Basic Audio Recording Tips


Bamboopictures

Senior Member
1. DISTANCE TRUMPS EVERYTHING

A cheap mic placed near the source will often sound better than a better mic placed further away from the source. A shorter miking distance will always produce a stronger signal over background noise. Between a lavalier and an on-board shotgun mic , lavalier always wins.

2. SCOUT WITH AUDIO IN MIND
If dialogue and audio content matters, don't film in noisy places, especially where piped music is audible. Cleaning up audio in post is usually time consuming and may not yield good results.

3. BUDGET FOR ADR (AUTO DIALOGUE REPLACEMENT)
If the film set or location is not conducive for recording usable audio, actors will have to record their lines in post after the film is edited. For low-budget or no-budget shoots, field ADR for the most plausible takes may be the only option.

4. RECORD IN 32 BIT
32 bit recording allows for a wide dynamic range that is almost impossible to distort. This is very useful for one man band projects with multiple inputs.

5. STICK TO ONE TYPE OF MIC PER SCENE
Different lavaliers have different sensitivity, dynamic range and tone. For audio continuity, it is important to use the same model of mic and transceivers for every talent in the scene.
For interviews, always use the same mic and wireless kit as different kits may have different lag resulting in a reverb effect when the tracks are combined.

6. GIVE EACH TALENT THEIR OWN TRACK
By recording every talent on separate tracks, you can mute unwanted tracks in post, reducing unwanted ambient noise, rustling or cross-talk.

7. EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF USING DYNAMIC MICS

Dynamic handmics and reporter mics have much tighter pickup patterns and far superior rejection than condenser mics. They are ideal for voxpops and field commentary.
If a location is too noisy for shotgun condensers or lavalier, a dynamic mic placed against a static background can be masked out in post. Lock down the camera and take care not to allow the mic to overlap any moving elements if executing such a shot.

8. SHOW THE NOISE
It's more disturbing for your audience to guess where the background noise is coming from than listening over the noise. For interviews in sub-optimal venue, show the source of the noise (gurgling fountains, massive crowd, traffic etc) in the same shot as the talent or as b-roll footage. Psychologically, it's less distracting when audience can see the where the background noise is coming from.

9. DON'T RECORD DEAF
In an era where every camera is capable of capturing decent video, it is tempting to wing it with cameras that don't offer audio monitoring options. This is especially so for cameras with mic inputs but no headphone ports. While some mics and pre-amps come with headphone ports, monitoring upstream of the actual recording is also as good as recording deaf. If there is no way of listening to what is actually getting recorded by the camera via headphone or HDMI, opt for an external audio recorder instead. Feed the audio output from the recorder to the camera mic port. If the camera got it clean, great. If not, you always sleep well knowing you've got good audio from the recorder because you heard it.

10. BEEF UP YOUR AUDIO KIT
Audio situations are often harder to control than lighting and optics. As such, having sufficient numbers of the right tool is often the only way out of a difficult soundscape.
For the lone shooter, it is even more important to invest in tools that provide remedial options and flexibility in post as operator intervention during recording may not be possible.
32-bit multi-track recorders, diversity wireless kits in both UHF and Wifi, paired with good quality lavs could be the very few alternatives to having a soundman.
The good news is audio equipment is getting smaller and smaller so packing more into your kit is now much easier.