Here's the situation... your station, and most of your competitors, are probably all using pretty much the same mics and processors to produce your spots (does RE20 and 528E sound familiar?) What can you do to make your sound more unique?

Shotgun mics are normally used for TV and film to capture natural-sounding voices at a distance. But when the right shotgun is worked reeeal close (like radio folks do), some interesting things happen to the sound. Everything becomes extremely focused. The room noises are rejected much more than with any regular cardioid-pattern. A certain amount of acoustic compression takes place within the mic, even before the processor in the rack gets hold of the sound.

This is part of the "secret formula" for those huge-sounding movie trailer voices. But you can't just use any shotgun. Many don't behave well when worked very close. They prefer to be a few feet away from the action.

Sennheiser MKH416 and ME66/K6 are favorites among the move trailer crowd. I have had good success with Audio-Technica AT8035. The new Rode NTG3 looks promising, but I haven't got my hands on one yet.

Need something new from your Production Guy? Try a shotgun (mic)

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Reciprocal links: Fish out accordant (but non-competing) websites that accompaniment your casework and articles and ask them to hotlink to your site. It’s a big hit with seek engines to see a ample amount of sites affiliated to yours. However added important than abundance is the superior of the affiliated sites. Seek engines attending at how accordant the links are, that is, how abundant the agreeable of the bond website has in accepted with the agreeable on your site. The added relevant, the better. SE s aswell barometer the accent of these sites; their online attendance and the amount of hits they get. In a abridge SE s accept that aggregation matters!

I recently rounded up a collection of popular USB mics, compared their specifications, and recorded test files; I now present the results of my work. This collection includes Blue Microphones' US$139 Snowball, Marshall Electronics' $170 MXL.006 USB, Rode Microphones' $369 Podcaster, and Samson's $200 G-Track.

To hear how these microphones compared to a "real" professional microphone (meaning one that doesn't require USB), I also recorded test files with my favorite podcasting microphone, a vintage AKG C414 EB large-diaphragm condenser microphone plugged into CEntrance's $150 MicPortPro USB mic preamp, and with the built-in microphone on my MacBook Pro. Here are the links to those audio files:

-- AKG C414 EB/MicPortPro (1.7MB AIFF)

-- Apple MacBook Pro built-in (3.1MB AIFF)

-- Blue Snowball (1.4MB AIFF)

-- Marshall MXL.006 USB (1.6MB AIFF)

-- Rode Podcaster (1.6MB AIFF)

-- Samson G-Track (1.7MB AIFF)

Similarities and differences

All the microphones I tested are of the cardioid condenser type. These are directional microphones that pick up sound in front of them in a heart-shaped pattern. The Snowball microphone has an additional omnidirectional mode that, with the flip of a switch, allows the mic to record from all sides. Each microphone includes some variety of mounting hardware: a stand for the MXL, G-Track, and Snowball mics; and a stand mount for the Podcaster.

No special drivers are necessary for the microphones to operate. When you plug them into your Mac, they appear as an input option in the Sound pane of System Preferences--identified as either USB Audio Codec (for the MXL and Samson mics) or by the microphone's actual name.

The gain of the Podcaster and Snowball microphones can be adjusted via the Input Level slider in the Input tab of Sound preferences. This slider is grayed-out with the MXL and Samson microphones; instead, these mics include hardware controls for adjusting gain. On the MXL mic, this appears in the form of a three-position switch marked Lo, Med, and Hi. The Samson G-Track offers a gain knob marked Mic; once you've adjusted the gain to your liking, you press the knob to lock it in position. The G-Track also includes an LED that glows green until you over-power the mic, at which point the LED turns red. This is a nice touch as it makes it easy to adjust and test the gain without having to record a long segment, only to realize afterwards that the gain was too hot.

The G-Track sports two additional knobs, which hints that it's more than simply a USB microphone. Above the Mic knob you'll find the Inst and Volume knobs. The Inst knob controls the gain for the miniplug input ("In") port found on the bottom of the microphone. You use this input for connecting--and, thus, recording--instruments such as an electric guitar, bass, or keyboard, or for recording a line-level input--the output from a tape deck or mixing board, for example. To switch between instrument and line-level input, there's a toggle switch on the left side of the microphone.

