Slightly Hot Audio

[JohnKleban]

Hey Guys,

For much of my audio recording, I use minidisc recorders; and if coming from a house feed via xlr, or headphones out, I go into my minidisc using the "line in" socket. The "line in" is great because it automatically attenuates your signal and I've never once had an issue with a source getting distorted, etc., going in this way.

In my case above, their house system at the church was no good, so in addition to micing the podium and groom, etc., last minute I gave a minidisc with a lapel mic attached to the priest to wear; this connection goes in the recorder via "mic in" and can get hot if you are not careful. In this case, I had no time to adjust things down, nor did I really know where he was going to position the thing on himself, as the priest took the recorder in the back to get changed. Again, most of everything he said was clear, just a couple spots were he was a touch louder. For vows and rings, I use a Senn. UHF on the groom that I monitor in my camera.

John

[CKNewman]

For important audio when I am set up in fixed location, I use a Shure FP-410 auto audio mixer with a sound limiter that prevents over modulation regardless of incoming sound level.

Bob,

That sounds like a good feature. I already own a Mackie 1402 so I wonder if there's a black box or something I could run downstream from my mixer?

[CKNewman]

John,

I don't see how you could have had this happen. You only run 5 cameras and several minidiscs by yourself at a wedding. What gives?

(For anyone who doesn't know how John shoots a ceremony, the above is pretty accurate!)

[BobFoster]

Craig, I use the Shure FP410 in front of the my Mackie 1202. In my case, I use 1 of the 410s mic outs to feed the house sound and the other mic out to feed a mic input on the mackie. The mackie stereo line out to a Prestige. This lets me boost sound to the prestige when needed without creating feedback on the house sound. A co-shooter of mine used the same setup except he sends the audio from the mackie to his camera and then out via firewire to a DV deck. Since I use a D-VHS deck as a back up to the Prestige in case of HD crash, I take a feed from the FP410 headphone jack for a line level to the D-VHS deck. This allows for 3 different output levels at the same time. Shure FP410s run about $1400 new but can usually be found on ebay for about $400.

[JohnKleban]

John,

I don't see how you could have had this happen. You only run 5 cameras and several minidiscs by yourself at a wedding. What gives?

(For anyone who doesn't know how John shoots a ceremony, the above is pretty accurate!)

Actually, with the economy slowing down a little by me, I've recently removed a camera or two from some of my offerings. But still, I was comfortable shooting with 4 cameras for the ceremony and, not to nit-pick, but you forgot to mention my remote system as well. I have that down and can have that set-up in just under 10 minutes; great for those front shots of the couple if they're facing forward throughout the service.

[CKNewman]

I use the Shure FP410 in front of the my Mackie 1202.

Thanks Bob, I will look into that.

[CKNewman]

....but you forgot to mention my remote system as well.

You go to all that trouble? If the couple is looking forward I just set up a big mirror. I can have it set up in one minute!

[TimKennelly]

Actually, with the economy slowing down a little by me

And here I have been blaming the state of the economy on toxic bank loans and it's been your fault all this time?!?!?