Mics for this situation

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"IS" <y@hl.com> wrote in message
news:NnE2e.4226$oy3.2816@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
>I am about to record, with a video crew, four speakers that will be sitting
>at a table just towards audiences (ca 100) talking for about 90 min.
> I'll be running four mics going directly into my Cooper 104 field mixer
> and into the camera.
> At the moment I have four dynamic mics that are very sensitive to off-axis
> speaking and these women move around and don't always speak directly into
> the mics. As a matter of fact they sometimes forget they have mics on the
> table in front of them.
> Could someone recommend four mics for this situation?
> I'm thinking something in the 200-250 range. Yes it's cheap but the sound
> is recorded directly on the video tape and they are usually not the best
> source anyway.
> I've considered four wireless mics but they are past my budget.
>
> Thanks for any recommendation.
>
> IS

I think you might be happier with four hard-wired lavs than table mics for
all the reasons you describe: "these women move around and don't always
speak directly into the mics. As a matter of fact they sometimes forget they
have mics on the
table in front of them." I'd add shuffling papers and tapping on the table
to the list of problems with table mics. By using lavs, the speakers will
not have to think about the mics, which is as it should be. The close
proximity of the lav will also minimize the sound of the room. Even Radio
Shack lavs will provide a satisfactory solution for this kind of shoot if
that is all you can afford.

Steve King

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

IS wrote:
> I am about to record, with a video crew, four speakers that will be
sitting
> at a table just towards audiences (ca 100) talking for about 90 min.
> I'll be running four mics going directly into my Cooper 104 field
mixer and
> into the camera.
> At the moment I have four dynamic mics that are very sensitive to
off-axis
> speaking and these women move around and don't always speak directly
into
> the mics. As a matter of fact they sometimes forget they have mics on
the
> table in front of them.
> Could someone recommend four mics for this situation?
> I'm thinking something in the 200-250 range. Yes it's cheap but the
sound is
> recorded directly on the video tape and they are usually not the
best
> source anyway.
> I've considered four wireless mics but they are past my budget.
>
> Thanks for any recommendation.
>
> IS

Question #1: sounds like these mics won't need to go into a PA of any
sort? Seems odd because an audience of 100 will most likely have
trouble hearing the four speakers...

If you truly don't need to run your mics into a PA, then I would
suggest omni lav mics that get pinned on the panel members.

Question #2: are you talking a cap of $250 for FOUR microphones? If
this is the case, I would rent something decent like Countryman,
Sennheiser MKE2, or DPA lav mics for this purpose.

If they DO need to go through a PA, then I would suggest using
small-diaphragm condenser mics with tight-ish patterns on short
tabletop stands. But getting four of those for $250 is mighty
difficult. The closest thing would be Oktava MC012 with cardioid or
hypercardioid (do they even make those?) capsules. Probably run you
about $350 for a set of four.

Four decent dynamic mics like Shure SM57, Sennheiser evolution series,
etc. will also cost you a MINIMUM of about $80 bucks per mic. Still run
you $320 for four...

Again, I would rent something. Get the best mics you can rent and
you'll probably spend $40 per mic. It will make a difference.

Karl Winkler
Lectrosonics, Inc.
http://www.lectrosonics.com

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Steve King" <steve@45steveking57.net> wrote in message
news:-76dnQRSbtCwg9bfRVn-ig@comcast.com...
> "IS" <y@hl.com> wrote in message
> news:NnE2e.4226$oy3.2816@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
>>I am about to record, with a video crew, four speakers that will be
>>sitting at a table just towards audiences (ca 100) talking for about 90
>>min.
>> I'll be running four mics going directly into my Cooper 104 field mixer
>> and into the camera.
>> At the moment I have four dynamic mics that are very sensitive to
>> off-axis speaking and these women move around and don't always speak
>> directly into the mics. As a matter of fact they sometimes forget they
>> have mics on the table in front of them.
>> Could someone recommend four mics for this situation?
>> I'm thinking something in the 200-250 range. Yes it's cheap but the sound
>> is recorded directly on the video tape and they are usually not the best
>> source anyway.
>> I've considered four wireless mics but they are past my budget.
>>
>> Thanks for any recommendation.
>>
>> IS
>
> I think you might be happier with four hard-wired lavs than table mics for
> all the reasons you describe: "these women move around and don't always
> speak directly into the mics. As a matter of fact they sometimes forget
> they have mics on the
> table in front of them." I'd add shuffling papers and tapping on the
> table to the list of problems with table mics. By using lavs, the
> speakers will not have to think about the mics, which is as it should be.
> The close proximity of the lav will also minimize the sound of the room.
> Even Radio Shack lavs will provide a satisfactory solution for this kind
> of shoot if that is all you can afford.

All the suggestions so far have been excellent, especially if you're using a
PA system for reinforcement. If you simply want a recording, and you want
to save the maximum amount of money, I'd suggest a single PZM on the table.
They cost about $50 and have good 'reach', which means that it sounds like
the mike is much closer to the speaker than it actually is.

Make no mistake about it though, this is definitely an inferior solution
than individual lavaliere mikes.

Cheers,

Norm Strong