The G-Track's Volume knob controls output volume from the mic's built-in Headphone jack, also found on the bottom of the mic. Plugging your headphones into this port allows you to monitor the mic's input directly, without the latency you're likely to get from sound going through the G-Track, into a tethered computer, and back out to the laptop or microphone's headphone jack. But if you want to hear what's coming from the computer--from a digital audio workstation application such as GarageBand, for example--you can flip another toggle switch on the side of the G-Track to the CPU position.

The Rode Podcaster microphone also includes a headphone jack with a dedicated volume knob. You can use this jack to monitor the microphone's input or to hear audio from your computer. (For the latter, you need to choose the microphone as your output device in the Output tab of Sound preferences.)

The Snowball microphone includes a three-position switch on the back. The first position puts the microphone into cardioid (directional) mode, the second position places a -10dB pad--lowers input gain by -10dB--on the cardioid function, and the third position switches the microphone into omnidirectional mode, where it records sound from all sides rather than just those sounds in front of it. The current Snowball uses different electronics than the original version of the mic--which we previously reviewed--and those electronics improve its sound. If you tried a Snowball when it first appeared on the scene and weren't happy with its sound, try today's model. You'll notice a distinct improvement in sound quality.

Audio quality

If I were a professional voice-over person and knew how to perfectly work a mic, you'd hear greater differences between my AKG microphone and the USB mics in the test files linked to this review. Yet even with inexact mic techniques, to my ears the AKG C414 EB sounds richer than the USB mics. This is hardly surprising, given that this mic is most at home in professional studios, whereas these far-less-expensive USB microphones are designed with computer users (and their budgets) in mind. But it means that if you're looking for perfect audio, you're not going to find it in one of these USB microphones. That said, you can still get perfectly decent audio from them.

Among the USB microphones I tested, I found the MXL and Samson models to provide the most-balanced audio as well as an acceptable amount of gain. It's difficult to pull deep-baritone, FM-DJ sound from these things, but what you do get is quite listenable.

The Rode Podcaster and Blue Snowball microphones produce reasonable sound quality once you boost, with your recording application on your computer, the volumes of files you've recorded--but boost them you must, because their gain is low, even when you crank up the Input Volume slider within OS X's Sound preferences. These are mics you want to get really close to in order to produce a lot of sound. But when you do, you risk a plosives problem--popping Ps and Bs.

Macworld's buying advice

If you demand a microphone that sounds like those found in a professional recording studio, none of these USB microphones is what you're after--instead, get a "real" microphone, plug it into a USB or FireWire interface, and learn to use it. If you don't require pristine audio and prefer the convenience of a plug-and-play solution, either the Samson G-Track or MXL USB.006 is a good option, with the G-Track getting the more-enthusiastic nod thanks to its more-flexible recording and output options.

[audio http://audiogeekzine.com/podcast/005.hrs.mp3]

If you have any comments, suggestions, or contributions let us know in the comment box below.

The choirs at One Big Room

After playing keyboards and bass in various bands Ludwig Bouwer converted his love of music and technology into a career, becoming the owner and engineer at One Big Room Studios in Pretoria, South Africa. Nothing could prepare him for his biggest challenge, though, when the producer and two-time Grammy winner Robin Hogarth called him up and asked him to help out with the ‘We Are Together’ project, a recording and film about a choir at the Agape Orphanage. Suddenly he had to assemble 20 top-notch singers – including members of that choir and of the Soweto Gospel Choir – in his studio, and record them!

“The SGC (Soweto Gospel Choir) and the children from the orphanage had trouble getting together for one song, ‘Thina Sonke’, in the studio allocated to the bulk of the project,” says Bouwer. “Robin wanted to know if I was willing and crazy enough to squeeze 20 top-notch performers into my live room, and I said yes!”

