Standard Interview Audio Setup
DUAL-MIC INTERVIEW SETUP (TO CAMERA) In most situations when you are recording an interview for editing, there are two major factors to consider with you equipment choice. In order of importance these are; 1. Recording a good quality recording of the subject’s vocals; a. Avoiding peaking/clipping (recording level around 2/3 or -15db) b. Isolated from interviewer vocals (Record these afterwards if needed) c. Isolated from location ambience (fans, noisy lights, computer fans etc.) d. Avoiding excessive location reverb (echo of audio from hard surfaces) e. Appropriate levels with a low noise floor and a good dynamic range. 2. Recording natural sounding vocals and background ambiance; a. Avoiding peaking/clipping b. Including ambient location noise c. Including any room reverb d. Appropriate levels with a low noise floor and a good dynamic range. The former is of prime importance important however, where possible, you should always attempt to secure both. The following instructions will cover procedures for location interview setups; either recording direct to the camera or to an external audio recorder. This can always be adapted to feature multiple lavaliere mics (for additional subjects or to record the interviewer). 1 additionally the interviewer can simply be recorded repeating the questions after the interview.
Microphone Selection For a standard two mic interview setup we would usually select a lavaliere (AKA tie/wireless) microphone (short-range Omni-directional microphone situated close to the audio source) for an isolated vocal recording and a shotgun (Super-Cardioid) mic 2 mounted on a boom pole/mic stand (aimed at the source and no more than two feet away) for a natural sounding recording including some room/location acoustics and ambience. This serves two purposes: 1. Editing options: Audio from the shotgun mic will sound more natural but may have loud interference from room/location noise and unwanted room reverb. In the edit the audio levels can be adjusted to create the best compromise between the isolated lavaliere channel and the shotgun channel (and then balanced to centre output on both channels to create the final stereo output) 2. Redundancy. Relying on one microphone is problematic when the inevitable system failures occur. By having two audio channels recording the same source this limits the damage caused by a technical failure (have you ever noticed that BBC interview subjects typically have multiple tie mics AND studio mics). The choice of lavaliere microphone is not as significant - the difference between a high-quality lavaliere mic and a cheaper low quality lavaliere mic is not as noticeable. Regardless, you should always use the best quality microphone available for the situation.
Standard Interview Audio Setup
Audio to Camera Setup For the purposes of this tutorial we will assume you are using the Sony XDCAM PXW-X160 although the setup will be similar on any professional video camera.
Step 1 Connect the Microphones using XLR cables to the correct channel input on the camera and note which microphone is on which channel (indicated on the XLR inputs on the camera).
Step 2 Adjust the power/attenuation input selector located beside the XLR ports. Wireless mics and mics with their own power supply/dynamic microphones do not need phantom power and the power selection switch should be set to – MIC
Standard Interview Audio Setup Microphones such as a shotgun condenser mic which DO require power should be supplied phantom power by selecting – MIC +48v The LINE input is for line level recordings from a mixing desk or separate audio source (such as a CD/MP3 player).
Step 3 Insert 2.5mm headphone to jack located at rear left of camera handle.
Step 4 Set both Microphone selector switches to EXT (External) INT is for the on-board Microphone and MI Shoe is for the hot shoe located on top of the handle. Set both of the automatic gain control selectors to MAN – this means you will need to adjust levels yourself based on the levels of the interview subject and prevents the automatic circuitry limiting the dynamic range of the recording.
Step 5 Adjust headphone monitor selector located at rear of handle to either Chan 1 or 2 - to hear individual channels, or stereo mix - for monitoring once recording. Ensure you can hear audio and adjust headphone levels as required using volume controls located on top of the handle.
Step 6 Check the equipment is performing as expected. – – –
Can you hear audio from both microphones – (if not check cables / power / levels) Does it sound as expected? Ensure menu selections are appropriate ie Wind filters on/off – Channel1 /Channel 2 both active.
Step 7 Adjust channel recording levels. Using ‘status check’ button to view the audio recording options and levels on the LCD monitor, adjust microphone levels using the channel dials located on the side of the camera so that the channel with the main vocal recording is peaking at around -15 db or 2/3 of the way up the bar. (Optionally: Adjust
Standard Interview Audio Setup the channel with boom mic so that it is around 10db lower. This means the lower priority channel can be used if the main channel audio clips for any reason and adds a layer of redundancy).
