Lavalier Mic System

[Marshallator]

I'll be honest and say I know almost nothing about the audio side of video, so I need some advice. I'm thinking of getting a Rode Videomic for my HV20, but before I do that, I need to know a bit more about lavalier systems. I'll be filming a play soon, it will be in a small black box theater, not a large stage. If I used a lavalier system, and put the mic at the edge of the stage, would it pick it up the actors' voices pretty well? Or would it be better to have the rode videomic instead?

[Terfyn]

Lavalier means round the neck. It referrs to lapel mics usually worn by newscasters etc.
Two microphones slung on the first lighting bar should pick up the sound OK. Anything at the edge of the stage could get in the way of the actors. Tried it so I know!

[Bobonli]

It sounds like you might benefit from a boom mic in that setting. Having said that, you can (maybe) make a lav work in that setting, though it won't be ideal.

In a pinch I've hung an omnidirectional lav (there are different pickup patterns on mics, an omni picks up more, so to speak) out of the camera frame from the ceiling and achieved surprising results compared to the HV 20's built in mic or camera mounted shotgun. I can't imagine putting this at the stage level since you'll pick up their feet etc walking across the stage. Almost always it's best to mic from above.

I'm only just exploring the audio side of this myself but my best advice is to try different things and see how they sound in headphones. Always use headphones to check quality. Finally, depending on where you are located, you might consider visiting an audio shop, picking their brains and renting what you need. I'm renting a high end portable mixer this weekend = $30....it's been an invaluable learning experience!

Bob

Bob

[Marshallator]

Thanks for the advice guys. After looking at all the options, I'll probably go with the rode videomic, I think it will work the best. I would try mounting on a boom pole, but I hear that the mic doesn't work good if it's not close to the camera.

[zephyrnoid]

excellent advice +1

It sounds like you might benefit from a boom mic in that setting. Having said that, you can (maybe) make a lav work in that setting, though it won't be ideal.

In a pinch I've hung an omnidirectional lav (there are different pickup patterns on mics, an omni picks up more, so to speak) out of the camera frame from the ceiling and achieved surprising results compared to the HV 20's built in mic or camera mounted shotgun. I can't imagine putting this at the stage level since you'll pick up their feet etc walking across the stage. Almost always it's best to mic from above.

I'm only just exploring the audio side of this myself but my best advice is to try different things and see how they sound in headphones. Always use headphones to check quality. Finally, depending on where you are located, you might consider visiting an audio shop, picking their brains and renting what you need. I'm renting a high end portable mixer this weekend = $30....it's been an invaluable learning experience!

Bob

Bob

[TheDingo]

A good boundary mic is a great way of getting good sound without being too intrusive. I use this one when I have to record boardroom meetings. It can be mounted on any flat surface, though for a play I would place it on a thick foam pad to reduce foot-noise from the actors.

Samson DM11B Boundary Mic
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...icrophone.html

Keep in mind that you will need a mic pre-amp and an XLR adapter in order to use a condenser mic with your HV20.