“Then I realized that I didn’t have enough microphones to handle the choir and lead singers. I figured I needed seven similar mics, with figure of 8 patterns. The choir is split into four voices, and there were three lead singers on top of that. Incidentally, SGC record everything live with no overdubs – that's how good they are! The hunt for gear ‘favours’ was on. I knew that sE mics are excellent, having heard them before in other studios, so my first port of call was Turnkey Music, in Johannesburg. I managed to get hold of the owner, Peter Tuerk, who immediately offered "as many sE mics" as we needed. Shortly after that, Paul Martin arrived at my studio with four sE Electronics Z5600aII's and three sE Electronics Z5600 MKI's, including three heavy-duty stands.”

Ludwig at the controls!

 “The mics sounded beautiful,” Ludwig continues. “With almost no tweaking, the choir sounded great. I found the mics to have a lovely top-end, clear but in no way harsh. The low-end response was also great, especially considering that the choir was not exactly standing on top of the mics. With very little noise floor the mics are very quiet – great for dynamic vocal work and good side-cancellation in figure-of-eight mode, it was easy to get good levels out of the mics. Overall, the sE Z5600a's sounded like really, really good tube mics - which is exactly what they are!”

“The mics were just ‘set and forget’. As long as you have some idea of what you want to pickup and what should be excluded, the mics just go to work… it was actually almost too easy to get a good sound. I did not own any sE gear at the time, but now I know the mics are just so excellent, every engineer should have some.”

The recording ended up being perfect for the project which has since received great reviews for its moving story about the children of the orphanage attempting to raise funds for the facility. Meanwhile Ludwig’s own band The Lemmings (www.thelemmings.co.za) are touring the States from September (“with sE mics, no doubt!”) and he has just finished a wonderful acoustic/alternative project for Namibian singer Andra (www.andra.co.za).

View the sE Z5600A II at Dolphin

Other sE Electronics Microphones

More about the We Are Together project at http://wearetogether.org/

More about Ludwig’s studio at www.onebigroom.co.za

Recording at South Kensington tube station with the HHB FlashMic

The Sonic Garden was commissioned by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Arts Service as an aural and visual oasis in the urban landscape of World¹s End Place, a public square off Chelsea's Kings Road. The soundscape for the Sonic Garden was created by 25 members of the public on the Sonic Walk which took place in June. Armed with HHB FlashMics, the world's first professional digital recording microphone, the participants were sent forth to capture the sounds of Chelsea and Kensington. This included bus stops, theatres, launderettes, sports facilities, places of worships, fire stations, fountains, galleries and museums as well as the sounds of traffic, parks, tube stations and riverboats. After the walk, the sounds were 'planted' in the Sonic Garden sound installation, which was then opened to the public.

Participants on the Sonic Walk ranged in age from four to 84, but all found the FlashMics extremely easy to use, says Miriam Nelken, Arts Development officer from Kensingtion and Chelsea Arts Service. As well as enabling the collection of sounds for this project, the results were of fantastic quality thanks to the HHB FlashMic.

The FlashMic DRM85 is the world's first professional Digital Recording Microphone, combining a studio-quality condenser capsule with 1GB of flash recording memory to create a convenient, durable and portable recording device that's extremely easy to operate. Either .Wav linear or MPEG 2 encoded audio files can be transferred quickly and easily via USB to Macintosh or PC computers for editing and onward transmission.

Using the HHB FlashMic to record the entrance of the Natural History Museum

The HHB FlashMic is powered for more than eight hours by a pair of standard AA batteries. Users can operate the FlashMic using default settings, or create and store nine custom configurations using the Mac/PC GUI software supplied. In addition, an 'Expert Mode' allows all variable parameters to be accessed directly from the FlashMic body. The FlashMic range comprises the DRM85 (omni-directional), DRM85-C (cardioid), DRM85LI (omni-directional, line input equipped) and DRM85-CLI (cardioid, line-input-equipped).

Created by sound sculptor Dody Nash, sonic instrument composer Will Turner-Duffin, writer Jane Buckler, the pupils of Ashburnham Community School and the residents of World's End Place, the Sonic Garden runs until the end of July at World's End Place, Chelsea.

View HHB FlashMic at Dolphin for more details.

