Using 2 External Mics with DVX

T

Torrential

New member
Hi Everyone,

I'm new at DVXuser and love what I see. I've been searching for an answer to this question and haven't found it yet, so I thought I'd start my first thread.

I have a DVX100a, and a Rode NTG-2 mic with a Rode Boom, Deadcat High Windscreen, and SM5 shockmount, and a boom stand. I also have a Voice Technologies VT500 lav mic that I use hardwired with the VT4026 XLR adapter.

I don't have a mixer or external recording device yet - so I'm still recording audio straight to my camera. I also don't have a wireless system, but my VT500 is wired for the Sennheisser EW series - and I will likely purchase one of those down the road.

What should I do to achieve the best audio I can with my existing setup? And what would be logical upgrades to my setup for the future?

Can I run the NTG-2 into Input 1, and the VT500 into Input 2, set both inputs to mic, and set Channel 1 to Input 1 and Channel 2 to input 2? Is it beneficial to record with both mics like this? Or should I just use them separately depending on the situation?

I'm relatively new to audio (I've mostly done work on outdoor sports films with minimal recorded audio) and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I'm doing some documentary work now and will be filming outdoors a lot, and indoors a bit. Most of the audio will be recorded during static interviews, and some will be recorded following a moving subject.

Mostly what I want to know is if it is a good idea to use both external mics simultaneously. And if so is there anything special I will need to do to the audio in Final Cut?

Thanks for the advice! Sorry about this being a multipart question.
 
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I hate to sound flip, but the best thing you can do to achieve the best audio you can get is to learn; that means study & practice. I'll suggest like what you've read here often, try the DVXuser Audio DVD and then practice, practice, practice. I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but there is no magic wand to get you the promised land other than what I suggested.

Two mics at once can work and can also cause phase problems. Try them out, one first and then the other, and then both together. See what they sound like. Placing the lav toward the lower chest often gives a nice sound.
 
Hi Torrential, welcome to the forum.

It sounds as though you already have a solid entry-level kit. Assuming you're already using a good pair of monitoring headphones (Sony MDR-7506 are the industry standard), a portable mixer should probably be your next big investment. I won't get into the specifics here, since they've been covered thoroughly in other posts, but an SD 302 will greatly improve your workflow as well as the overall sound of your kit. Other useful additions would include a hypercardioid boom mic or a dynamic handheld interview mic (eg. Electrovoice RE50).

As for recording two mics to discreet channels, that really depends on the situation. You may find that a boom on a locked-off stand sounds better than a lav for talking-head interviews, but a wired lav can be more discreet. If there's a possibility that the interviewer's questions will appear in the finished film, consider using one of the two mics on them. When you bring the tracks into FCP, it will automatically interpret them as a single stereo file, which you won't want. In most situations, you'll want to take whichever mic sounds best and discard the other channel, panning the new mono track to the center. Alternately, you could mix between the two channels, but that has its own set of challenges: when two mics are placed close to one another they can introduce phase problems when mixed together.

I know I've barely scratched the surface, so I'll be happy to elaborate on anything I've left overly murky.
 
You can record one interview with two mics, but you should only use one in post. WHen I first started booming interviews, I always used a lav on channel 2 and boom on channel 1. Make sure you record them onto separate channels!

After I got very comfortable with booming interviews (getting the mic close enough consistently) I NEVER used the lav audio. Now I almost always boom either a 416 or a cmc641 and it always is great.

Whatever you do, do not mix the boom and lav together.!
 
I assume that I only have 1 take, and ONLY 1 take of the performance. This means that I really need to get my skills straight or I'm out. Lavs, eh. I try not to depend on them.

In your case, use 2 mics to cover the audio. Nothing to loose.
 
I'd have to agree with all the above. Especially on practice. All the good suggestions in the world can't beat a discerning ear and practice. But yeah, I definitely wouldn't use both the boom and the lav at the same time. You'll find times where it's appropriate to use one or the other, but almost never both. What I would do is figure out which one worked best for my environment and record with that mic in channel one and the camera's own mic in channel two. Then, in post, split the stereo signal into two mono signals with both panned center. Make your lav/boom (channel 1) your primary audio source at full level (0/unity gain/whatever you want to call it). Then take your camera's mic (channel 2) and pull the level way down on that till it serves just as filler to make your track a little more full and rich. Often a closely miced lav or boom can sound too sterile and you'll want some background fill. That's where your camera mic would come in. I might also run some EQ on the camera mic to cut the his and bring out the lows... helpful for dynamic fill material.

But yeah, you can never beat practice practice practice. Every workflow is different. Every engineer's ear is different. And everyone' s methods are different. Find what works best for you and what sounds good to you, and then stick with it when it matters and expirement with new things when you're just messing around.
 
final cut help

final cut help

As for audio editing in final cut studio; I recommend purchasing the in-depth guides at the bookstore and signing up for the apple store's "one-to-one" (old procare service). You'll save a lot of money and time. They have trained certified creatives that know the software inside and out. Hope this helps you.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.

I'm taking it all into consideration - there certainly is a lot to learn! But I'm happy to do so.

I have a slightly off tangent audio question:

How does the quality compare between wireless transmitters that connect via a specific wire like a TA5F, TA4F, Lemo 6-pin, Lemo 3-pin, 3.5mm TRS..

VS.

An XLR transmitter.

I realize that each system is going to vary - but what I'm trying to figure out is if there is an obvious sound quality loss when using an XLR transmitter compared to a different system.

I also have a FCP audio question:

When I record two channels on my DVX - say Channel 1 is a shotgun mic and Channel 2 is the in camera mic - and capture the audio to FCP I change it from stereo to mono.

But when I go to either lower the level on the in camera mic, or to use just the audio from the shotgun mic I select center pan audio.. but the audio still comes out louder on one side vs the other?

Am I supposed to change the audio back to stereo? Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks. I might post this question in more detail to an FCP thread on the site if I can't figure it out.

Cheers!
 
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