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Weird on-location mixer technique; YouTube link


Corbin

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What I see is a Mixer who learned back in the mono days, an analog dinosaur.

 

What you see is completely different from what you hear. The tools wether digital or analogue are only just that, tools, our most important asset? Our ears and the extensive experience that's between them. I pick the analogue dinosaur any day.

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"The twitchy movements of the faders that seem to follow individual words of the speakers all seem to occur at the very top of the scale where relatively large movements yield only small adjustments in level.

 

David"

 

Thank you for that, it helps to fine tune people's understanding of basic principles of mixing, particularly useful considering the title of this thread: "Weird on-location mixer technique". Understanding that faders (potentiometers or encoders) have characteristics (often referred to as their taper) that can be logarithmic or linear --- watching the video now, it is clear that maybe it isn't so "weird" after all.

I regret the title of the post , but it was just a reflection of my ignorance about film sound. Great posts!

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In the days of recording on a mono Nagra true mixing was essential to get the best out of several lavs and perhaps

a boom because you obviously cannot maintain them at the operating levels without producing a mess.

 

It required a rehearsal, a script and the hope that actors would work to the script with no surprises or added lines.

 

Time seem more precious nowdays so although a mix is possible ISO tracks are a fall back.

 

Nevertheless massage the level of an actor does offer benefits and also needs when a wide dynamic performance

is experienced.

 

Modern radio mike system can also help with really loud parts of a performance.

 

mike

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I just wonder how they do it without their script marked up in different colors. I'd get lost when I'd have to think "Next is Charles, and Charles is on fader 4", much easier to see: "Next is Blue".

 

It's something classical music Tonmeisters often do while setting spot mic mix levels. Though this is done during rehearsal, not when actually recording. Has to do with hysteresis effect. When you bring up a spot fader you'll notice its effect only when it's too loud - when you bring it down you notice the lack only once it's obvious -  so you move your fader up and down: too loud - too soft - now it's right.

Why not work similarly with dialog?

 

If you don't actually mix, post will use the isos.

If you do mix and it's not what they need, post will use the isos.

Therefore I think it's better to mix, even if it's just for training oneself.

 

Do whatever works, I say.

 

This thread has made me especially conscious of my mixes this week.

 

In a good way.

 

It's my hope that the well-earned cocktail will inform rather than congest watching the game tapes and perhaps reporting back here. 

 

Speaking of game tapes, I think I will hire someone to record my mix on a couple of scenes I think will be fun to do, and sync it up. 2nd camera on the meters. I mix pretty hot.

 

Hopefully the creatives will let me make use of it as a learning tool to share and analyze amongst ourselves. Would love to see a mix in this way from every last one of you guys. Truly. Now there's a sound geek video / videoconference series some folks could get behind.

 

There are a couple scenes I'd like to hear through speakers.

 

Grateful to have dailies.

 

Be back in a few...

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Until you can figure out how to do that and some other mixing things, you're better off in the big picture not riding much IMHO. 

 

Will do some training at home this week. Not anything risky at jobs. :) Thanx for the advice!

 

Speaking of game tapes, I think I will hire someone to record my mix on a couple of scenes I think will be fun to do, and sync it up. 2nd camera on the meters. I mix pretty hot.

 

Hopefully the creatives will let me make use of it as a learning tool to share and analyze amongst ourselves. Would love to see a mix in this way from every last one of you guys. Truly. Now there's a sound geek video / videoconference series some folks could get behind.

 Please do! I would love to see this.

 

Great threat!

Arman.

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For me this is mixing, I was taught that way. More or less fader movement, the basis is there. Sudden and rapid movements like those are often utilized when an actor drops the end of the words/sentences, or to help the intelligibility of consonants. The same technique is used in a live theatre situation, you'll see the mixer working the faders really fast while maintaining an healthy dynamic range.

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