Most of the local telephone infrastructures support broadband internet connections that make video conferencing fast and physically possible. ISDN has an inbuilt technology that was solely designed for video conferencing technology. Video conferencing technology is as realistic as having the actual person in the same room.

The military is one of the most recognized groups for using conferencing technology due to its long worldwide contacts. Studies have found out conferencing is the most effective business technology next to actually meeting the personnel in real life.

Currently used video conferencing technology is safe and secure due to the current encryption algorithms used during transmission. Due to this technology meetings could be called up without long notifications, stress and travel time are evicted completely and foremost importantly it’s cheap and reliable.

Some companies offer video conferencing technology facilities per subscription basis. The technology required is relatively cheap and on the long run less expensive than the sum spent on trips etc. Today conferencing is becoming cheaper, portable, reliable and more effective than it ever was. For the most part all that is required are cameras, microphones, a stable broadband internet connection, PC, and a screen or projector.

Normal Telephone lines are now being used to transmit high frequency data through ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and it proves a cheap solution for video conferencing.

Now, onto "Mi-Mo's"!  Torie's build a bear outfit that she got last week came with a little microphone that they bear holds.  Ryan thinks the microphone (or as he says "mi-mo") is his.  He runs around singing and dancing with the mi-mo!  He can't get enough of it!

I am going to be starting a new scrap book (thanks to Kay for some awesome ideas)!!  I hope I can find some time during the day to work on it.  Hobby Lobby has all their scarpbooking stuff 50% off this week....so I hit the jackpot!!  Hopefully it will turn out cute! Until next time.....

During the week I had the opportunity to see a speaker that was almost yelling at the audience because they either didn't know how to use a microphone or there wasn't one available.

So when should you use a microphone?

My recommendation is to use a microphone whenever you have to speak to 30 or more people.

A microphone is a tool to amplify your voice, and its use will help you to project your voice while allowing you to use a wide range of vocal techniques.

There are some things you need to consider when using a microphone:

1. Know how to turn the microphone on and off
2. Know how to raise and lower the microphone
3. Do a sound check before you actually stand up to speak
4. Have someone evaluate the sound and quality around the room
5. Practice moving around with the microphone
6. Avoid pointing the microphone at the speaker to limit feedback
7. Incorrect use of the microphone can spoil your performance

Remember a microphone is easier on your voice and its a great tool to use with audiences of over 30 people and will mean that you won't have to yell your presentation.

Keep speaking - Carrol

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The 20 Favorite Concerts I've Attended, So Far
1.Okkervil River (April 7, 2008 @ Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington)
2.Wilco (June 23, 2003 @ Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA)
3.Beck w/The Flaming Lips as his band (October 22, 2002 @ Murat Theater, Indianapolis)
4.Dodos (April 11, 2008 @ Dunn Meadow, Bloomington)
5.John Vanderslice (October 5, 2007 @ John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington)
6.Tony Marshall (May 19, 2006 @ Barley Island, Noblesville)
7.Kool Keith (July 12, 2001 @ Verizon Wireless Music Center, Indianapolis)
8.Silver Jews (April 14, 2006 @ The Bluebird, Bloomington)
9.John Vanderslice (March 23, 2008 @ Luna Music Broad Ripple, Indianapolis)
10.Phil Elvrum (September 1, 2002 @ Rhino's, Bloomington)
11.The Flaming Lips (October 22, 2002 @ Murat Theater, Indianapolis)
12.Andrew Bird (February 4, 2006 @ Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington)
13.Wilco (October 13, 2005 @ Murat Theater, Indianapolis)
14.Fuck Buttons (May 3, 2008 @ John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington)
15.Pearl Jam (June 22, 2003 @ Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville)
16.Haley Bonar (February 4, 2006 @ Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington)
17.Times New Viking (June 4, 2008 @ John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington)
18.Ben Folds (April 11, 2003 @ Depauw University, Greencastle)
19.Scout Niblett (June 21, 2008 @ John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington)
20.Kyle Field of Little Wings (January 14, 2006 @ Luna Music Greenbriar, Indianapolis)

Let's make this clear, as much as I am dying to share my experiences in the recording studio to the world (as well as other aspiring audio engineers), one thing must always come first-- my career!

