Sound Engineers - Help setting up mic

[daamon]

Hi all,

I've recently bought a Canon XM2 (known as a GL2 in the US) and am slowly getting to grips with its many manual features. I've done a couple of friend's weddings by way of practice runs and for me to discover things that I need to take into account or to highlight problems.

One thing that came out was the audio coming through from the mic that's fitted as standard. In the second wedding, the priest didn't use a PA system.

The levels on the camera looked OK but, on playback, it sounded very faint and echoey. I've upped the gain on it in Premiere Pro 1.5, and the voices are louder but it's now got a noticeable hiss to it too. Some work there in Audacity or similar for me...

I have to confess that I may have left the audio setting on "Wind" on the DV cam - this is designed to reduce the effects of wind blowing into the mic. Would this have had much effect on the audio inside the church, out of the wind?

What recommendations do you have for getting good audio when it's not possible to have a mic on a boom, or to fit the key people with radio mics (I have neither - due to their cost)?

The first wedding came out good coz of the PA system. And possibly coz I had the mic set to the right setting on the cam.

Thank you.

[edDV]

I've done some wedding videos for friends any learned the hard way that audio is the big problem to solve. The camera mic is useful only for backgound audio, not the wedding cermony.

I recommend putting a second camera (anything DV) on a tripod and use that for the wide shot and second audio. One camera will get background (stereo) the other gets the voice mic.

If they are using a house PA then great. Negociate a feed off their mixer and run a cable to one of the cameras. You might need a line transformer to match low level to high level camcorder mic jacks. Better yet, rent a BeachTek box http://www.beachtek.com/ and do it right.

If there is no house sound, you need to get a mic in there from one of the cameras. I usually use a wireless mic placed on the preacher or placed as close as possible. The wireless mic is also needed later for reception interviews, speeches and cake cutting etc. The band and house roar is too loud to hear the people from the cam mic. Get a volunteer "interviewer" to work with you and train them how to hold the mic. Have them get in close to where the sound is.

Two hints for editng later.

Let both cams run continuously during ceremony.
Rough sync the cams on the editing timeline with camera flashes, fine sync from audio waveform.

[daamon]

Hi edDV,

Thanks for all the useful info.

Some questions on mics:

I presume wireless mic = radio mic?
What should I look for in a half-decent wireless mic?
Are these expensive to buy?
Do you own or rent the wireless mic?
Can you recommend any (preferably global) brands?

Cheers.

[edDV]

Hi edDV,

Thanks for all the useful info.

Some questions on mics:

I presume wireless mic = radio mic?
What should I look for in a half-decent wireless mic?
Are these expensive to buy?
Do you own or rent the wireless mic?
Can you recommend any (preferably global) brands?

Cheers.

Hi, there is lots of choice if you want to buy.

The standard rental "wedding" or "event" mic would probably be the Shure T and VP series. T is used for house PA and VP for camcorder reception. Same Mics are used for both.
http://www.shure.com/wireless/t/default.asp#twinpro-vapres
http://www.shure.com/wireless/vp/default.asp

Other brands that carry less expensive models would be

Azden
http://www.azdencorp.com/shop/customer/home.php
http://www.videoguys.com/azden.htm

Nady
http://www.nadywireless.com/products/product_pgs/dkw_pg.html

Sony
http://www.helixcamera.com/Video/SonyCam/sonyaccess/microphone/WCS999.html

and others

I've owned a basic WMSPRO Azden VHF set for over 10 years. When I rent I get Shure just because I'm familar with them.

[lgh529]

If you want to buy a decent wireless mic, you will need to spend at least $600 (US). I second the Shure line; we specifiy those all the time and they are rock solid. TOA and Sony are also excellent. Do not under any circumstances buy a radio shack wireless micorphone system.

You could probably rent one for about $30 (US) if you don't have the money to buy and aren't going to be in the wedding video business.

The reason you hear echo when you boost the gain is because your not only hearing direct energy, but also reflected energy. Any reflected energy that is more than 20 ms (or about 20 feet - 10 feet to the ceiling and 10 feet down) is going to echo. That's why it is important to get a microphone right at the source (preacher).

There is nothing you can do in an audio editor to fix problems of microphone placement. You see, there is this thing called physics, and you can't change those laws, no matter how much money you spend on audio software.

[daamon]

Brilliant - Plenty to go on.

Many thanks!