Mind your Mics and Get Great Sound in the Field

Your mic kit should consist of at least one good omni-directional lavalier mic. My favorites are the Audio-Technica AT892, Sony ECM-55, or Countryman B3. All are very small, easy to conceal and are industry standards. A good hypercardioid, like the Audio-Technica AT4053 or Sanken CS1, is next on the list. With an omni lav and a good hypercardioid, you can capture a lot of great sound both indoors and out. These "condenser" mics will require phantom power sourced from either your camera or from a phantom power box. Condenser mics use external power that either comes from an in-mic battery pack, in-line battery pack or voltage received from the camera or mixing device.

Here’s a great budget kit: one omnidirectional lav, one unidirectional lav, one hypercardioid, one small mixer device (if all three or more mics are to be used at one time) and a few quality mic cables. My faves are from Canare or Mogami. These last forever if they’re cared for.

Always bring the mic in as close to the subject as possible. And don’t make the on-camera mic your default-it should always be a last choice. Even a third-party shotgun isn’t such a good idea, either. Reflections from the camera alone can color the audio. Put the mic on a boom stand instead of the camera. Not only does this let the mic be brought in closer to the subject to capture better sound, but the sound field perspective won’t shift when the camera’s moved.

A $10 computer next to a sound source will sound better than a $1,000 mic placed 20 feet away from the sound source. Only use on-camera/built-in mics for sports events where crowd noise is the goal, for concerts where you have no option for mic placement or for situations where you’ve got a master recording device and you’ll be using on-camera audio for synchronizing to the master audio.

Lavalier mics (lavs) are easy to place on a subject’s body, or hide in plants, decorations or furniture near your dialog source. If using a wireless lav, try to avoid putting the receiver at the camera point unless the camera is very close to the wireless transmitter. Consider running cables from the closest convenient point rather than trying to send a radio signal across large rooms. You can use wireless devices in most shooting scenarios, but save them as a last resort. Anytime radio signals are introduced to the shoot, it’s a potential problem, especially if budget-level wireless systems are used. Instead of wireless, consider using a device like an iRiver or other digital recording device. Place the device near the subject, with the microphone connected directly to it. Never use an analog device to record audio for video. It’s virtually impossible to re-sync analog tape to digital tape due to wow and flutter.

The small lav is easy to conceal if necessary, but notice that even when exposed, it’s not very visible. Avoid foam windscreens when possible.

It’s also fairly easy to conceal hypercardioid mics, but always consider the distance factor. You’ll maintain the clarity of your sound if you keep the mic within at least five feet of the source.

Balanced cables, in the form of XLR-ended cables, will let you run long cables to your mic. If your camcorder doesn’t have balanced audio inputs, consider using a balancing device, like a Beachtek or Studio Devices box, that mounts on the bottom of the camcorder. These devices give even the least expensive microphones professional quality audio control. Never run unbalanced cables over distances longer than 15 feet.

Boundary mics are often overlooked for field production but they are excellent mics for events, car interiors, interviews and even dramatic production. They are also extremely quick to set up. Many boundaries, like the Audio Technica AT871, which are hemi-cardioid, will give you great rear rejection. These mics work well even when it rains. In fact, dozens of boundary mics were used in the Athens Olympics, feeding news broadcasts around the world. Like hypercardiods, low-profile boundary mics are easy to hide. Most require phantom power, whether from the camera source or from a separate power pack.

Boundary mics hide well, and are outstanding for most event situations. They can be wall, ceiling, desktop or floor mounted.

I carry an emergency kit consisting of in-line pads, low impedance to high impedance adapters, splitters, a small roll of gaffers tape, a screw driver, phone plug to phone plug, phone plug to 3.5 mm plug, RCA to everything, gender-benders (male to male/female to female) adapters, spare mic clips, putty knife mounts, small bits of silk (to be used as emergency colored windscreens) and rubber bands for holding mics tightly to various surfaces. I also carry a small lightweight beanbag that can usually be found in most toy stores; I use it as an isolator when a mic needs to be hidden on a difficult surface. And don’t forget shock mounts: you should have at least one, in case you encounter a stand mounted mic on a bouncy, boomy stage.

Just about every small adapter available can be found in this emergency kit, stored in a padded lunch box from Old Navy.

Always test your mics together, listening to multiple mics at the same time. You’ll read on various forums and reviews that X brand mic is better than Y brand, and while this may be true, the bigger question is, how consistent with X brand is your current mic kit? Consistency of sound is critical if you’ll be cutting audio segments together. This is what the bigger brands of mics often have going for them. Should you choose one brand of mic and stick with it loyally? Not necessarily, though trying to maintain a consistent sound tends to inspire brand loyalty. While some audio pros advocate "fixing it in the mix," it’s a better idea to simply get it right in production.

More mics are better than fewer mics, and well-planned mic placement, mixed with experience, is the best way to learn the art of sound. Mapping out a shoot for camera and mic placement will help you learn quickly; blueprints often reveal potential problems that eyeballing the room simply can’t reveal. Draw your diagram from an overhead view to see the entire space clearly.

Douglas Spotted Eagle Managing Producer Sundance Media Group

Douglas Spotted Eagle, a producer and founder of the Sundance Media Group and VASST Training Series, is the author or co-author of several digital media books, including Digital Video Basics ( VASST), HDV: What You NEED to Know ( VASST, also available on Amazon.com) and Vegas Editing Workshop ( CMP Books). In addition to creating music and media that has earned him a Grammy, DuPont, Peabody, Telly and Nammy award, he’s recorded, edited or produced media that has found its way into more than nine Emmy-nominated productions. He uses the latest technology as part of his daily workflow.

Audio is 70 percent of the visual experience, yet often is relegated to a second thought in field production. This not only weakens the overall production, but also makes a strong statement about the professionalism of the overall production.

Getting great audio in the field doesn’t need to be difficult. Above all, it requires prior planning and common sense. Good sound is the absence of bad sound; great sound is well-planned good sound.