With that in mind, I have to stay anonymous.

So here are the ground rules to protect both my name and my future:

1) Absolutely no real names can be used.  This includes artists, producers, techs, interns or anyone I have either met or haven't met.  I would even go so far as to say I don't even want to discuss the names of my places of business!

2) There is to be nothing negative to say about anyone else's work, wether it be their music or skills.  Of course some of my opinions are going to shine through with a hint of pessimism; however, I am challenging myself to be as positive as possible about this entire experience.  Hopefully this helps my attitude in my daily work as well!

3) Always remember that folks don't want to hear bitching.  They also aren't necessarily as nerdy as me, so maybe going too technical is a bad thing.  Remember stories are important in really expressing what this life is about.

4) The primary purpose of this blog is to express what its like to chase your dreams in an environment where it is very difficult to stay optimistic.  I don't ever want to forget how important that is.

5) Have fun.

So with this in mind, check out someone we can all make fun of (and is also a true testament to how patient us studio folks sometimes have to be)!

That's right, I was a catalog junkie. I used to regularly receive catalogs from several computer and software companies (junk-mail in my parents' eyes), in addition to flipping through the big Sears catalog my mother would get. Those technology catalogs were my favorite though, and I learned a lot from them. For example, I knew all the fastest CPU speeds, how much RAM was being put in the high-end machines, and how big one could possibly get a hard drive. I noticed when the first floppy-drive-less computers began shipping, and realized that the minuscule storage on those things would prevent them from being missed.

Perhaps my favorite pastime from the catalog days was clipping or highlighting all of the components of my dream setup. I would find the most powerful graphics computer, clip it out and put it in a box or a folder. Then I would go find software that looked interesting for doing what I wanted to do, or supplemental hardware. I was in love with the 3D animations that had begun to get big and was convinced that I would become a 3D animator for movies and special effects. I found out about programs like Lightwave and 3D Studio Max. I learned that Photoshop was used to create textures and backdrops. I began learning which programs were low-end and which ones were being used to create professional work.

Eventually I had quite a collection. My collection of clippings evolved from technology alone to everything I wanted in life. There was this really cool computer desk that I wanted from the Sears catalog, as well as an entertainment center with doors that hid the TV. I even fell in love for one of the first times going through a catalog.

It was the Sears catalog, and I found her in the teen clothing section. I remember at the time I had a little crush on Anna Chlumsky from the movie My Girl. Her beauty was by far outshone by the mystery girl I found in the catalog. I am embarrassed to add that she was modeling underwear. Honestly, I don't remember caring about the underwear (it wasn't lingerie, it was like a sports bra or a trainer bra or something). I stared at her warm face and immaculate hair for hours on end, barely noticing the rest of her. I thought she had the most perfect eyes, the most beautiful smile... I was truly in love. I gazed so deeply into the image that I became irritated with how poorly images were reproduced in print products. I wanted a larger, clearer view of her gorgeous face (the whole clipping was only a few inches across). I often returned to the children's section of the Sears catalog to see if she would come back, but alas I never saw her again. Several years later, just at the very beginning of my college adventures, I went to the Sears website and the rest of the web doing extensive searches in an attempt to find out who that girl might have been. I had a time frame, I knew the catalog month (but have since forgotten), I searched for several days. My efforts were to no avail. She was lost forever. Even my beloved clipping had disappeared and all I was left with was a memory. Luckily, I met my wife shortly thereafter.

That's not why I wrote though. I am writing because I have been realizing over the last few months that one of my childhood dreams has remained alive within me (among others - they must have set up some kind of a refugee camp or something though, because the majority of my childhood dreams have long since been CRUSHED). In those catalog days, crouching over several copies of "PC Warehouse" at once, pondering the possibilities, I used to dream that one day I would have a family of my own (check, that one came true) and produce periodic family videos (using the cool stuff in the catalogs) that would have subtle, sporadic special effects sprinkled in (just to make them a little more fun). I had seen many home videos that were boring. If my family was going to make video of itself, it would need a little extra something.

