Mic for dubbing a film (XML 990xl)

[FernandoAndre]

Hello,

i'll buy the mic condenser MXL 990xl ( http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/900-series/990XL ) and a M-audio 24-bit interface to use it for dubbing film.

It is a good option? I dont want an amateur result. I'm looking for a professional aspect.


Thank you!

[netmask56]

What will you be recording with this mic? ie

Actors on a set
VO narration
Music
FX
Indoor/Outdoor

Quite often you will need several types of microphones to suit differing acoustics and aural requirements.
If outdoors you will need a good windgag to minimise wind. Even a gentle breeze can ruin dialog if the microphone is over sensitive in the bass end and you haven't fitted a windgag or sock.

Be a little bit more specific about your needs.

[FernandoAndre]

Thanks for your reply.

My need in this case is only dubbing of two kind of voices: the voiceover of a character's thinking, and the dialogs between them. It is all indoor. Thats why i choosed a condenser, but i am not quite sure about this decision. The price of this mic (i wrote wrong on title, it's MXL 990xl, not XML) is very ok for my budget.

(sorry any english mistakes, not my first language)

[netmask56]

The important thing in this case is to have a nice acoustic that is free from outside noises or indoor noises like refrigerators in another room. It's amazing how noisy a domestic situation is even though it might sound quiet to the accustomed ear. Don't sit too close to the mic for the Voice Over part so as to avoid "plosives" like B's and P's and sibilance from S's. Not sure what the unique problems Portuguese may present in this respect. The important thing is clarity in speech and the avoidance of external or unseen noises unless they are part of the sound design. Physically the mic needs a shock mounting to avoid impact noises and a simple wind gag is useful even indoors. BTW don't apologise for your English it's fine.

[FernandoAndre]

This mic comes with a shock mount included, and i will buy a pop filter too. Portuguese have the same problems of english in this aspect, and at sometimes the character need to speak very close to the mic, to enjoy the 20hz response from it, recording all the low tones of the voice even when whispering. Without a pop filter it is impossible in a condenser.

Thanks for the alert of the noises, i was really letting it escape. I'll provide a silent place.

Hope i can back here in 2 months to show the final work.
Thank you!

[netmask56]

It is fairly routine even in feature films to roll off the frequency response of the voice microphone below 80Hz to maintain clarity and definition. This can be very important when you have the narrator physically close to the microphone. There are no useful voice low frequencies for the spoken word below 60Hz or even higher. read up on the The proximity effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximity_effect_%28audio%29 The effect is also known in some studios as "the mud factor".

http://www.dak.com/reviews/ImagesR/2024_FreqGraph.gif

Of course if you were recording music, like opera you wouldn't do this (roll off the bass response) but neither would you have close microphone placement - a bit of "air" between the source and the microphone helps a lot. Try recording a trumpet with the mic say 10cm away (adjusting for level) and with the mic 2 metres distance - which one sounds more like a trumpet?

[FernandoAndre]

Very interesting this map of frequencies. Actually, what i am looking for in some voices of this particular movie is what Selton Mello do in the brazilian film "O Cheiro do ralo". A great film - and a great actor.

Look the voice over of Selton (the guy dressing brown with glasses): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnXaVf5H3j4

When i started to research how to get this so "velvety" voice, whispering low tones, then people advised me to use a condenser mic with a very low response. What you think about that?

[netmask56]

I had a listen and the quality you are seeking is as much a factor of the voice of the actor, the recording director producing the actor's delivery and the quality of the environment and microphone. The microphone could have been a condenser or more likely a high quality cardioid dynamic. Dynamics certainly give less problems with plosives when working close. The sound to my ears tell me the VO actor was no closer than 250mm from the mic.

Hugging or coming close to swallowing the mic ala rock singer doesn't produce a natural sound and invariably these microphones are dynamics with very high overload characteristics. You will need to have a very quiet recording room with lots of absorbent material quite close at the back of the microphone. (3 large European style pillows work quite effectively arranged around the mic).

I noticed also that there was a predominance of "ssh" sound in the speech so it is important in mic placement and recording level to minimise sibilance to prevent "splatter" distortion.

[FernandoAndre]

Hello netmask. Thanks for your words. I really noticed a problem in the place I'm recording some tests.

I bought an Audio Tecnica 4040, and an interface Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I loved this equipments. Very very good microphone and the interface is so silent with a perfect pre-amp. But this mic is so sensitive that records the sound of the computer's cooler working. I am using the noise gate to erase it from my sound, but I need to record a voice so whispered that if I intensify the gate, it cuts some parts of the voice too.

Do you know any site where i can upload short .wav tests showing this? Maybe you can help me to find a way do do it properly. I think Youtube is not a good source to upload audio. Or it is?

See you!

[netmask56]

sorry for the delay - i have suffered a rotator cuff injury to my right shoulder and typing is a bit difficult. I will get a friend to do the typing for me in a day or so. will require an operation and extensive rehab work apparently...

[bigass]

Fernando: See if you can record in a room away from the computer, or make yourself a tent out of blankets and record the voice under/behind there. It's a poor man's version of a vocal isolation booth.

