adrjork

Really thanks a lot for all your precious advices!!!

Is changing the internal cable a rapid or not? Let say I haveto change the mono internal cable with a stereo internal cable, is it rapid in a couple of minutes? And what about the section of cable from the end of the pole to the recorder? Straight or coiled?

Hi everyone, I've found many topics (even in this forum) about boompole and cable (cabled vs uncabled booms, coiled vs straight cables, etc.) I've read many different opinions and as a newbie I'm a bit confused now. So, please, let me describe my situation before asking you some advices: I have a stereo mic (BP4025) with a XLR-5-pin plug. I'll use a Rycote blimp kit with XLR-5-pin plug too. Now I need a boompole. But the most important thing is that I'll have to follow my talent: let say that I'll have to move following her during a walk trying to capture the sounds of her footsteps and movements. I'd like to know what is in your opinion the most silent cable rig to connect the mic to the recorder in this run&gun situation: 1. A single external straight cable wrapped around the boompole, directly from the blimp plug to the recorder: this means having a dangling last segment of the straight cable (the segment from the end of the boompole to the recorder); 2. A single and totally dangling long coiled cable directly from the blimp plug to the recorder (not wrapped around the boompole); 3. Two cables: a straight cable well wrapped around the boompole, with the male plug fixed to the end of the boompole, where it's connected with another cable, a coiled cable this time, dangling from the end of the boompole to the recorder. As you can see I avioded boompole with internal cable because I've read that the internal cable could clacking around the inside of the moving pole. My questions simpy are: A) Which is the most silent solution for my run&gun situation? And Why? Do you recommend another cable rigging? Thanks a lot for your help.

Thanks for your replies and advices. Finally I decided to go for AT4053B plus BP4025. AND, after a lot of thinking, I decided that on-camera mic is not the right solution for my project. Thanks a lot.

Thank you all for your advices. I'm very honored of receiving your replies. I'll take a time to think about what to buy. (I'll do some tests with the poor means I own at the moment. If I'll obtain something interesting, I'll surely post my impressions here.) Anyway, someone of you have experience about booming or handling AT4053B vs SCX1hc vs modified MK012? Anyone can say which is the less problematic in moving situation? And (perhaps this could seem a bit topic-off) let try to forget the camera: what mic do you recommend for ambient noises recording? Infact, as I described the kind of sounds I'd like to capture from the old lady (sighs, steps, almost no words, etc.) these could be considered like ambient sounds, right? So, if I decide to capture all AWAY from the camera, the hyper (like AT4053B or similar) could be still a good choice? I've read a lot of people preferring something like DPA4060 (little omni) for field recording, but I have the suspect that perhaps - for the kind of sounds I'd need to capture - something like the AT4053B could be more flexible. (If possible I'd like something able to capture little specific sounds - as I said sighs, etc. - but also a field situation, is it possible? I've read for example that someone does all with the Sony PCM D100: both field and near sounds). So what is your advices? An hypercardioid could be the flexible solution for all the days? Or the Sony? Or something else? Really thanks as always.

Thanks a lot Mike. Then I'll probably go for the Shure VP83F Lenshopper recommended by josephboyle. Anyway, just for my knowledge, anyone knows if there is a way to apply an operation, in post, to a 2-channel stereo track in order to obtain the only recorded space in common? (For example: L records both left and center, R records both R and center; I'd like to apply an operation to obtain the common center part from both channels.)

Yes, the Shure VP83F Lenshopper was my first thought, and it has a pretty decent polar diagram, it's more an hyper than a shotgun, and it has also a decent S/N ratio. And the flash recording option is important (to avoid the bad preamp of the camera itself). It's true but unfortunately I'm not a foley artist, and as I've written before, I'm alone in this project, so I have to stand on my own two feet First of all, thank you all for your advices and your help. Anyway, just for curiosity, anyone can tell me which is in your opinion the less problematic mic for outdoor handling movements between AT4053B, SCX1hc and modified MK012?

Thanks for your reply. So you don't think the algebrical solution from the 2 hypercardioids could work. Then, following your advice, which device do you recommend? Thanks

Hi everyone, this is my very first post here, and I'm honored to ask for your help about a question: As a filmaking student I havo to make a little documentary with audio 5.1. The bad thing about audio is that I'm completely alone (I haven't a boom guy). The good thing is that this documentary will be almost without dialogues (it's a sort of silent and poetic tale about the life of an old woman). In this scenario I thought to realize the surround audio field completely in post, mixing different sources taken during "clean" off-camera sessions (so avoiding to capture audio during video sessions) and this for 2 reasons: 1. creating an imaginary (and perhaps more interesting) sound landscape; 2. basically avoiding to capture my noises as camera operator (my steps, my breath, steady squeaking) during video takes. Recreating a fictitious audio in post should work for all the channels BUT one: the C-channel, that contains the most "in-frame" audio effects: infact I can't dub my talent's own steps, movements' noises, sighs, etc. (because she's not an actor, but a real woman living her life). In few words I need at least an on-camera mic solution to capture the C-channel effects. The problem is: which mic is able to bring only the sounds on its front while completely rejecting the sounds on its rear? If you know a mic like this, please tell me! Because up to now all the polar diagrams I've seen show a certain capsule's sensibility also under the center: a) omni is obviously unusable for my purpose; cardiod has two curves under the center, and tends to behave like omni at low frequencies; c) hypercardioid have a little ball of sensibility on its rear; d) shotgun is narrow but creates a sort of 8 figure in its diagram, i.e. it captures also on the back. Surely shotgun is fine as boom mic, or even as on-camera mic if the operator is moveless and silent, but in a run&gun scenario I can't think it's the right mean to capture a clean audio. And more than this, it's too directional for a moving talent in a on-camera condition. Someone uses all-in-one solutions like the fantastic Sony PCM-D100 mounted on the camera: I've thought about it, but I've heard tests with evident camera-operator's noises (and all this recorders have internal little capsules that are unidirectioal only at 1kHz and up, but under 1kHz the capsules behave like omni). So does exist an on-camera mic solution to capture front-only? I have an hypothesis that I'd need to discuss with you: Let say I'd start with an hypercardioid because it should work indoor (without too much reverb) and basically also outdoor. I'd choose a mic with a pretty constant polar diagram for all the frequency spectrum (Audio-Tachnica AT4053B, or Audix SCX1-HC, or a modified Oktava MK012) and I'd use two in X/Y position on the camera (so I should choose a mic without handling issues). In this way I'll surely capture front + side + rear sounds, it's true, but there should be only a single common cross-diagrams portion, and that portion should be only in front of the camera, not in the back nor on the side. This "clean" portion should be obtained by algebrical operation on the two channels (in a DAW), and it should be my C-channel. Do you think it could work? I'd use a Tascam DR-70D (screwed under the camera) modified by Busman to have very clean preamp, and a couple of AT4053B or SCX1hc mounted over the camera in X/Y position. I've read that modified Oktavas are very interesting but I've also read that they are too sensitive to operator's movements. So, between AT4053B and SCX1hc, which is in your opinion the less problematic in a run&gun scenario? Thanks for all your help (I really need it) and your advices.