ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE RØDE
I t takes very little time for a crucial part of hooking in an audience and keeping them engaged with a spectacle. Viewers often put up with visuals that are just adequate, but there’s no quicker way to ruin your masterpiece than having sub-standard sound. Sadly, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for recording awesome audio. Big-budget Hollywood productions might manage with a dedicated sound recordist, armed with a mic on a boom for much of the dialogue. But for the typical independent production, from narrative work to ENG, run-and-gun documentaries to events and talking head interviews to quick sound bites frommembers of the pubic or superstars, there’s always a need to record a far wider filmmaker to discover that the key to successful movies is far from simply shooting great visuals. Sound is a range of sounds from hugely different sources in different locations. As such, an indie filmmaker, especially someone working solo or as part of a skeleton crew, needs to own and know how to use a whole range of equipment effectively. It has to be reliable, work together seamlessly and be easy to set up and use, as well as being affordable and, crucially, be capable of top-quality audio results. It needs to work whether you’re using an external recording device or, more commonly, compact cameras, such as mirrorless, DLSRs or the new generation of small cinema cams. Aussie audio giant RØDE has been listening to the needs of modern filmmakers, not only making great mics, but also one of the most affordable and compact audio systems. This takes the headache out of recording stunning sound. So, here are some top tips on the kit to use and how to get great audio. 1. Lots of gain leads to audio pain When it comes to recording to the camera internally, it has the advantage of the sound being in sync with the pictures already, so there is no fiddling around in post. But using the camera’s own tiny mics gives terrible sound. Even plugging in a top-quality external mic isn’t a guaranteed magic bullet to great audio, unless you use it right.
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IMAGES The RØDE Wireless GO kit is incredibly small and easy to use. The transmitter has its own built-in mic, so you can clip it on and start recording,. A fluffy windshield clips on for outdoor use and comes in the kit
“Usingwireless audiomeans you are no longer limited to the length of your cables”
that are adjustable in infinitely smooth increments, and can output the signal at two different levels, recording to your camera’s two audio tracks. So, if what you’re recording becomes louder, you already have a second audio track recorded at a lower amplification, removing the threat of distortion. 2. Go Wireless for maximum flexibility The RØDE wireless kit is based around the hugely popular Wireless GO system. Wirelessly recording audio is essential for the modern filmmaker, as plugging in long cables is a logistical and health and safety nightmare. And using wireless means you are no longer limited to the length of your cables. A compact wireless system is commonly paired with a lavalier mic as it gives great freedom of movement and shooting range. Normally, you need to plug the separate lapel mic into the transmitter and hide the cable. But the RØDE Wireless GO has its own integrated broadcast-quality lav mic built in, as well the capacity to plug in an external lav mic if you want. The Wireless GO kit consists of a transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX)
It’s all about the camera’s internal amplification or gain. As the internal mics are so poor, the camera has to run a lot of gain to make the sound usable. You can think of this like cranking up the ISO to record pictures in low light. It makes the sensor more sensitive, but increases noise and horrible visual artefacts. By doing the exact same thing with audio, thanks to its poor mics, there can be lots of hiss and nastiness. So, if you plug in a top-quality mic, or even an input from a good-quality wireless mic, the signal retains a far higher quality. By turning down the audio levels on the camera as much as possible and turning up the mic, you get the right recording level. This way you are using the mic’s amplification, which is far superior to in-camera amps, especially in mirrorless cameras. It’s always best to set the levels manually, and aim for the audio signal to be sat largely in the middle of your meter. This is often coloured green, occasionally getting into the higher orange range, but never into the red. Some wireless mics, like the RØDE Wireless GO, have levels that are adjustable in three stages. A very advanced mic, such as the RØDE VideoMic NTG, has audio levels
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ABOVE Using a wireless mic lets you reduce in-camera gain
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