Why have I been obsessed with microphones again lately, when the end product of my work is basic sound capture into a hybrid video camera?
A few reasons.
Bad sound is more off-putting than bad video and screams “amateur” far, far louder (literally I guess). Ask anyone in broadcasting, sound signal is designed to hang on longer than video signal because it needs to. People will tolerate temporary video degradation if the sound is still good, but not the other way around (would you rather listen to a radio or look at a movie with white noise?).
Bad sound is less easily fixed than bad video and often sneaks up on you. Not that bad video is that easy to fix, but it is often more obvious at capture and can be replaced by other clips or stills if needed. Often bad video is also a matter of degrees, where problems with sound can quickly be catastrophic such as uncontrolled plosives, drop outs or feedback, things that often the main subject of your footage has no idea about. The odd crackle or crunch is annoying, but more than that and people switch off, or over.
Improving sound is relatively easy and cheap to do. The entry point for sound is the limited and often rubbish in camera mic, so improving on that is easily done simply by trying. This also means you can tackle the problem a few different ways, all within the price range of a single top end lens or new camera (all my sound gear has cost me less than my 40-150 f2.8 new, which includes 3 Zooms and a dozen mics/capsules). From camera mic to cheap shotgun to better shotgun to cheap interface and mic to better mics is a range of say $20 to $600. After good enough levels have been reached however, throwing more money at it for my uses anyway is pointless. Only a sound engineer would know any different, while nuanced video continues to deliver for everyone.
Finally, I have found that sound is fun and to this semi-jaded old shooter, both video and its required running mate sound have opened new and exciting horizons for me, so I reserve the right to dwell a bit in this space. I have awoken my inner cinematographer and roadie.
What an I trying to achieve?
I want to provide my employers and clients with decent video and balanced, better than ok sound for use from social media up to local TV commercial grade. Mostly I want to avoid bad sound first, then improve on it where I can easily and effectively.
I am realistic and aware that gear can climb and climb into stratospheric levels of cost and complication, but I am also aware that the time tested truism of “know the gear you have” always trumps big dollars poorly spent or worse, under used. Balance is as always of primary importance.
Capabilities, needs and where they meet.
The Zoom H5 is the crossroads tool at the centre of my kit. Not the best of its class, it is still highly capable and probably the most versatile option of its type. As a mic to camera interface, it is ideal. Basically if I cannot fit it to this, I probably don’t need it.
The engine room. The X/Y capsule is handy, but probably the least useful of my many options. Up to 4 XLR feeds (with the EXH-6 adapter), shotgun with mid-side, direct interface with external sources, including computers, backup recording, mono to multi line recording (in RAW also), built in effects. It has more than I understand at this point.
Mic choices do make a difference, but again, nothing over the top, just the right tool for the right job. Dynamic, condenser, cardioid, omni directional, mid-side, super cardioid, hyper cardioid are all available to or through it.
The Zoom F1 is the H5 lite, but with other tricks. Smaller so it can be worn with a LAV mic, it is the remote presenter, or on camera Zoom capsule option (the H5 is too big for either). The pre-amps in the F (Field) series are a smidgeon quieter than the H (Handy) series, so if the lowest noise is desired, the F1 is it. This can even feed to the H5 adding more mics and placement options. The cool thing with Zoom gear is it all fits in with itself.
The Zoom capsules are the easy solutions to most problems. The SSH-6 is a directional shotgun with mid-side capability (directional mono to front with some, more or no ambient stereo sound). I have found this excellent at picking up a group of four panelists evenly around one side of a round table.
The X/Y and EXH capsules add other options.
The matched pair of LCT 040 Match Lewitts are highly respected overhead, fine detail condenser pencil mics, punching well above their weight for acoustic instruments, drum overheads and wide area recording (concerts etc). Condenser mics need phantom power to work, the H5 supplies that.
A matched pair mics that take on many up to five times their price. Good as they are though, they are not designed for the more brutal sources out there (i.e. no bass). If combined with something more audibly robust though, they are ideal.
The sE V3 & V7 combo are dynamic mics. These are a very different fish to condensers, less sensitive, but handling what the more delicate Lewitts don’t like, like grunty, high pressure, in your face sources and rough handling. They can be directly handled by the talent which adds another dimension to my offer. These do not need phantom power, so the H5 and/or the EXH-6 adapter can be used.
If I do not want to use a Zoom, mainly for the paper where room is an issue, the excellent Sennheisser MKE-400 shotgun is used.
If only sound is needed or a handy backup employed, the Zoom H1n is an option as are the Zooms above.
I do have a couple of LAV mic solutions (F1, H1n with wired LAV’s, but have not gone heavily into this and synching multiple sources is likely a pain). I may look at the Hollyland Lark M1’s or Smallrig W60 options later, but don’t love the idea of these. Mic-ing up several people is impractical and not necessary for me, but the odd far away source may be a thing. For most group situations, the SSH-6 has worked or a dynamic each.
So sound is a front of house priority, but once fixed to the level you need, move on, there is always more to improve in other areas. Sound needs to be “not bad” with little praise to be gained for a videographer after that.
There is even a whole level of quality lift still available to me. I can record RAW audio from the Zooms and sync later in post. Not sure it makes enough difference at this point, but nice to know I have a next level option.