Some of the ideas for CG (computer generated) additions to my home movies were things like a video of the children playing in the front yard, and in the background something crashes down from space into the house, causing an explosion (which the kids would ignore, of course, seeing as how they're playing) and a giant robot or monster would come out of the rubble and crash around. I even thought it would be fun to have the kids participate, with me telling them to freak out and run at a certain time. Another idea was to have a video of one of the children's rooms and have a doll or toy of his come to life in the background, dancing around and playing until the kid looks back at it.

At the time such ideas were the stuff Hollywood special effects artists were only beginning to get good at. Now, the tools exist for all of us; and anyone with the money to spare, the time to invest, and the skill to learn can do it. I've got the skills, I only lack the time and money (for now). Eventually, if I ever get that time and money, I still want to produce my own video. Home videos, perhaps a podcast/internet show, maybe some short films... I don't know. The possibilities are endless. I wouldn't want to make it a career, but as a hobby I could have a lot of fun with it. I even think my wife would love participating both in front of and behind the camera.

So, in advanced preparation for such a day, I am going to assemble and maintain a list of items to buy. I will assemble that list here and when I have a specific product, I will link to it and include it in a special list at metawishlist.com, so if you want to donate thousands of dollars to my cause, feel free.  The metawishlist keeps a running total of how much everything in the list would cost together (as of right now, over $12,000 not including the computer).

• High-end Computer for Video Editing (Multiple Monitors)*
• Hardware for Importing from External Sources (Audio & Video) and Exporting (built in to computer)
• High-end Professional-grade Consumer Digital Video Camera (Cannon or Red)
• Professional Lighting, Microphones, Green/Blue Screen Setup, and Sound Booth
• Teleprompting Equipment and Software
• 3D Studio Max
• 2D Animation Software (Toon Boom? Animation-ish for fun)
• Adobe Photoshop (2D Image Editing)**
• Adobe Premiere Pro (Complete Video Editing)**
• Adobe After Effects Pro (Compositing and Special Effects)**
• Adobe Ultra (Chorma Key - Blue/Green Screen Software)**

* I probably won't link to one specific system because the "best" system specifications change almost daily.  If we ever really do this, I would simply look for the most powerful computer system available in the $2,000 - $6,000 range from a hardware manufacturer I trust.

** Adobe has ONE package called Creative Suite 3 Production Premium which contains all of the (starred**) items plus a few extras for a really great price.

That just about does it for now. If you have any suggestions for items on the list that are missing, better products than the ones I link to, or product suggestions for items I don't have product for, feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

I'm standing in line at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  I've been in line for a half-hour.  It's a huge waste.  The election is next week.  I'd like to tell the incumbent that this is one reason why I won't be voting for him/her.  The incumbent should be required, or at least allowed, to put a microphone there in the line, and so should his/her opponent.

There's a dog barking down the street.  It keeps me from sleeping.  I could get up, find the phone book or go online, look up the number for the Humane Society or the police, and call them in the morning.  Or I could call 911 and spend the next hour waiting to see if a cop is going to show up at my door at 1 AM.  What I really want is just to use a messaging system that would be designed to help me look up the delivery address for the message that, once again, I want to dictate into a microphone and be done with.

Instead of requiring everyone to install all kinds of microphones all over the place, I want my computer, cell phone, or PDA to connect me directly with a messaging system designed to facilitate quick lookups of the contact identifier for every person and organization in the world.  They'd have gotten that identifier at birth, or when their company was founded, or when they paid their taxes.  Nothing secret about it; this is how I would leave a message for someone whom I haven't seen since high school.  Their identifier would still be the same, decades later.  I'd punch a few buttons, standing there in the pickles & olives section of the Kroger grocery store, and then I'd leave my question or complaint and be done with it.

Many stations now have live webcams in the studio, and the 309A is kinda large. Also, the E-V suspension cords have a habit of breaking more frequently than I think they should.

The HEIL-SM2 shock mount, intended for their PR40 and PR30 models, works very well with the E-V RE20 and RE27 mics (with just a little tweaking). The E-V mics have a small nub on the portion of the shaft that fits into the E-V shock mount. When using the Heil shock mount, simply reverse the direction of the compression collar that squeezes the mic shaft. Now the RE20's "nub" has a place to fit.

