Lavliers

[wan2no]

First of all i want to know, how do lavliers hook up to a camera or mixer?
Do you need a lavlier system to make it work?

I'm trying to do little interviews which i know i'm going to be outside doing them which means i have to battle with the wind. Do you think lavliers is the best solution? or Should I use a directional microphone?

[jagabo]

dead cat?

[edDV]

Complex subject. Many ways to go about it depending on quality goal, budget and mobility needed.

Short intro.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/choosing-a-microphone-for-your-camcorder/152934

Much more info is searchable on the web from pro manufacturers like Sony, Shure, Nady, Azden, etc.

Classic TV news crew or documentary shoot setup is a wireless handheld for the reporter and an audio operator running a boom for the interviewee.



If everyone is stationary, you can mic each person and set levels on a mixer.

[wan2no]

so if i don't have a mixer or the type of microphone as shown above. what would i use?

Should i use the shot gun on the camera? what should I do?

[Cornucopia]

Until you give us more information about:
1. What kind of subjects you're shooting?
2. The environment(s) they're in...
3. How close (or not) you'll be / How wide will the shot show...
4. If they're going to be moving around at all...
5. Will you be alone or have helpers?
6. WHAT'S YOUR BUDGET?
7. What's you final goal/output?

...We really can't steer you any further, except maybe to say get a book on audio production, or read some Audio-for-Video/FilmProduction/LiveSound information websites.

Scott

edit: Oh, and BTW, it's "Lavaliers". As in "pendants".

[wan2no]

ok. well the budget is going to be small - $1000. I am intending to do it by myself. the subjects will be inanimate. the shots would be done outside and i preferably looking for something that can withstand the noise of the wind. i would be fairly close like say 2- 4 meters away from the subject. I intend to put the interview on a dvd-r or +r. it would be no more than 2 minutes

[wan2no]

okay i think i got the gist of it. Someone just let me know if i'm on the right page. The lavalier systems is like a router or hub for the several lavalier microphones. If so then if i do not have a lavalier system, i can still use the lavalier mics but they must have xlr connectors that i can plug into the camera. Furthermore, having the lavalier mics plug into the camera through the xlr cable makes it look tacky because the person is going to have a microphone on them with a cable coming from it.


Am I going right?

[jagabo]

shotgun + ded cat

http://www.broadcaststore.com/store/model_detail.cfm?id=800243

[edDV]

shotgun + ded cat

http://www.broadcaststore.com/store/model_detail.cfm?id=800243

A shotgun will get some sound but there is no substitute for a microphone skilled interviewer or performer to hand move a wireless hand held mike to proper position. In these modes, the actor-singer-reporter is acting as soundman by guiding the mic. Experience is king here.

The microphone doesn't need to be wireless, but evil lawyers have forced the issue by jumping in with lawsuits whenever someone trips over your cable.




PS: If the interviewer demands extra pay for holding the mic properly, you fire them on the spot. Interviewers are plentiful and disposable

[wan2no]

ok thanks for the suggestions and info. However, something is just not hitting home with this.

Now i am intending to interview the subject. What is going to happen in the interview is that you'll just see the person talking, that is you'll only see the interviewee. I wanted the lavaliers because on video you would only see the person talking instead of the person along with microphone. So i'm convinced i need a lavalier mic.

I don't have in my budget a lavalier system, supporting staff or an interviewer.

Excuse me for my ignorance, i'm a quite a beginner to this. The question i should have asked is if a lavalier is on my subject, would the wire from the lavalier connect into my xlr connector or do I need like a transmitter on me which would be connected to the camera that would receive the radio signals from the lavalier microphone.

Someone please lecture me. I googled this and its not helping.

Sorry if i misled anyone on the situation.

[Cornucopia]

(Gonna try this once again as I already lost the last post to a stupid flakey wireless connection):

OK,

Given what you said about being the sole operator (no additional interviewer, cameraperson, soundperson, whatever), and your budget, and the fact that your interviewee is "inanimate" (or at least not moving), I'd say you have 2 options:

1. Lavalier / Lapel microphone (I don't know where you get this "System" thing, it's just a mike with a connector for a cable). Wired or wireless, though you'll get a much better quality with wired at this price.
2. Shotgun mike on a boom

1st one, is good because it's small, light and unobtrusive.

Attach and put cable behind/underneath so that only the capsule is visible.

2nd one, is good because it's got a much Fuller sound (has partly to do with the actual physical size of the mike membrane/capsule vs. the longest/lowest wavelength of the sounds hitting it), and with the addition of jagabo's "dead cat" (aka furry coat around a zeppelin around the mike) it'll have much better wind rejection.

As you're alone, you'd have to include a mike stand to attach the boom pole to so it could be set and left as is while you're operating the camera. Overhead is usually best.

Either way, you need to understand about good mikes...

Almost ALL GOOD mikes --whether Lavs, Shotguns, Handheld cardioids, whatever-- are Low Impedance, Balanced Audio with XLR connectors (and often with a requirement for 48v Phantom Power). If you want good sound, this is the drill, get use to it.
What you'd need then, is to get a "MIXER" device to act as intermediary between this connection and your camera. Behringer has a number of good mini mixers that will do the mike pre-amplification and powering and adapting. At a good price.

Your setup would be like this:

Mike --> XLR cable --> MikePre/Mixer/Adapter --> ??? cable (like what's on your camera) --> camera jack

Maybe it'll have a good limiter too (so you won't have to use the %$#^@ auto-gain control that most cameras use badly).

You should be able to get a mike and all the required accessories for all this for less than $1000. And sound not bad at all (though not totally "best pro" either).

HTH,
Scott

[edDV]

ok thanks for the suggestions and info. However, something is just not hitting home with this.

Now i am intending to interview the subject. What is going to happen in the interview is that you'll just see the person talking, that is you'll only see the interviewee. I wanted the lavaliers because on video you would only see the person talking instead of the person along with microphone. So i'm convinced i need a lavalier mic.

I don't have in my budget a lavalier system, supporting staff or an interviewer.

Excuse me for my ignorance, i'm a quite a beginner to this. The question i should have asked is if a lavalier is on my subject, would the wire from the lavalier connect into my xlr connector or do I need like a transmitter on me which would be connected to the camera that would receive the radio signals from the lavalier microphone.

Someone please lecture me. I googled this and its not helping.

Sorry if i misled anyone on the situation.

What is the camcorder? Model number?

Lav mics that feed low impedance XLR are run on batteries will need a camcorder that accepts a low impedance mic plus a mic on all others talking. How many XLR connectors are on your cam?

[wan2no]

thanks alot Cornucopia. i appreciate it

its a jvc dv500. it has 2 xlr connectors

[edDV]

A single wired mic will plug into the camcorder XLR connector. Some run on battery some need "phantom" power from the camcorder.
http://www.music1online.com/lapel.html

You need to mic each person. If more than two, add a mixer. Here are some minimal mic mixers.

http://www.behringer.com/UBB1002/index.cfm?lang=eng
http://www.music1online.com/shurescm268.html
http://www.music1online.com/audproc.html