mic'ing technique - location interview shoot

[ONDRAY]

Hi, I'm shooting a bio/interview, in the past I’ve recorded the audio using a wireless lav going into the camera. I clipped the mic just underneath the shirt so it doesn't show on camera. My issue is that it sounds a bit boxy and I lose some of the air in the voice. The other issue is that we are shooting on location in this guys office and the Air Conditioning comes in and out, the mic picks this all up.

I was wondering if I use a shot gun mic if the voice will sound a little more pleasant?

As for the A/C noise going in and out, I've been using TC Powercore’s noise reduction plugin in post. Are there better techniques to reduce the noise floor and can you recommend other plugins.

thanks

[Whitecat]

A good shotgun will sound much better - but only if it's on a boom. If you're just going to keep the mic mounted on the camera then there's no point, the lav at that point will be the better option. The quality of lavs varies greatly, too - you get what you pay for, so bear that in mind, a higher-quality lav mic will improve your sound quality measurably.

Can the AC not be turned off? That would be the best solution. There is a good chance that an off-camera shotgun mic will actually pick up MORE AC noise than a lav mic.

In software, my current favourite non-bank-breaking NR is iZotope RX.

[danijel]

Originally Posted by ONDRAY

My issue is that it sounds a bit boxy and I lose some of the air in the voice.

Everything terminal3 said, plus a question: how high do you mount the lav? You can try to move it lower for more natural sound (but some more ventilation).

[ONDRAY]

Originally Posted by danijel

Everything terminal3 said, plus a question: how high do you mount the lav? You can try to move it lower for more natural sound (but some more ventilation).

The guy is wearing a dress shirt with a sweater over it, I had the lav clipped to the dress seam, around nipple level, centre of chest. the other thing is when he moves, you can slightly hear the russling of the sweater rubbing the mic. I managed to remove this in post, but rather not.

[jhorsley]

Definitely cut the AC if you can - even with noise reduction you can never get rid of it entirely. 9 times out of 10, in my experience mixing docs, a well positioned boom in a quiet room is preferable to a lav. That is to say, the boom is as close as possible without sounding to woofy (or being in frame).

Good luck!

[danijel]

Originally Posted by ONDRAY

around nipple level, centre of chest.

Well, going lower down won't get you better sound, just more noise :(
My default position is even 1-2 inches higher up.

[Rick Sanchez]

It all depends on the framing of the shot, but if it's a fixed shot, I sometimes use a C-stand with a boom pole adaptor clip on the arm to position a shotgun mic just out of frame. Sometimes you can come in from underneath. You'll need a couple of 20 pound sandbags to weigh down the legs of the C Stand, but it works.

If the subject is at a desk, sometimes you can hide a short shotgun behind a lamp or a plant on the desk and get it between 12-16 inches or so.

Turn off the air and if you can, hang some sound blankets to deaden the room a bit.

[thebri]

A lot of good suggestions here. Obviously there ain't just one way to skin a cat.

Some additions.

Use Jim's sticky stuff from Filmtools to mount the lav. The stuff can absorb most of the vibrations, plus it is two sided and can affix the shirt to the mic and stop it from moving. Perfect in sitting down interviews.

If there is a hair stylist see if you can hide the lav in the hair. best sound you will ever get, but only realistic 10% of the time.

Definitely get the mic as high as possible. collars are great hiding places, as are ties.

Hope these help.

[insomaniac]

Originally Posted by thebri

A lot of good suggestions here. Obviously there ain't just one way to skin a cat.

Some additions.

Use Jim's sticky stuff from Filmtools to mount the lav. The stuff can absorb most of the vibrations, plus it is two sided and can affix the shirt to the mic and stop it from moving. Perfect in sitting down interviews.

If there is a hair stylist see if you can hide the lav in the hair. best sound you will ever get, but only realistic 10% of the time.

Definitely get the mic as high as possible. collars are great hiding places, as are ties.

Hope these help.

Ties are especially useful. I've also had luck gaff taping the shirt around where the mic is. If it's a button-up dress shirt, I've actually taped the mic to part of the shirt (under the buttons) and then taped the shirt to itself to limit motion. The hair is also a great spot, but like thebri said, it's rare to get a good opportunity.

Also, make sure you keep a loop in the mic cable. Any rubbing and such on the cable will transfer right to the element, which a simple little loop in the cable will knock out most of that noise.

Still, if possible, the boom will probably give you better sound.