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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 23 2008, 6:30 AM EDT (current) | MrPete | 119 words added |
| Aug 15 2007, 11:54 PM EDT | TomySky | 481 words added |
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Sound is often the most neglected part of student/low-budget films. But good sound can make something that looks mediocre seem like a professional project. By the same token, if your sound is lousy don't bother shooting in High Def because your movie will seem cheap even if you use a $100,000 camera.
So, how does one go about getting good sound? I'm not going to lie to you: It is really hard... most of the time.
There are several things you can do on-set that will help. Unplug the refrigerator (it's okay to do this for a couple of hours at a time) and other appliances that make noise, and stop the clock so it's not ticking or chiming the hour. Wear clothes that don't rustle much when you move. And keep the camera and mic close to the person talking. Make sure that you do not plug the camrea and the sound equipment into the same outlet or circuit, otherwise you are likely to get a "60 Cycle Hum".
Unfortunately, your equipment (your camera especially) is producing noise. This can end up on the tape. so watch out for that. It is a good idea to purchase some good, full ear covering headphones like the Koss UR-20s. I found them on-line for less than $20 but have not seen them recently. These will let you determine if there are sound problems.
Even though it may seem that an $800 vocal mic has to be better than a $25 one, this may not be true. First, I would not dare to use an $800 mic. What if I dropped it? What if it got damp? What if there was a power surge? What if it bounched too much in the car? I couldn't deal with such questions. Whereas, a $25 mic is not quite so much of a problem. Second, because more expensive mics pick up more sound, they pick up bad sound more too. For example, I went to a very expensive studio where the mics were so sensetive they picked up the sound of the electricity that was powering them. Now, come on, why spend thousands of dollars on mics that pick up noise that no one can/wants to hear? I can't imagine spending tons of money to get a sound recorded and then find out there is a hiss of electricity running in the background. Ugh. Whereas, I've used my dinky $25 microphones to record speech with a piano playing in the background that I didn't want to record. Guess what? I couldn't hear the piano and my voice sounded just fine. Sure beats having to build a "Dead Room".
When is it worth spending more for a mic? That extra cost doesn't always go into picking up the sound of a fly landing on your nose. Quality mics usually pick up less hiss, and more of the sound you want. How to find out? Try the mic! Even better, quality mics can survive a drop that leaves a cheap one useless. Look for a solid metal case instead of thin plastic. Look for a long warranty. I've got a $400 Sennheiser wireless mic that's been around the world several times. And it sounds so good compared to several others that we often use it even though it "costs" us a couple of 9 volt batteries every few hours!
Now, a very brief word on microphone cables: Get the ones with lifetime guarantees (Monster Cables). They cost more, but they work really well, and if they ever break just send them back for new ones.
So, how does one go about getting good sound? I'm not going to lie to you: It is really hard... most of the time.
There are several things you can do on-set that will help. Unplug the refrigerator (it's okay to do this for a couple of hours at a time) and other appliances that make noise, and stop the clock so it's not ticking or chiming the hour. Wear clothes that don't rustle much when you move. And keep the camera and mic close to the person talking. Make sure that you do not plug the camrea and the sound equipment into the same outlet or circuit, otherwise you are likely to get a "60 Cycle Hum".
Unfortunately, your equipment (your camera especially) is producing noise. This can end up on the tape. so watch out for that. It is a good idea to purchase some good, full ear covering headphones like the Koss UR-20s. I found them on-line for less than $20 but have not seen them recently. These will let you determine if there are sound problems.
Even though it may seem that an $800 vocal mic has to be better than a $25 one, this may not be true. First, I would not dare to use an $800 mic. What if I dropped it? What if it got damp? What if there was a power surge? What if it bounched too much in the car? I couldn't deal with such questions. Whereas, a $25 mic is not quite so much of a problem. Second, because more expensive mics pick up more sound, they pick up bad sound more too. For example, I went to a very expensive studio where the mics were so sensetive they picked up the sound of the electricity that was powering them. Now, come on, why spend thousands of dollars on mics that pick up noise that no one can/wants to hear? I can't imagine spending tons of money to get a sound recorded and then find out there is a hiss of electricity running in the background. Ugh. Whereas, I've used my dinky $25 microphones to record speech with a piano playing in the background that I didn't want to record. Guess what? I couldn't hear the piano and my voice sounded just fine. Sure beats having to build a "Dead Room".
When is it worth spending more for a mic? That extra cost doesn't always go into picking up the sound of a fly landing on your nose. Quality mics usually pick up less hiss, and more of the sound you want. How to find out? Try the mic! Even better, quality mics can survive a drop that leaves a cheap one useless. Look for a solid metal case instead of thin plastic. Look for a long warranty. I've got a $400 Sennheiser wireless mic that's been around the world several times. And it sounds so good compared to several others that we often use it even though it "costs" us a couple of 9 volt batteries every few hours!
Now, a very brief word on microphone cables: Get the ones with lifetime guarantees (Monster Cables). They cost more, but they work really well, and if they ever break just send them back for new ones.
