Set-up for field recording of dialog?

[Abbey Normal]

I have to go on location to record some scenes where actors will be speaking outdoors.Could I do this with a laptop and an M-box? Mic's----dynamic or condenser? Do I need one of those big fluffy wind screens?

[PlugHead]

Originally Posted by Abbey Normal

I have to go on location to record some scenes where actors will be speaking outdoors.Could I do this with a laptop and an M-box? Mic's----dynamic or condenser? Do I need one of those big fluffy wind screens?

I've done this with laptop/Mbox - yes it will work - you'll need a good mic - those fuzzie's are housing a shotgun mic in a suspension/shockmount (Rycote). They're used for a reason: ease of movement (following the talent), able to get close (dialog) without getting in frame of the camera, etc. Good quality comes at a cost, and other options are available - if you have a really good condenser with a lot of grab (from a distance) you can get away with it, but a boom pole and good shotgun mic (Senn.416/816, MKE 70, Neumann KMR80/81 etc) are the standard - these mics will accurately grab dialog from longer distances, and still have presence - other mics don't excel at this. Also, they help protect the mic from the elements (wind/rain/snow) so if this plays into the picture, having a good shielding for the mic is essential...

Do you have a budget to work with? If so, rent a location sound kit and be done with it. Radio mics are used all the time on location: if it's a distant shot, you probably have to consider these. Again, good ones cost a ton, so renting is the best option. If there's more than 2 actors you'll prolly have to have a field mixer (3 or 4 channels usually) too. Without more info, I'm just throwing out things you should consider.

Good luck - if it's a guerilla shoot, have fun, but if it's a 'pro' company, you'd better do your homework...

[Abbey Normal]

......thanks for the info.....I probably will wind up renting.The mics that I have are-----TLM103, Rhode NT2.I think the pattern would be to broad with these.

[dkatz42]

A good shotgun mic, boom, and enclosure will set you back somewhere in the $2K to $3K range, which gets you a lot of rentals. On the other hand, if you plan to do a lot of this, it's a good investment (this IS Gearslutz, after all.)

Last night I was sitting through work tapes of the stuff we shot in Zambia last summer and was really glad we Did It Right. We used a lav mic as safety on some of the interview clips, but since they were shot outside (no electricity) wind was a real problem. A lot of the lav tracks were unusable, even with the little windscreens, but the stuff with the Senn shotgun and full Rycote rig sounded great. You can take them out in hurricanes, something which has been amply demonstrated of late.

Practice with the boom a bit before the shoot. Find positions that you can hold for long periods of time (though I imagine movie shoots are done in relatively short chunks, unlike the talking head we shot that went on for a full 50 minute HD tape. Ouch.)

As far as the recording medium goes, I tried this once with a laptop and a ULN-2, and gave up after one go and got a 744t instead. The laptop solution is heavy, bulky, has battery life and stability issues, and requires a clean flat surface to work from, which may or may not be an issue for your purposes (it was for me.) Although you can strap a laptop to your body, they typically turn off when you close the lid, which is rather irritating in this case. A 744t and wireless timecode and monitoring and safety audio totally spoiled me. (Definitely not cheap tho. See "Gearslutz" above.)

If you're planning on being both recordist and boom operator, any solution that isn't strapped to your chest is going to be very problematic, IMHO.

This thread is probably better suited to the Remote forum...