Shotgun Mics

[Andrew M.]

Yes, I did try few more things.
First the noise(hiss) is not random, at least not on ch1 and ch2 I tested.
It looks like it is interference from the phantom power voltage converter and it is identical in phase and amplitude on both channels.
Taking ch1 and ch2 via one of the above plug-ins and combining it with the Right ch (ch2) inverted, cancels the hiss. I have noticed it when I was extracting right channel from the M-S mike.
To get right channel on this mikes you add ch1 and ch2 with second channel inverted.
Left channel you get by straight adding of ch1 and ch2.
Well finally I got all right and Mid-Side mike is working properly now.
I went further and recorded to all 4 channels.
QT lets you save each channel as a discreet ch 1, ch2, ch3 and ch4 or you can map it to Quadraphonic or to surround 4.0 and up or you can output any of two channels on L and any on R in Stereo mode.
Then you extract what you mapped, check it by playing it in QT (sound only) and then you export it in File->Export to whatever you have choices there including surround or Quadraphonic or plain Stereo or Mono.

To edit such .mov file you have to have surround audio card if you use Adobie Soundbooth. I think Audition will let you edit this files even if you have two channel sound card, didn't check it though.

You can fix the phantom power hiss by adding ch1 and ch2 (ch2 inverted).
To connect normal mike in such a way you have to connect one mono mike (balanced) via Y cable to both channels. Don't forget to invert ch2 cable from the mike (+ -) to (-+) on the balanced mikes only. If you have unbalanced mike then forget this trick.
If you do not invert the mike signal, then when you combine ch1 and ch2 inverted you cancel the hiss and the signal from the mike, thus getting pure silence.
Remember to use RED supplied cable with resistors inside, 200K across and 600 ohm in series!!

 

[Eddy Robinson]

Yo, Ty. I didn't get around to answering your last email. My feeling is that if you're looking for film sound work in the Bay area, Skywalker (in Marin) is the obvious first place to send your resume, and then the other ones to hit are the various animation studios.

I've frankly had a really terrible time in the last year from a production audio standpoint; there just isn't that much going on, and a lot of out-of-town productions that are visiting tend to bring the sound person with them. I'm dithering between moving down to LA (which would have a lot of up-front expenses and mess with my domestic relationship) or ditching a lot of my sound gear and reinventing myself as a director/shooter.

I'm not good enough to be a DP but I have so much informal and 'rescue' directing experience by now that people keep saying I should step up, and I'm comfortable with my own shooting/lighting skills for small-bore projects. So I'm seriously thinking about saving up for a Scarlet as I'm likely to regain the money invested a lot faster than I am with my audio gear :-/

Anyway, enough about that...shoot me an email if you like.

The CMIT from Schoeps is a shotgun that sounds VERY much like the cmc641, but with reach. Both fall off very nicely at the pattern edges without weird anomalies.

I have the CMIT and use it all the time for everything nowadays. At first I rented the CMC641 to supplement it but I've found it only makes a practical difference in really reflective small rooms (eg a tiled bathroom), problems which can often be defeated by putting up a sound blanket or a small acoustic foam gobo. With the bass filter switched on it's almost impossible to tell the difference.

Not only that, but I've almost completely stopped using the Sennheiser 816. The last few times that I did use it I disliked the coloration so much that it ended up just providing a guide track. Easier to just put on a radio mic and blend with the Schoeps, delaying the radio signal until it matches with the boom.

 

[Eddy Robinson]

sound advice

sound advice

As a guy with a terrible ear for sound, I'm leaning pretty hard on all the knowledge the experts can toss my way.

Hire one of us. We need the money :waaa:

Seriously, it's actually difficult to compete with camera people who have their own sound gear - a lot of indie producers think 'sound is sound' and they always pay more for the camera and lighting than they planned, so when they call to hire sound person/gear the budget is already under strain. Same thing happens in post, the sound department eats the cost overruns for the editing/VFX :mail1: