These films have few dialogues, the narration is dominated by diegetic ambience sounds. In particular, the interior scenes are almost silent: 90% of the time we hear only the rumors of the protagonists walking in the kitchen, coughing, sitting on a chair and of course, the room tone. While many mainstream films often foley these rumors recreating them in a studio, films like these ones feature a different "live" approach to sound.

I would like to shoot a short documentary rich of these little sounds, with no dialogues, only interior shots. a person sitting, waking in a silent house. No dialogue. I will contact an audio guy for sure, however, I would like to know in the meanwhile what kind of microphones is used for these scenes. Simply field recorders? I don't think so. Hypercardoid mics?

I have scout the whole internets and for the life of me cannot find a solution! I have followed what many would have done.

I own a Tascam DR-40 and some lav mics (that I made myself ;) ) that I of course want to capture audio from and we all know has to be powered by 'plug-in power (PiP)' which the Dr-40 lacks! I originally owned a DR-07mkII and it worked like a treat with the lav mics since it was able to provide this power but I wanted the upgrade for XLR inputs and I only became aware of this fact of PiP and my lav mics no longer worked.

I went ahead and purchased this from micronic on eBay, which I'm sure you all know and was constantly suggested to other people who seek answers too: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270488193360?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

It is not rocket science, I connected everything, lav mic into the power supply/inline adapter, the output of it is 3.5mm and thus I fitted it with a 1/4" adapter so I can slot it in the left XLR input, set the recorder to 'Line', and of course placed a new battery inside and turned it on (it was like a volume switch) and went through all the options of the Tascam and NOTHING was getting picked up! I even tried the mics directly plugged into the camera (Panasonic GH2 of course) to see if they were at fault but they're absolutely fine...audio levels picked up my speech pattern, functional. I fiddled with the connection and I could hear a bit of interference only when it's on but no sound whatsoever.

I find this very strange, I do not understand why this is happening. I am at my end wits and I really don't want to give up on my DR-40, the inline adapter should've worked as there cannot be anything complicated about this or what I'm doing wrong, I really needed this to work for some interviews that I'll be doing in like 10 hours but I've been spending so long trying to figure this out that I finally had to resort to asking you wonderful guys.

Might anyone have any idea what could be the problem? Would be MUCH appreciated!

Cheap $99 carbon boom pole

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Feet-Carbon-Fiber-Microphone-Boom-Pole-Professional-Audio-/160998554506?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257c42fb8a

Different from the usual lavalier microphone, the all-in-one compact design, window-penetrating multi-functional indicator of A-lav keeps you
informed of power status. Under normal working state, green light is on; under charging status, red light is on and it will goes off when fully charged, ensuring work efficiency.

• Level adjustment: -10dB, 0dB, +20dB
• Low-cut filter selectable at 120Hz, 3dB/octave
• Operates on (2) AA batteries with no degradation of audio quality over battery life-span
• Low noise, high sensitivity, wide frequency response
• Custom, detachable foam windscreen
• Integrated shock-absorbing shoe-mount with 1/4”-20 thread
• 3.5mm stereo mini-jack output

The SMX-15 Powered Shotgun Video Microphone

The SMX-15 Powered Shotgun Video Microphone was engineered to produce excellent sound quality for video recorded by DSLR and other compact cameras. The microphone element is the same used by Azden’s professional shotgun microphones, the SGM-250 an SGM-250P, and is capable of capturing broadcast quality sound. The acoustically tuned slots of the shotgun barrel give the SMX-15 it’s super-cardioid polar pattern which allows you to focus on sound in front of the camera, while reducing capture of extraneous noise from the rest of the environment.

Gain Control

The audio controls on DSLR cameras are limited, if they exist at all. And DSLRs are notoriously known to have low-quality microphone preamps that add noise to the video soundtrack when the gain is turned up. That’s why Azden designed the SMX-15 with a +20dB gain booster; so you can get a strong, clean audio signal into your camera, minimizing the need to turn up the noisy preamp. Also included is a -10dB pad to protect against distortion when recording in loud environments such as live concerts and motorsport events.

Frequency Response

The SMX-15 has a wide frequency response ranging from 40Hz to 20kHz, so the audio you capture will sound full and natural. Additionally, a low-cut filter switch is included for reducing the level of low frequencies below 120Hz, which is especially useful for mitigating noise caused by air conditioners, wind and traffic.

Power

The SMX-15 is powered by two AA batteries; a lower cost option than the 9V battery that is used in some competitor microphones. The SMX-15 can achieve 24 hours of operation with a single set of batteries with absolutely no degradation of sound quality. The battery indicator LED light lets you know when it’s time to change batteries with up to a 1 hour warning.

Maximize battery life by using the unique “Auto” power setting. When set to Auto, the SMX-15 can detect when a camera is on and will automatically power on and off with the camera (requires a mic input that provides plug-in power). Ever leave your microphone on by accident to discover that the batteries are dead the next time you try to use it? Eliminate that possibility by always leaving the SMX-15 in “Auto” mode.

Integrated Shock Absorbing Shoe Mount

Integrated into the design of the SMX-15 is a custom made, shock absorbing shoe mount to isolate the microphone from camera motor and handling noise. The mount is designed to fit the standard camera shoe and comes with a ¼”-20 thread at the bottom for mounting to boom poles and other camera accessories.

• Stereo and mono recording modes
• Level adjustment: -10dB, 0dB, +20dB
• Low-cut filter selectable at 120Hz, 3dB/octave
• Operates on (2) AA batteries
• Low noise, high sensitivity, wide frequency response
• Custom, detachable foam windscreen
• Integrated shock-absorbing shoe-mount with 1/4”-20 thread
• 3.5mm stereo mini-jack output

The SMX-30 Stereo/Mono Switchable Video Microphone

The SMX-30 was engineered to be the ultimate video microphone with outstanding audio quality, appealing design, ergonomic form factor, and all of the functional features one expects in a top-of-the-line, camera-mounted microphone.

Stereo or Mono? Why Choose?

If you only have the budget to buy one microphone for your camera, why should you have to choose between mono or stereo? The SMX-30 is stereo/mono switchable, so you don’t have to.

Housed inside an innovative casing, the SMX-30 is actually two microphones packaged into one. The stereo microphone is positioned at the top and consists of 2 cardioid polar pattern microphone elements spaced apart at a 120º angle for capturing a natural sounding stereo image. The mono microphone uses a super-cardioid polar pattern to focus on sound in front of the camera and is equipped with the same high-quality element as Azden’s SGM-250 shotgun microphone to record broadcast quality sound.

Gain Control

The audio controls on DSLR cameras are limited, if they exist at all. And DSLRs are notoriously known to have low-quality microphone preamps that add noise to the video soundtrack when the gain is turned up. That’s why Azden designed the SMX-30 with a +20dB gain booster; so you can get a strong, clean audio signal into your camera, minimizing the need to turn up the noisy preamp.

Also included is a -10dB pad to protect against distortion when recording in loud environments such as live concerts and motorsport events.

Frequency Response

The SMX-30 has a wide frequency response ranging from 40Hz to 20kHz, so the audio you capture will sound full and natural. Additionally, a low-cut filter switch is included for reducing the level of low frequencies below 120Hz, which is especially useful for mitigating noise caused by air conditioners, wind and traffic.

Power

The SMX-30 is powered by two AA batteries; a lower cost option than the 9V battery that is used in some competitor microphones. The SMX-30 can achieve 24 hours of operation with a single set of batteries with absolutely no degradation of sound quality. The battery indicator LED light lets you know when it’s time to change batteries with up to a 1 hour warning.

Maximize battery life by using the unique “Auto” power setting. When set to Auto, the SMX-30 can detect when a camera is on and will automatically power on and off with the camera (requires a mic input that provides plug-in power). Ever leave your microphone on by accident to discover that the batteries are dead the next time you try to use it? Eliminate that possibility by always leaving the SMX-30 in “Auto” mode.

