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high-pass usage


bcopenhagen

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A recent shoot I was on makes me want to gather a few opinions from the collective experience here.  Hence, a series of questions about the usage of high-pass filters:

1. Does anyone specifically NOT use a high-pass filter for recording dialog?

2. What is your default roll-off setting (for those working with variable hp filters)?

3. Under what circumstances (if any) will you increase that freq setting?

For myself, I usually dial in a hair over the 75 Hz mark on the Sonosax.  I'll increase that a touch for any variety of reasons:

-master shot gets into complicated boom-work that reveals some handling noise (though I try to avoid change a setting in the middle of a scene)

-excessive wind that's just barely untamed by the windscreen of choice (i'll knock off more low end before going to the max with windscreens; I'd rather try to keep more of the sibilant high frequencies that get attenuated with heavier windscreens)

-noisy insert car

Thanks,

Brian

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If the mic is being handled (boom or handheld or worn) or is distant from the speaker then it gets rolled off.  All the low end that fine condenser mics can make will cause you to underrecord freqs you need for intelligibility and can cause all kinds of distortion in preamps and down the line.  Dump it.  For VO or mics on stands (as for music) I like to keep my options open, and not roll off during recording.  I can't comment on your settings since I don't know your mixer, and it is a too-taste thing anyhow (more rolloff works w/ women and kids, less is better for men, etc.) but it seems like you are in the zone.  When it gets windy or you are farther out than you'd like to be then you gotta do what you gotta do.

Philip Perkins

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I can't comment on your settings since I don't know your mixer,

Thanks for the reply, Philip.  You bring up a point that I just want to clarify for further posts:  I'm not looking for any answer to "Am I doing it right?".  By putting my own "high pass prefs", I figured I would be the first to answer my own questions ;)

Brian

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50/50

I've been starting out using HP filters, but now beginning to not rely on them.  Booming is getting better and better, longer and longer takes.  Under slight swinging of the boom, I'll dial the HP filters at about 30-75Hz.  Mild gust 75Hz-100Hz.  Strong winds 150Hz.  Most rewarding is boom swinging, leverage w/o HP filters and getting really great sound at the same time.  Use windscreens though.

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Thanks for the reply, Philip.  You bring up a point that I just want to clarify for further posts:  I'm not looking for any answer to "Am I doing it right?".  By putting my own "high pass prefs", I figured I would be the first to answer my own questions ;)

Brian

And I was the second, and the answer is that you listen and see what needs doing on a per-instance basis, not

with a one-size-fits-all approach.

Philip Perkins

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