The Advantage Of Options.
At the paper we have a sports podcast.
It started with an idea, was decently tacked from day one and is running along well enough to come to the attention of the senior management.
Technically, it has been all my show up front (sound, video, lighting-well the first two, lighting is rubbish but nothing I fix). The result is passed up to our video team, who polish it, add other elements and launch it.
Sound was a win from day one. The very first was an over complicated dual Lewitt 040 Match overhead X/Y setup in an attempt to avoid that cavern sound of the untreated room and cover the group evenly. Boom arms, heavy stands and average results made me think simpler.
The Zoom F1 was then employed with the SSH-6 set on 60 degree mid-side. Worked a treat and has been our staple ever since (the next 29 eps).
There are problems though.
The master volume is on the mic (F1 unit) sitting on the table in front and with the very hot pre-amps in the S5 (all Lumix), I have it at 2-3 and need to be very careful about distance and setting, which vary if the group changes size.
The team of 4 guys have the full range of voices from booming bull-frog to a near whisper. Placement and a little post are ok, but I tend to have to rely on the camera’s internal limiter for safety.
The F1 and SSH-6 assembled (I like to leave it as is rather than pull it apaer every week), are long and fragile, so they get a huge space in my video bag, much bigger than I have to spare (equal to 4 lenses, which I now have).
The other issue is the F1 tends to spook me with battery readings (usually 1 or 2 of 3 bars with Eneloop pro’s after only one use), so I change them every session and the little broken battery door is a major pain.
Lastly, I am acutely aware of the massive arsenal of condenser and dynamic mics I have sitting around unused while over-using this one problem solver.
Wish I could say this is it…….
The team sit around one side of a small circular table for their panel-like discussion. The shotgun has no trouble picking them up, so maybe a less sensitive dynamic mic would do the trick and the cardioid pattern will also help tame the room.
I decided to give the Prodipe Pro-Lanen TT1 a go as a one mic solution. It is sensitive for its type, handles well, is small, cheap and tough. It is not matched to any other mic sets (Lewitt or Se V’s) just a cheap buy. It looks nice enough on the table and the cardioid pattern is set, so less prone to my fiddling.
The top combo may not look much smaller, but when you consider they can be stored upright in a single lens-sized space or even a front pocket of the Domke roller, then compared to the F1 and SSH-6 (with foam cover) that I want to lay length-ways, so it takes up 4 spaces, it is much better. Even the XLR cable is not that much larger than the 3.5.
This goes into the H5 (or H8* or F1 with XLR adapter) via a more robust XLR cable**, which I have control of from the camera end and with more volume-output options. I can also rely on the stronger battery life, or just use AC power (not an option to the table mic).
It packs down to a smaller space, about the same as a single lens.
The last benefit is, I could add another three dynamic mics to this easily enough, each matched to a voice.
A simple test revealed an open and robust sound and less background noise.
The F1 can now do the job I bought it for which is as a better shotgun mic (or X/Y capsule) on camera.
Nice to have options.
*Which also adds the podcast mode!
**A decent quality 7.5m Neewer XLR cable, colour matched to the blue table cloth we use, is actually cheaper than a decent 6m 3.5 cable at about $12.