microphone for filming choir/band concerts

We film a lot of middle and elementary school choir and band concerts, create DVDs for the parents. As of now, we just use the audio that we get from the 3 inexpensive mini dv cameras we shoot with. The results are actually pretty good, especially if the soloists are playing into a mic from the house sound. In general, nothing else is mic'ed just the wonderful sound you get inside a gymnasium that is used for the concerts. My question is this. Is there a microphone that I could connect to one of my cameras, maybe run it up to the front and get better audio? I have heard that there are flat mics that are made for this but have no experience with them. Or, should I just be happy with the results I am getting with the inexpensive mini dv and its built in mic. Thanks so much in advance for your expert advice.

iMac G5 1.8 GHZ, Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Posted on Dec 22, 2005 5:00 PM

17 replies

Dec 29, 2005 6:57 PM in response to Gary Scotland

well proven close mic techniques are great if you have the kit. Most don't.

Also, it takes a really good ear to do a live to 2 track recording of a live event when you are worried about ... uh... framing and focus.

basically you want a whole crew guy to just get the sound for you.

As for "working up to it" I would consider a couple of crossed pair mics in the middle of the room, well... close ot the front

If you can get away with the bulk, go for a large diaphram condenser, a CHEAP alternative would be...
http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--BEHB1

If you have the ability to get over head and hang mics from above, you may consider something like...
http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--AUTPRO45BK

If you must floor mount on stands...
http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--AUTPRO37
or even
http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--BEHC2

each of these will want to be set up in a stereo pair. for an explanation of this technique, check...
http://www.tape.com/BartlettArticles/stereo_microphonetechniques.html

You can ad more mics as you go, but you will either need to mix them live or multi track record them...

As someone said above (capt?) you can send the various mics to the cameras.. then you'll have 4 or 6 tracks of happy to mix down later. Make sure that at last one set of mics can also get some audience reaction... loosing that can be really bad.

although sight lines are usually an issue, most of the time if people know they are getting a good recording they will forgive a bit of gak in the shot or their sightlines...

Good luck.

(can I do all those links out to other pages? I hope so)

fen

Dec 29, 2005 8:26 PM in response to Chris Fenwick

CHRIS CHRIS CHRIS!!!

"your BAD sounds like..." that sure was a freuidian slip if I ever saw one... hey -- wasn't it you too that came up with the It's a Morie??

Anyway - -I'm sure you ALL know that wasn't MY band!!!! PLEASE!!!!

haha -- but it WAS someone's happy snot nosed kids. I just can't believe someone actually took that to concert!

And (for all) -- don't confuse close mic techniques (John Williams Soundtrack) with close area mics (TELARC classical CDs). JW's sessions have hundreds of mics scattered close to the players throughout the orchestra.

What I'm talking about is one stereo pair close to the band so you don't get the sound LOST in the room and you still get the room back into the band.

As Chris says -- closer to the front.. yes...

CaptM

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microphone for filming choir/band concerts