Did You Hear That?

Did You Hear That?
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If working multiple cameras with DV and using timecode to lock all cameras together is not possible, prior to starting the shoot, have someone clap while all cameras are rolling. This will provide a sharp transient that can be seen in most NLE systems to sync up the camera video and audio. Using a hand clap or slate, one person may control multiple cameras while providing a tool for accurate sync in post production.

Consider sending audio to an MD, DAT, or other digital audio device. Never use a cassette deck to record audio for video. Cassette decks are notorious for never being the same speed from playback to playback, hence the term ‘wow and flutter.’ If it’s a digital recording, done at the same sample rate as the DV standard your camera uses, chances are very, very good it will be right on, or if off, by less than a few samples. (Video needs to be frame accurate, or 1/30 of a second accurate. Audio is usually required to be sample accurate, or in the 1/1000 of a second. Our ears can usually hear far more than our eyes can see).[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Use good cables. Avoid cables with molded ends even though they seem like a bargain. Mogami and Canare are two very reputable cable manufacturers. Good cable is expensive; remember it’s your link to a good or bad audio experience. Good cable lasts, and usually carries a good warranty. Use XLR/Low impedance for any cable run longer than 10 feet. It should be used for any cable run, period. However, sometimes this just isn’t possible. Use low impedance runs right up to the last possible moment that it has to be converted to high impedance. In other words, if you are running a body mic from talent 30 feet away into your Canon GL2 camera, and don’t have a Beachtek or other audio tool to convert the low impedance signal to the high impedance inputs of the camera, use a direct box that is less than 5-10 feet away from the camera, so that the transformation from low impedance to high impedance is kept very, very short. This will keep your signal as low noise as possible. High impedance cables are merely long antenna for radio, ballast, or other electric/electronic noise. Better still, invest in a Beachtek converter with volume control and independent channel control. The newer models even offer phantom power, running for up to 12 hours on 9 volt batteries. A friend modified his Beachtek so it could run off the same battery pack as he wears on his waist to power his XL1s camera.

Look into isolation mounts for cameras such as the Lightwave iso-mount. A modified version may be made/built fairly cheaply, or find some of the older Electrovoice shock mounts for thin microphones. They may be found occasionally on Ebay. Their rubber bands wear out ever year or so, but rubber bands are cheap and easily had. Practice audio. Listen to old radio announcers and new radio announcers. Pay attention to their similarity and differences. The biggest similarity will be the compression used to create the slamming ‘in your face’ sound, while the biggest difference may be that the newer sounds are more robust, crisp, and somewhat aggressive, while the older sounding announcers seem more intimate, and less aggressive. Learning to use tools like limiters, compressors, equalizers, and knowing what mic’s are intended for what purposes is invaluable, regardless of whether you are a weekend video warrior or a hoping-to-be Spielberg. There are audio training CD’s to ‘teach’ your ears what to pay attention to as well. I recently saw a set of these on one of the online auctions for a very reasonable price. "Golden Ears" is one brand that comes to mind.

When shopping for audio gear, ask if the store has a rental or demo program where rent may be applied towards purchase within a reasonable amount of time. There are no hard fast rules to any piece of equipment in any situation, and it may take some equipment auditions to find the tools you prefer to work with. One school I recently taught at had a group of students that had read an article or review about AKG 414. One of the teachers really liked the mic too. So, when the time came to mic the singer and I didn’t use the 414, one of the students lost a little respect for me. Rather than argue with him, I simply replaced the Shure SM91 with the 414, and handed him the headphones, and asked the singer to sing the song again. He was a little sheepish as he realized that this equipment is merely a tool, and getting hung up on a specific tool is a quick way of limiting options. Ironically, the school had a fantastic selection of ProTools hardware and software, and every conceivable mic, preamp, and other outboard gear an engineer could dream of. The students were just becoming familiar with it. I recorded the audio to my 2000.00 laptop at the same time as they recorded the audio through their million dollar system. Guess what? My mix sounded far better. Because I knew my gear. I had the fortune of learning audio from a number of well educated gurus. Almost to a man, I was told to learn the intended use for the tool, learn how to use it in the intended manner, and then proceed to break the intended rules. Always keep the story of Yoko Ono, John Lennon, and the "Dead Rat Solo" with Phil Ramone close to mind. Learning to stretch, learning to use tools in ways that they were never supposed to be used has been fruitful and educational for me. Experiment and practice. Two powerful concepts, unfortunately forgotten or ignored by most, will make you a far better videographer, engineer, editor, and production person.

Good luck!

DAW's: (digital audio workstations)		NLE's with Audio tools

Sonic Foundry Vegas 4.0 (video preview/video editing) Cakewalk SONAR 2.2 (Video preview only) Cool Edit Pro 2.0 (Video preview only) ProTools Nuendo (Video preview only)		Sonic Foundry Vegas 4.0 (Great audio toolset) Adobe Premiere 6.5 (Fair audio toolset) Ulead Media Studio Pro 7.0 (Fair audio toolset) Pinnacle Edition (Good audio toolset) Avid DV Express (Fair audio toolset) Incite (Good audio tools)

More tutorials and reviews by Douglas Spotted Eagle may be found here on the DMN Forums or on the Sundance Media Group website, home of the shared veg files and other training media. More tutorials similar to this may be found in the Vegas 4.0 Workshop (click on cover to buy) book available from CMP Publishing, authored by Douglas Spotted Eagle.

Source: © 2003 Sundance Media Group

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