Integrated Shock Absorbing Shoe Mount

Integrated into the design of the SMX-30 is a custom made, shock absorbing shoe mount to isolate the microphone from camera motor and handling noise. The mount is designed to fit the standard camera shoe and comes with a ¼”-20 thread at the bottom for mounting to boom poles and other camera accessories.

• 1.0" LCD display screen
• Operating Frequency: 2.4~2.483GHz
• Battery display, Lock display, mode display, Autoscan manual, channel display and Mic plus
• RF output power: 50mW
• Apply to multiple channel operation or long distance transmission
• Powered by 1 x 3.7V / 710mAh lithium battery (Transmitter and receiver)

Price: $177.10

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/1-0-lcd-2-4ghz-50mw-stereo-wireless-microphone-system-transmitter-receiver-set-for-camera-122179

The innovative pairing of camera-mount audio and video products fit perfectly into the fast-paced, deadline-driven film, television, and broadcast production markets. Video professionals everywhere now have a suite of products that offer both world-class audio and stunning 4K, edit-ready recording capabilities in a compact, portable package.

http://www.videodevices.com

When I connect these mics to XLR ports with Rode's XLR adapter, there's an annoying signal sound, it's not hiss/humm, something else. When I use the 3.5 connection on the X/Y adapter of H6 with plugin power, this noise is still there.

ATR3350 has its own battery, so I don't think it's about phantom power (however I shut the power down). Also I realized when I touch the USB connection of H6 at right with my finger, the noise reduces (really weird). Same happens when I touch to the metal plate on the front face of the device as well. Somehow, my hand is stopping the noise.

When I connect these mics to Zoom H1, there's no noise. I contacted with Zoom product service, had a reply to my email, then they stopped talking with me. "Kind reminders" didn't work.

My only options for now are these devices and for a long time I'll not be able to afford a wireless transmitter. Here you can find a sound record demonstrating my problem, sorry for my weak English and moaning voice :) http://1drv.ms/1PWQCIh

Any solutions?

However, I am having a hard time finding a good wireless system to use it with. The cheaper Azden units get mixed reviews. The Sennheiser G3 system includes a decent receiver and transmitter, but it costs $630 and includes another lavalier mic which I don't need... strangely, buying the receiver and transmitter separately costs much more, and doesn't include the microphone.

Ideally, I'd like to stay under $400 for the wireless system. I don't care about exceptional range. 50ft would be nice, but I could do with just 25-30ft. I do want wireless system that doesn't pick up weird noise from cell phones, etc, though. Beyond that, the only other thing that I'd like is an easy way to mount it to my camera rig (e.g. 1/8"-20 screw hole, or hot shoe).

Any recommendations?

• Selectable mic input gain level, -20 / -30 / -45 / -60dBu
• Phantom 48V power supply
• HPF at 80 or 160Hz with -6dB/oct
• Cascading function for stereo application with a supplied dedicated joint plate
• Balanced Out (+4dBu, XLR) and Unbalanced Out (-10dBV or attenuated -50dBV, stereo mini)
• Peak LED and Power LED that doubles with low battery warning
• Powered by 1 x AA battery (Alc or NiMH) for 10 hours operation (approx. 4 hours with P48V on) or DC-IN (5V, Micro USB)
• Power saving mode (phantom power down to 24V) to extend the operation hours

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/AR501.shtml

http://www.musicappblog.com/irig-pro-duo-review/

interesting thing, maybe an option as a mic pre for in camera recording?

• 2.4GHz
• Frequency Diversity sends the signal on two dynamically allocated frequencies for interference-free communication.
• Time Diversity sends the signal in multiple time slots to maximize immunity to multipath interference.
• Space Diversity uses two antennas on each transmitter and receiver to maintain signal integrity

Available at:

• http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audio-Technica-ATW-1701-System-10-Camera-Mount-Wireless-Microphone-System-NEW-/291221524366?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43ce27cf8e
• http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audio-Technica-System10-Digital-Wireless-System-with-Lavalier-Mic-ATW-1701-L-/171438504624?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Microphones&hash=item27ea87fab0

The Panasonic DWM-MS2 condenser microphone has a 3.5mm TRRS plug that connects to the GH3/GH4 body http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/907000-REG/Panasonic_dmw_ms2_External_Stereo_Mic_For.html

Similarly, the iRig PRE XLR microphone interface also has a 3.5mm TRRS plug http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/840641-REG/IK_Multimedia_IP_IRIG_PRE_IN_iRig_Pre_Microphone_Interface.html

I wondered if I could use the iRig PRE as an XLR input, pre amp & +48v phantom power source for my Apex420 condenser microphone when connected to a GH4. I decided to roll the dice & connect the iRig PRE directly to a GH4 (via the 3.5mm mic input) for further investigation. DISCLAIMER: I am not an audio engineer. Please take that fact into consideration. I'm not affiliated with IK Multimedia in anyway (the makers of the iRig PRE). I simply saw (what appeared to be) the same 3.5mm TRRS plug between the two aforementioned devices & wanted to see if I could utilize some of the audio gear I already own. I was stoked to discover that I could record video & stereo audio directly to my SDHC card using this setup. The SNR & noise floor (with the iRig's pre amp turned up to 1/3 gain) sounded acceptable for my video/stereo audio recording purposes. Your personal view might differ & I respect that. More testing is needed to determine whether the iRig PRE is a pro-sumer audio solution or a professional audio solution for the GH4.

SIDE NOTE: the iRig PRE I’m using is NOT hacked. I connected my Apex420 to an XLR cable -> XLR cable to the iRig PRE–> iRig PRE 3.5mm TRRS plug to the GH4 3.5mm mic input. The iRig's pre amp was turned up to 1/3 gain. After connecting all of the cabling I tweaked a couple of settings within the “Motion picture” menu tab (page 6) as follows:

Mic Level Adj.: 0

Special Mic -> Manual -> Mic. Directivity Adjust: adjusted to the right side of the scale (cardioid) -> set. All special mike modes worked excluding the “stereo” setting.

Mic Level Limiter: On

The previous setup worked for me & I hope a similar setup utilizing the iRig PRE & GH4 works for you too. Please post your findings/gear setup/audio menu settings here.

Advanced shotgun with adjustable gain

• Comes with dead cat and shock microphone mount.
• Works both with 2xAAA batteries for around 100 hours.
• High sensitivity and low noise construction.
• Output Impedance - 200Ω
• Signal to Noise Ratio - 74dB
• Sensitivity (@1kHz) - -50dB~-10dB
• Only 126g

Check additional details and price.

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/handheld-sound-recorder-support

The Juicedlink doesn't have headphones input. However, the Zoom H1 does. Can I monitor the sound via the Zoom then? And in which way will this be a reliable headphone output volume? Do I need special cables? Or ways to set the Juicedlink pre-amp?

Help will be appreciated

Matt

We generally use Logic Pro X and a Rode NT1A/Audient iD22 for voice. We use FCPx to show the sequence so that the voice can synchronise. We been using a booth cobbled together from two foldable acoustic panels and a SE Reflection Filter X to cut down on the room reflections.

The more I've worked at my desk the more aware I've really become of the limitations of the sound quality. I'd recently read an article about sound absorbers.

RPG Europe's Absorbor come out tops, so I ordered seven panels to give us more options, four for the ceiling and three for the walls.

In essence they've made a great difference, and working with sound is even more of a pleasure.

More here: http://wbavproductions.co.uk/resources/absorbor.html

I video presentations for Reading Geek, who have recently moved to a very noisy venue, hence the test.

Pro is 3m max and $299

Micro is 2.2m max and $149