The SM2 shock mount comes in black or champagne color (champagne matches the RE27 very well). It also has a small block that can hold your station logo (if you need a little bit larger area, you can put a mic flag on it).

You're welcome.

And there's a few more screen here for ya too showing guitar customisation, the drum set and the custom song editor. Check em out:

As for the video, I'll just let Kotaku do the talking here:

Activision's strike back against Rock Band, Guitar Hero World Tour. Features drums, guitars, bass, and microphones, but these drums go to eleven. The trailer promises the largest set list ever, the ability to record and share your own single of the song you are performing, and a battle of the bands mode.

See the video here.

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Wedding Officiant for the Beach.With FREE Microphones and Sound System.

You've probably heard it a thousand times before--viewers will forgive you for bad video, but they'll bolt if forced to listen to bad audio. Wind noise and distorted audio hurts the ears.  Have a video where the subject can't be heard over distracting ambient nosie? I, like most people, just hit the back button on my browser. Here are some audio tips I've learned from my time behind a video camera:

• I’ve watched too many videos and audio slideshows where wind noise has ruined an interview or mucked up the ambient sound. It is important to use a quality microphone with a windscreen to minimize this horrible sound. A couple of years ago, I climbed windy Mount St. Helens with my video camera. I bought one of those fuzzy windscreens that looks like a tribble (yes that is a Star Trek reference.) It worked brilliantly. For reporters stuck with a point and shoot cameras, good luck. Your audio is at risk every time the wind blows.
• If you use a lapel or wireless mic on a subject, the rule of thumb is to place it at the second button on a dress shirt. Don’t place the mic inside the shirt or against skin, as that will add a rustling noise every time the subject moves. Listen closely with headphones for noisy clothing like ski jackets or jingly jewelry. You will beat your head against your keyboard trying to edit around these distractions.
• Nothing screams amateur like a dangling mic cord on the outside of a subject’s clothing. Take the time and run it up inside the subject’s shirt or top. If it is a tee shirt, run the mic out the collar, and down a couple of inches. Pinch the shirt and clip the mic so that it is facing up. It doesn’t always look the best, but will give you better audio quality than if you just clipped it to the collar. Also, take charge of placing the mic. The subject usually has no clue of how to clip it correctly. Stringing it under their shirt, well, I’ll leave that to my subject.
• If you are using a wireless mic, make sure to turn off all cell phones near the transmitter and receiver. Our company’s Palm Treos interfere with our Sennheiser G-2 wireless kits. This random interference will happen only when the subject says something profound.
• When I shoot interviews with a wireless mic,  I record in two channels of audio ( I use a Sony Z1U with two XLR inputs.) One channel is the wireless mic and one channel is my on-camera shotgun microphone. That way if I get interference or distortion, I can use the other channel in a pinch. This has saved me countless times. This also works well for stories where you have one subject that you need to wire up. I have that channel always recording, even if I’m just shooting b-roll of something else. I can always drop that channel when I’m editing. Great things are said when the camera is not in the subjects face. Just remember to turn off the receiver if your subject heads to the restroom…
• Get a curly cord extension for your on-camera shotgun mic. That way when you do a quick on tripod interview with someone, you won’t have to stick the camera so close to his or her face. A TV news shooter once told me that sound falls, so place that shotgun mic about a foot out and below the subject’s mouth. In other words, let the sound fall into the mic.
• Always wear headphones to monitor your audio. Everybody that shoots video knows that, but not everyone does it. Nothing is worse then realizing you captured crappy audio and then having to spend way too much time trying to make lamb chops out of ground beef. Ok, I admit  it. I hate wearing headphones. Sometimes I get lazy, but one thing I don’t ever compromise on is wearing them during an interview. You can always fudge your b-roll audio by lowering levels, but rarely can you do this with your a-roll audio.
• If you’re doing an interview with a subject outside, turn them away from noise like traffic. Shotgun mics tend to amplify the noise from behind the subject.
• Nothing is worse than trying to edit a sequence with music playing in the background of several clips. The ambient music will jump around like a goldfish on a carpet. Which brings me to the first thing you should do when walking into a room you're going to record in. Listen. Listen for hums, clock tics (my favorite), traffic noise, music etc. Try to minimize these distractions if you can.
• Record a minute of room tone. You’d be surprised at how handy it comes in when you're editing. Need a bit of breathing room between two clips of someone speaking? Room tone to the rescue. 

