the receiver side? the Tascam? Find a happy mid-point on both? I do understand that the stock mics that are included with this kit are less than top shelf, so may be open to spending a couple hundred dollars (each) there if it will make an appreciable difference, but would like to try adjusting settings first to get it as clean as I can.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
As you acknowledge, the mics themselves aren't that great.
So that is an opportunity for future improvement.

The very first thing to do is to set the audio sensitivity on the transmitter(s).
There is some range of what is ideal, and that depends on what you are doing with it.
If you are putting the mic on a guy demonstrating a chain-saw, or a heavy-metal rocker, you would set the sensitivity lower.
And conversely, if you are collecting stories from frail great-grandmothers, you would set the sensitivity higher.

In any case, you should connect your good pair of monitor headphones to the receiver monitor jack.
And produce an acoustic signal which approximates what you will be recording.
Then set the transmitter sensitivity adjustment to the setting just BELOW where the audio signal clips.
Of course, this assumes that you have properly paired the transmitters and receivers, etc.

Once you have the transmitter sensitivity set properly, you can move on to the receiver.
I would set the receiver level controls to somewhere between "9 o'clock" and "12 o'clock" (1/3 to 1/2 full scale).
The useful range is typically between 1/3 and 2/3 of full-scale.
The output controls are the round knobs. The thumb-wheel adjusts only the monitor output.

Then use your test signal from the transmitter, through the receiver to adjust the levels on the recorder.
Adjust the recording level so that occasional (4-6 per minute) peaks reach -12 or -10 dBFS.

That is a very condensed overview of "gain-staging" which must be done to properly configure any audio system.
And, of course, you should read through the manual at least twice just so you know where to find things you need to know.
 
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Thanks very much Richard. That is exactly what I was hoping for to get me to a reasonable starting point for a cleaner raw audio track than what I'm getting now.

Moving forward, do you have a recommendation for a decent mic that will be a step up from the lavs that are included with the stock kit that will provide a discernible improvement without breaking the proverbial bank (maybe up to $300 each)?
 
Countryman EMW, B3, or B3. Tram TR50.

The RØDE Lav would even be a step up, but won't be as good as the others I mentioned.

The stock lav with the AT system may not be the entirety of the issue, though. While stock lavs that ship with most any wireless system aren't typically the best quality, one of the oft-cited issues with the Audio Technica 1800-series wireless is self noise. A better lav and, as Richard pointed out, proper gain staging can minimize it for sure, but may not be able to eliminate it.
 
OST Oscar SoundTech mics are highly regarded and affordable. The 801 and 802 are the exact same size/shape of the Tram. The OST TL-40 is a round design slightly smaller than the Countryman B3. The TL-40 is not recommended for high SPL situations. The Countryman B3 is available in three sensitivity models with three protective caps which change the HF response (flat/bright/very bright) Both the OST and Countryman mics are made in the USA (NJ and CA) with excellent customer service.
 
Rick R said:
OST Oscar SoundTech mics are highly regarded and affordable. The 801 and 802 are the exact same size/shape of the Tram. The OST TL-40 is a round design slightly smaller than the Countryman B3. The TL-40 is not recommended for high SPL situations. The Countryman B3 is available in three sensitivity models with three protective caps which change the HF response (flat/bright/very bright) Both the OST and Countryman mics are made in the USA (NJ and CA) with excellent customer service.
Click to expand...

+1 on the OST mics. Perhaps the best bargain in lav mics in NA. Note that the 801 and 802 have different response curves. The extra HF boost on the 801 is for hiding the lav under clothing. The flatter response of the 802 is for using the lav on top of clothing, news anchor style.

Consider buying the kit with the XLR power supply so you can also use the lavs wired. I found when I got mine that I generally always use them wired when I've got a choice. They sound better and are really reliable wired. Just sayin'.
 
I followed Richard's bouncing ball of directions and now have a much cleaner audio feed on the back end out of the Tascam. I'll still likely investigate upgrading the mics, but for the moment, I'm significantly happier than I was.

Many thanks.
 
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