CHAPTER 13: RECORDING

SOUNDC O M M 1 1 9 : B R OA D C A S T P R O D U C T I O N

RECORDING SOUND• AUDIO quality is obviously important when

working on a radio/audio-only production, but AUDIO is just as important when shooting a video project

• Bad AUDIO can ruin a video shoot just as easily as having bad VISUALS

• Shooting on location is especially tricky when it comes to getting good AUDIO because you will have far less control than you would in a studio environment

WILD TRACK-ROOM TONE• For our purposes, a WILD TRACK is simply a minute or so

in which you recording nothing but the ambient sound – that is just the sounds around on the location - THERE SHOULD BE NO TALKING RECORDED!

• If you’re shooting inside, this practice is referred to as ROOM TONE and is based on the fact that no shoot is 100% quiet and there are always sounds that are unique to that space/location

• Because you’ll never be able to cut out all the noise, a WILD TRACK/ROOM TONE is recorded so you can use it to smooth over any sharp sound edits when you edit your production together later

• SEE PAGE 124 IN YOUR BOOK FOR MORE ABOUT THE “WILD TRACK”

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE• MICROPHONES play a large part in Broadcast Production and come with different pick-up patterns for different purposes

–OMNIDIRECTIONAL:• This type of

microphone picks up sound all around it in a 360 degree circle (OMNI = in all ways or places)

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE–OMNIDIRECTIONAL:

• Good for picking up ambient sound; not good for interviews, dialogues, and/or reporters as its harder to distinguish one sound from another

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE• DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONES

allow you to prioritize a sound source by recording sound coming from a specific direction(s)

–FIGURE-OF-EIGHT/BI-DIRECTIONAL:

• This type of microphone picks up sound from two opposite directions but not from the side

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE–FIGURE-OF-EIGHT/

BI-DIRECTIONAL:• Useful in a handheld

situation where you might have a reporter and a subject having a conversation with only microphone

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE–CARDIOID MICROPHONE:

• Will pick up sound from in front of the microphone and to the side, but nothing to the rear

• The pick-up pattern resembles a heart, hence the CARDIOID name (“CARDIOID” is derived from the Greek word for “heart”)

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE– CARDIOID MICROPHONE:• Useful in when recording

sound from one person per microphone – but be careful as these mics are more prone to “popping”

• POPPING is a distortion that can happen when someone speaks into a microphone, often with words beginning with a P or B

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE–HYPER-CARDIOID MICROPHONE:

• Like the name suggests, this mic has a similar pick-up patter to the CARDIOID mic but is even more specific and, as a result, even more heart-shaped

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE–SHOTGUN

MICROPHONE:• The most directional of

microphones with the smallest/narrowest pick-up pattern; almost always shaped like a shotgun with the front/barrel having a long and pointed range of pick-up

MICROPHONE DIRECTION & RANGE–SHOTGUN MICROPHONE:• They are good for noisy

situations where you want to only pick up one person talking but are so specific that it’s easy to pick up the wrong source if it’s not being monitored closely so they usually have dedicated operators

TYPES OF MICROPHONES–CAMERA MICROPHONE:

• These are built into or onto the camera itself• While suitable for personal use, they are the

least effective microphone to use for professional shoots as they are usually only good for ambient sound, not for interviews or dialogue

• Using them will result in ambient sound and dialogue/interview sound all mixed together

• Most cameras will have an input for an external microphone suitable for interview/dialogue recording

TYPES OF MICROPHONES–HANDHELD MICROPHONE:

• These are what you typically see reporters using and is connected to the camera by a cable

• They tend to be DIRECTIONAL and should be held below chin height

TYPES OF MICROPHONES–HANDHELD MICROPHONE:

• You should talk across the TOP of the microphone as opposed to direction INTO the microphone as that will help cut out distortion and popping

• Be careful not to shove it into someone’s face; not only is it rude, it’s more likely to result in poor audio quality

DON’T DO THIS!

TYPES OF MICROPHONES–LAPEL MICROPHONE:

• Also called LAVALIERS or NECK microphones

• They are clipped onto a person’s clothing and are sometimes even turned inside and not easily visible

• Be careful as they can also easily pick up rustling of clothes and sometimes even a beating heart!

MICROPHONE MOUNTS

–TABLE MOUNT:• Mini–tripod or base-centered mount that sits

on a table, typically for single speaker use

MICROPHONE MOUNTS

–LARGE STAND:• Similar to the table

mount but much bigger and designed for floor us; you can adjust the height and angle but they are not easy to use outside and are easily knocked over

MICROPHONE MOUNTS–BOOM:

• Type of stand or pole typically held by an operator and is held above the intended recording, following it as it moves; can be tiring and requires stamina and strength to hold

MICROPHONE SOUND LEVELS–CHECKING AUDIO LEVELS:

• Have your subject speak in a normal voice before you start recording so you can make sure you’re ready to get the best quality

• VU METERS are often used to make sure your subject is in appropriate range

• A VU Meter may be all lights or work of a gauge system that resembles a car’s speedometer

MICROPHONE SOUND LEVELS–CHECKING AUDIO LEVELS:

• A VU Meter shows how loud or soft a sound is; this will naturally fluctuate during a recording but you want to make sure the audio PEAKS just below the red zone; if the needle stays in the red zone for very long, the audio will most likely end up distorted and unusable

MICROPHONE SOUND LEVELS–VU METERS TOO FAR IN THE RED

AUDIO RECORDING CONCERNS

• Be aware of WIND if shooting outside and avoid if possible; you can use a WIND SOCK which is a foam/hairy cover for microphones to deaden wind noise, but even the best ones can’t eliminate all wind, especially if it’s strong

• Always wear HEADPHONES when recording if possible; it’s a much better reflection of what’s actually being recorded

• Be aware of BACKGROUND NOISE and see if you can turn it off and/or turn it down - for instance, air conditioners and refrigerators; also make certain all phones are unplugged and/or with ringers turned off

AUDIO RECORDING CONCERNS

– A dedicated Audio Monitor is not always possible but it is always preferred; if you’re lucky enough to have one, they should be certain to –

• MONITOR LEVELS – making sure the audio is not peaking in the red is the foundation of all good audio

• MONITOR BACKGROUND NOISE – listening intently for levels of constant background noise should be just as important and listening to the “main” sounds

• MONITOR INTERMITTENT NOISE – if something happens and significantly detracts from the usable audio, an effective audio monitor will let everyone know and ask for a re-do, if possible

FINAL WORD

–An effective Audio Monitor should never be afraid to SPEAK UP if she’s hearing potentially poor audio while shooting/recording

–There’s very little that can be done to “fix” poor audio so it’s of utmost importance that it be fixed as much as possible at the time of shooting

RECORDING SOUND QUIZ & BOARD DISCUSSION

• Go to WEEK #12 and take the RECORDING SOUND QUIZ

• Go to WEEK #12 and participate in this week’s discussion