Step 8 Record and monitor the audio throughout the recording. In case of mic slips/buffeting or unexpected noises and/or clipping interrupting the audio recording.
Step 9 Mix channel 1 and 2 audio together in the editing software Set both channel’s balance to ‘Middle’ (By default most audio recordings have audio set to channel 1 left and channel 2 right) Adjust levels to get a natural sounding recording with clear vocals and some ambience lower down in the mix.
In Brief: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Connect Microphones to Camera using XLR Cables Adjust Mic Selector to MIC or +48v as approporiate Connect Headphones at rear of Handle Set microphone selectors to EXT and MAN. Adjust headphone monitor switch to STEREO MIX Check equipment and menu settings. Adjust recording levels to -15db (2/3) Record and Monitor audio Mix channel 1 and 2 in editing software to sound natural
Standard Interview Audio Setup
Standard Interview Audio Setup
Audio to External Audio Recording Setup For the purposes of this tutorial we will assume you are using the Marantz PMD661mkII or similar although the setup will be similar on any professional audio recorder.
Step 1 Connect the Microphones using XLR cables to the correct channel input on the Marantz and note which microphone is on which channel (Left = 1 Right = 2).
Step 2 Adjust the power/attenuation input selector located beside the XLR ports. Wireless mics and mics with their own power supply/dynamic microphones do not need phantom power and the power selection switch should be set to – MIC with P48 OFF Microphones such as a shotgun condenser mic which DO require power should be supplied phantom power by selecting – MIC with P48 ON The LINE input is for line level recordings from a mixing desk or separate audio source (such as a CD/MP3 player).
Standard Interview Audio Setup
Step 3 Insert 2.5mm headphone into adapter and plug into jack located beside the XLR ports.
Step 4 Adjust presets in the menu. ‘Select’ one Preset in the menu and ‘edit’ it to ensure the settings are correct. Pay particular attention to: – – – – –
Input: MIC/LINE Rec Format: PCM-16 (or PCM-24 for higher quality) Rec Channel: Stereo Sample Rate: 48k Level Cont: Manual
Step 5 Check the equipment is performing as expected. – – –
Can you hear audio from both microphones – (if not check cables / power / levels) Does it sound as expected? Ensure menu selections are appropriate ie Wind filters on/off – Channel1 /Channel 2 both active.
Step 6 Adjust channel recording levels. Using ‘Display’ button to view the audio recording options and levels on the LCD monitor, adjust microphone levels using the channel dials located on the front of the recorder so that the channel with the main vocal recording is peaking at around -15 db or 2/3 of the way up the bar. (Optionally: Adjust the channel balance so that the boom mic is recording around 10db lower. This means the lower priority channel can be used if the main channel audio clips for any reason and adds a layer of redundancy).
Step 7 Record and monitor the audio throughout the recording. In case of mic slips/buffeting or unexpected noises and/or clipping interrupting the audio recording.
Step 8 Mix channel 1 and 2 audio together in the editing software Set both channel’s balance to ‘Middle’ (By default most audio recordings have audio set to channel 1 left and channel 2 right)
Standard Interview Audio Setup Adjust levels to get a natural sounding recording with clear vocals and some ambience lower down in the mix.
In Brief: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Connect Microphones to Recorder using XLR Cables Adjust Mic Selector to MIC and P48 as appropriate Connect Headphones Adjust Menu Pre-sets Check equipment works as expected. Adjust recording levels to -15db (2/3) Record and Monitor audio Mix channel 1 and 2 in editing software to sound natural
Footnotes
1. To keep vocal tracks isolated would require at least 4 channel recording (allowing 3 isolated vocals from independent lavaliere microphones and a separate ambient/acoustics track from the shotgun and boom). 4 channel recordings are available on many professional video cameras and audio recording equipment but is not always standard on lower end models. An alternative option would be to mix the vocal tracks together either by using multiple wireless microphones all tuned to the same frequency or by using a portable field mixer. 2. The Sennheiser MKH416 Super Cardioid Condenser Microphone has been the industry standard for many years, although both the Audio Technica 875r and the Rode NTG 3/2/1 are considered solid performers by indie filmmakers or those on a budget.