You can set up a little pillow & blanket fort to isolate the speaker from the room. Proper acoustic treatment of a recording space can make a great microphone sound bad, since it's so accurately capturing what's there....and what's there is often computer noise, echo from the walls, etc. Since you're planning on recording something so quiet, your effective noise floor is that much more important.

So, unless you have fancy absorptive gobos to isolate the recorder, set up some mic stands or tripods and hang some thick blankets to make your own booth. You *will* notice a difference, and your 4040 and preamp will sound great...and you won't have to mess with a gate.

Tip: If you want to share audio files, check out soundcloud ... great way to post clips.

To sum up, if others haven't already said that:
- pop filter
- don't record *too* hot -- leave some headroom
- record in the best environment you can
- record more takes than you think you'll need...more options in post-production
- when adjusting EQ, a cut is almost always wiser than a boost
- a little bit of compression (dynamics processing, not data compression) can make that whispered voice sound nice and big

[zoobie]

Make a foam-insulated box, mic it up inside, and put it on your head.

[FernandoAndre]

Hey netmask, I'm sorry for your injury, I hope it gets better soon.


Bigass, thanks for the tips. I would ask what is this dynamic compression that you said.

I got a little test from my microphone:



You may notice that while I'm speaking, the noise from computer fan can be heard.

Zoobie, some people advised me to get a cardboard box, 4 acoustic foam for lining the inner walls of the box and record inside this. A friend told that it will generate a good dry sound. Is it correct?

Thank you!

[bigass]

Oh, exploring dynamics...and compression...will change the way you mix!

Simply speaking, dynamic range is the difference between the loudest part of the sound and the quietest part.

Compression turns down the loudest parts, which lets you turn up the overall volume without the louder parts distorting.

Imagine that you're recording the sentence: "My pants are in the trash can." The "p" and "t" in "pants" and "t" in trash and "c" in can may be louder than the rest if you're whispering it. Most of the sentence may be quiet, but if you just turn up the volume, those other sounds will be so loud they'll distort.

Well, if you put them through a compressor, it can turn down those little loud bits....leaving you room to turn the whole sentence up.

If you're doing your audio work in a dedicated audio program, it will come with compressors plugins. Video programs often have them too -- in Vegas Pro, a track compressor is automatically loaded on audio tracks.

Basically, it smooths out the peaks in your recording. Turning up the compression too far will take the life out of the recording, though. In fact, if you have an audio person on your project, I'd suggest talking with them about it first, because they may not want you playing with it if they're going to do more mixing later.

As for the cardboard box idea -- I'd be careful with that. I would not recommend a small box. It could end up sounding like you're talking in a small box. Boxes sound boxy. If you can, record in a room with carpet...draperies...soft furniture...things that you intuitively know don't bounce.

[budwzr]

Portuguese have the same problems of english in this aspect, and at sometimes the character need to speak very close to the mic, to enjoy the 20hz response from it, recording all the low tones of the voice even when whispering.

That's fine, but the mic needs to feed into a recording system that can accomodate. The mic itself does not record anything.

That's why Zoom recorders (H2n or H2) are so popular. They have the limiting and compression cababilities.

Don't use AGC, either. If you set up a recorder properly, it won't pick up any noise.

The trick is to think of the mic capsule as a camera iris. On a sunny day you would close down the iris and raise the ISO or lower the shutter speed, right? That's what a Limiter, Compressor, and Gain do.

[FernandoAndre]

Nice bigass, very interesting. I use Vegas PRO for video editing. It's time to explore this audio resource
For the cardbox, got one with 50cm x 50cm. Hope it's not too small.

budwzr, do you mean the interface? I'm not using any "recorder" I think. I plug the microphone direct on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface, adjust the gain control of pre-amp and record.

[bigass]

I'm still going to vote against putting your mic/head in a box. better to blanket/curtain off an area of the room.... a larger area without reflections & exposure to noise will serve you better than a small space like a box.

Yup, Vegas has a track compressor right there to use -- play with it a little and see how it works for you. The internet has a lot of resources explaining in more detail how compressors manage your signals and what you can adjust on them.

[budwzr]

budwzr, do you mean the interface? I'm not using any "recorder" I think. I plug the microphone direct on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface, adjust the gain control of pre-amp and record.

Yeah, the box is an audio interface, and you're using Vegas as the recorder. Perfect!

And Vegas supports VST plugins, so you can do a lot.

The "recorder" suggestion I made puts everything into a portable handheld unit, that can also act as an audio interface, and is more versatile and mobile.

Also, the recorders have surround and wide modes, so if two people engage in dialog face to face the mic can sit between them. They record 24 bit as well.

For me, the recorders can go anywhere and I need good sound with camera shots too, not just at a desk. If anybody else is reading this, and doesn't HAVE any equipment yet, it's something to consider.

[FernandoAndre]

I followed the advice to use a blanket to isolate the sound, and got a good and dry voice over. Unfortunately, I did a mistake in the equalization and in the ratio of distance from the microphone versus gain on pre-amp. But ok, just a test. I'm getting the way