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anonymous 19 February 2005

Here is my exact situation, I need help big time.

I am going to be filming shows for a band to later be edited for a live concert DVD. I will be filming on 3 Panasonic AG DVX100a's but I know that I will need another source of audio to be my main audio because the sound in the venue will be too loud for the camera mic's to be useable later on in Final Cut Pro HD as they will be so close to the stage. Now here is my question, I'm a filmmaker by trade and have never done anything like this before, and I have never had to deal with audio on this level. I will be using a power book laptop but what can I use to capture the audio the best onto that laptop.

MY first guess was to use my Mbox that I use for my own guitar doodling, but it only has two inputs. Could I use one input for a soundboard feed, and the other to throw up a mic? Would this be adequate? Or should I use two mics in the air so it’s stereo.

I really hope the Mbox option could work because I don’t want to have to spend 2 g's on a Digi 002 if I don’t have to. Yet I still don’t know if this is the best option?

What would you suggest? I have the laptop, and just need to find out what interface and mic's to use. So if the Mbox option is no good please suggest something else in or around the 2000 and under range. Also what would be some really good mics to pick up to record the live sound the best? same thing there if I can get 2 mics for around a thousand that would be great.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Tim

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Comments

Kev Sat, 02/19/2005 - 21:04

what .... ?

we need more spec than that !

The audio you are capturing is for effect and spin in
or
is it the band sound that will be dominant for the DVD
.... ie ... the bands CD audio is not going to be the band's sound.

If you think that you are going to record the concert from stage sources while they also have a FOH PA system and operators to deal with ... on your first ever audio record ...

errr !

or do you think a stereo pair is going to get what you want ...

wow
you don't want much

err

you could tack a FOH stereo feed straight to one of the fixed cameras on the line input ...
might pay you to have a good peal limiter to control the loud stuff that would otherwise clip

we need more info

are the cameras gen locked ?
do they have line inputs ?
what is the makup of the band ?

anonymous Sat, 02/19/2005 - 22:57

More info? Ok.

This is the first time I'm trying this so you have to excuse my ignorance, the deal is I have been working mainly as an electronic press kit dude. Up until now all I've needed was the cd audio to present the band. Now I have a gig from a rock band that wants a full-length concert DVD a-la Pearl Jam Live at the Garden. Essentially just a bunch of roaming cam's edited over a single sound source of the entire concert.

The reason my specs may have been so thin, is because I am in the gear procurement stage. I don't have any of the audio stuff yet, I came here to get a heads up on the right gear and not waste time or money. My best option to get a good sound recording of the show would be..... That’s where you come in to help fill in the blanks.

If this were your gig, what would you do?

What do I already have..?

3 Panasonic AG DVX100a's with line input but they are going to be roaming not stationary.

3 Panasonic AGMC100G Unidirectional XLR Mic's on the cams

Everything else will be up to the best advice I can get here.

So, in your expert opinions what is the best way to get the best possible sound recording of a show in a medium to small venue? Where I may or may not be able to get a patch to the soundboard. So assuming this job there is no soundboard feed what is the best way to record the audio with mics only.

This will most likely not be the only gig like this I get, so knowing that sometimes there will be a soundboard feed and sometimes not, what is the best way to record live band audio.

If this is not enough info I don't know what to tell ya, like I said I'm not a sound guy that’s why I humbly bow to the advice of those who know.

Tim

Guest Mon, 02/21/2005 - 07:57

20 ways to do this.
it really depends on how good you want the audio. and what the plan is?
when i think live recording, i generally think 40-80 tracks.
audiance mics, room mics, if they are going to do a CD of live shows
if its more just video with audio then a few mics as mentioned.
if its an actual music video thats an entirely differant thing.
usually video is shot then recording is done in a studio.
kinda hard to know without you telling us more

Scott
ADK

Kev Mon, 02/21/2005 - 12:13

If this were your gig, what would you do?

:shock:

see above
Scott says 40-80 tracks.
audience mics, room mics, blah blah ... experience with audio and at least a couple of assistants

I'll take more of a budget line ... but you still need audio experience and help ....

A 16 channel recording to PT on an LE system with an Ai3 or other lightpipe unit

at 48 K 24 bit.

err

quality Mic to line amps and just log the show ...
take a split from stage ...
stage mics are split to FOH , monitors and now ... the recording
:cry:
we need more audio / band info
I'm not trying to be difficult here ... :?

then give to a mix specialist to prep an audio mix for the DVD.

Edit the multiple cam tapes into a basic time line show with some spun in Great Shots from the wrong time ... in other words cheat the specials.

Use in cam audio for any specials that might happen during the show ... especially individual crowd yelling and stuff

If you have one fixed cam ... a stereo feed from FOH just as a safety backup and to aid in locating shorts if the time code gets weird ...
The cams are time sync'd at the start of the show ??
or are they free running ?

does any of this make sense.

anonymous Sat, 03/12/2005 - 08:00

The easiest way to capture audio with the equipment that you have is:

If it is a live show there is obviously a mixer involved right? The mixer should have aux outputs you can use. Create your own mix using the aux sends for each channel with a pair of headphones that you are happy with.. take the stereo aux sends to the inputs of your MBOX, make sure the levels are set as near to "0" on the mixer and that you are not distorting as you come into protools on your laptop. That simple.. 24bit 96khz digital recording sample stereo.. you can then later edit the stereo tracks and take out any hissing background noise with wav's plug-insX-Noise.. time sinc it to the video and you have a full in house production of a DVD that you can burn to disc right on your laptop.

Couldn't be simpler.. :O)
Enjoy..

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