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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Bastardizing a shotgun mic
Thomas E. Witte, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cincinnati | OH | USA | Posted: 6:51 PM on 06.16.10 |
->> In a few weeks the wife and I are going to be taking care of my grandpa so that my parents can take a mini-vacation. I was trying to think of some things for us to do and one of them is to sit him down let him tell me about his life (WWII experience, the day each of the kids was born, etc) and make a DVD for all the siblings.
Problem #1 is that he is pretty soft spoken and I want to do this outside on one of his favorite bench swings. Problem #2 is that I have a bitchin' adjustable range mic, but it only goes down to 30 degrees.
So I was wondering if anyone has ever fashioned a housing to convert this in to a shotgun mic, rather than borrowing or renting one, and how effective it would be. I'm considering using an 18-24 inch piece of 3 inch PVC pipe, capping the end and lining the inside with course felt to eliminate the echo. In theory it should work but is there an easier way? |
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Garrett Hubbard, Photographer
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Washington | D.C. | USA | Posted: 7:01 PM on 06.16.10 |
| ->> Interesting idea. Let us know if it works. If I were in your shoes I would use a lavaliere mic. I use that for all my interviews both seated and active and they are crucial for great audio. |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 8:13 PM on 06.16.10 |
->> I'd also suggest a lavalier if you can keep it from rubbing his clothing while on the swing. To me, it would just be a lot easier than trying to rig something up AND help him forget about being recorded, resulting in that awesome conversational grandfather talk.
I really like this idea, btw. Hell, I'd let you borrow sound equipment if it wasn't owned by my employer. If your only option is the shotgun, just use a tripod and try to make sure the distance is uniform throughout his swinging. You may have to crank it up a little for his softspokeness, but you can use SoundSoap to clear up the background hiss. |
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Jonathan Castner, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 8:34 PM on 06.16.10 |
| ->> A lavaliere is the best bet. Cupping your existing mic won't change it's pickup pattern. If anything it will degrade the audio as it relies on the sound from the rear of it to be properly out of phase for the mic to work properly. |
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Thomas E. Witte, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cincinnati | OH | USA | Posted: 9:31 PM on 06.16.10 |
->> Hmm, hadn't thought of the phasing.
Sure I can always borrow/rent a lavaliere, but being someone who always tries to come in under budget, I was hoping to figure out a way to make the existing equipment work. All the parts are downstairs in the workshop so I might give it a whirl (held together with tape rather than glued up).
The whole idea came about when we uncovered a 15 second sound bite of my grandmother who passed away in '76. The look on my Dad and Uncle's face when they heard it was something I'll never forget since they are generally stoic men. Since a lot of the grand and great-grandchildren only get to see him once every 1-2 years I figured this would be a way to keep his memory alive. |
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Mark Loundy, Photo Editor
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 11:25 PM on 06.16.10 |
->> Thomas,
The most important thing you'll be able to do for your audio is get the mic off the camera and as close as possible to the subject.
--Mark |
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Guy Rhodes, Photographer
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East Chicago | IN | USA | Posted: 3:05 AM on 06.17.10 |
->> If you're going to use a lav. outdoors, beware of wind. Even with a stock foam wind screen attached, many lav's still have a hard time in anything more than a very slight breeze. I prefer shotguns with Softie windscreens over lav's for outdoor work (or any work for that matter), but this comes down to personal preference. I don't think your shotgun hack will work.
If you have a boom stand (if not, they can be had at Guitar Center for under $30), you should be able to mount the mic just above the top of your subject's face / head. It should be close enough for clean audio, yet far enough out of the frame to give you a variety of unobstructed shots.
With a soft spoken man and a less than ideal mic, however, I'd strongly advise moving the interview indoors if you really want to eliminate the wild cards here (wind and traffic noise, jets flying over, etc.) |
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Steve Ueckert, Photographer
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Houston | TX | | Posted: 8:55 AM on 06.17.10 |
->> Thomas,
This is all about the audio. Think back to the reaction of your dad & uncle hearing the sound of your grandmother's recorded voice. Get the audio right and let the images work themselves out. If nothing else, do a series of stills and produce a package in Sound Slides or a slide show in FCP.
This may get a bit more involved, but this may be a good time to photocopy for sharing old family photos. If your grandfather is talking about your dad as a boy try and find one or more photos of him at that age, etc, etc.
Get the audio right, though. A fuzzy photo is still something to see. Fuzzy audio is nothing.
I'd consider using an audio recorder such as an Edirol if he is overly conscious or awkward in front of a camera. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 9:31 AM on 06.17.10 |
->> Hey Thomas,
Buy a Sennheiser ME66/K6 combo with a Rode Dead Cat, use it to record the moments, then sell the rig later. Total cost of around $500. This type of gear holds value well - you'll probably lose only 20% on the deal. A simple table or floor stand - or even a tripod with the appropriate adapter - will get it a couple of feet away but off camera.
Do it right. It's too important. |
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Manuello Paganelli, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 3:38 PM on 06.18.10 |
->> Thomas great idea and it can be a very powerful personal piece. What a great way to honor your WW2 grandaddy hero.
I cant help you with ideas about mic since I got zero clue.
But while you are at it find out where he was based. Check out what his local paper was when he went away. Hopefully is still around. IF not that paper then any major daily. Then find out if there is a way to get a copy of the front page from that time. Something related to any battle that he was involved with or have some significance. Find maps too of some of the places he went to. Does he still have any of this WW2 gears? Can you find a helmet, jacket etc How about finding out if any of his military buddies are still alive or even if they live close by. Any photos with his military unit.
Any pix of him with your grandmother when they got married. Take him back to that time. His mind may open up to stories buried deeply into the close walls of his brain and share with you adventures and moments that he never spoke before. You may learn so many things about your whole family and about you.
Good luck, have fun and make it happen.
More 2 Come
www.ManuelloPaganelli.com |
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Thomas E. Witte, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cincinnati | OH | USA | Posted: 5:30 PM on 06.18.10 |
| ->> Manuello- You can't call me during a World Cup match and expect me to answer. :) Thanks for the voicemail though. |
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Manuello Paganelli, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 6:45 PM on 06.18.10 |
| ->> Dude is call multitask.. I was watching the same game :) |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 4:56 PM on 06.28.10 |
| ->> my biggest regret is not having done that for my granddad. I did record some audio of things in his life, on a tape I can't get a player for anymore, but not the degree I wanted to do. |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 9:37 AM on 08.13.10 |
| ->> Just wondering if you were able to get this done or how it turned out. |
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