Got an audio gathering or editing tip. Share it here!

Thanks to its 20-dB attenuation pad and AKG's ultra-low noise electronic design, the C 214 can be used in sound fields as high as 156 dB SPL.

The AKG C214 features an integrated capsule suspension system that minimizes chassis-born noise and resonances for even greater sonic accuracy.

“The AKG C 414 has been successful for more than 30 years due to continuous improvement of technical specifications, useful features, and ease-of-use. The evolution of the C 414 has been informed by feedback from recording studios, broadcast stations, and live sound engineers,” explains Thomas Stubics, Product Manager at AKG.

“Our new C 214 was designed as a budget-friendly alternative to the leading-edge C 414 family. Because the C214 uses the same one-inch diaphragm as the C414, the essence of that heralded C 414 sound has been captured in this newest model.”

The AKG C214’s double mesh, all-metal grill protects the capsule and ensures high RF immunity without affecting acoustical performance.

The C214 has road-tough construction quality with a modern scratch-resistant finish, a dent-resistant, metal grille and a gold-plated XLR-type output. It comes complete with a spider-type shock mount, windscreen, and metal carrying case.

If the popularity of the AKG C 414 is anything to go by, then the AKG C 214 is certain to follow on its steps, as it can be seen as a more affordable version of the C 414, but with all the great sound quality and warmth you'd expect from a member of the C 414 family!

If you want to be amongst the first ones to own this new exciting mic from AKG, you can find it on Dolphin Music.

Main features include:

• Integrated suspension to reduce mechanical noise
• Rugged double mesh grill for unaffected acoustics and high RF immunity
• Switchable 150Hz, 6dB/octave low cut filter
• 143 dB of dynamic range
• Same capsule as the legendary C 414
• Gold plated XLR output
• Switchable 20dB Attenuation Pad
• All metal die-cast body
• Sensitivity: 20 mV/Pa
• Equivalent noise level 13 dB-A (IEC 60268-4)
• Attenuation Pad 20 dB, switchable
• Frequency Response: 20-20.000 Hz
• Polar Pattern: cardioid
• Max SPL 136/156 dB
• Phantom Power: 12-52V
• Dimensions (mm): 160 X 55

The official launch of the AKG C214 is 17th May 2008. The UK MSRP will be £499 inc.vat.

Out of Wired Science a fascinating find on underwater microphones being used in a revolutionary new and creative way. Researchers at the Cornell Bioacoustics Research Laboratory and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute have teamed up to use hydrophones to protect endangered whales off the coast of Massachusetts.

Using ten microphones attached by a stretchy data cable to buoys at the surface and special software that picks out the acoustic signature of right whales, the scientists are able to detect the slow-moving marine mammals. When a hydrophone hears a whale, it makes a cell or satellite call to researchers who contact ship captains to tell them to watch out. The map on the next page is a near real-time detection map provided to you, at listenforwhales.org

It's important work as less than 400 right whales survive and run-ins with ships are a leading cause of their death.

The project's website features a ton of interesting information, including whale sounds with their spectrographic signatures alongside, so you can see the frequency diagram of what you're hearing.

They also provide an interesting lesson on the development of underwater listening technology, including a page on pop-ups (seen left), which function as ocean acoustic archives. Researchers drop one into the waters they're interested in and go back home. The device records several months worth of oceanic chatter to its hard drive. Then the researchers come back and beam a particular sound into the water that, when picked up by the pop-up's hydrophone, causes the device to detach from its anchor and float to the surface.

For those wanting to know more, the AP's Jay Lindsay got out onto the water with the researchers and filed a great story from Cape Cod. [via link]

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