VideoProductionAudio SystemsGuideAudio SystemsGuidefor A Shure Educational PublicationBy Christopher Lyons
11circular. This can be advantageous, since one omnidirectional microphonecan be used to pick up voices from several directions, as long as eachperso
12TRANSDUCER TYPEAs mentioned earlier, microphones serve just one purpose: to convertsound waves into electrical energy. The part of the mic that ac
13Condenser microphones offer several benefits. The most important ofthese is that they can be made very small, which is why all miniature lavaliermi
14PHANTOM POWERA little earlier, we talked about the fact that condenser microphones require electrical power to operate (usually between 11 an
15The low-band VHF (49-72 MHz) range is utilized by radio-controlled toys,cordless telephones, baby room monitors, and other consumer products.Wireles
16between UHF and VHF wireless microphones. Due to their more complexdesign and circuitry, however, UHF systems are typically more expensivethan comp
17body or mounted directly to a small mixer or camcorder. A short cable connectsthe audio output of the portable receiver to the audio input of the m
18Wireless in-ear or “personal” monitors can be used in a variety of ways inthe broadcast or video production environment. Reporters in the field can
19CABLES AND CONNECTORSCables and connectors are probably the most overlooked link in theaudio chain, and yet poor quality cables and/or faulty connec
20Another popular audio connector is the male 1/4 inch phone plug, whichmates with the female 1/4 inch phone jack. The name originates from use ofthi
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The Audio Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21turntables (as well as tape decks, CD players, and so on) to home stereoequipment. Phono plugs are really not designed to be inserted andremoved ov
22MIC AND LINE — WHAT DO THEY MEAN?Some mixers have switches on the rear panel for setting each input oroutput jack for mic level or line level. Thes
23AUTOMATIC MIXERSProblems often arise when multiple microphones are used for recording orsound reinforcement. As more microphones are added, pickup
24The mixer’s tone oscillator and meter can also be used to establish consistentlevels among several pieces of audio gear. For instance, during setup
25CONNECTING TO CAMCORDERSConnecting a microphone with an XLR connector to a mixer input with anXLR connector is simple. Things can get more complica
26as to avoid contact with it. Professional condenser microphones requiringphantom power cannot be directly connected to a camcorder; a separatephant
27Dealing with Automatic Gain ControlMost consumer-grade camcorders and some industrial models have anAutomatic Gain Control (AGC), which adjusts the
28HOW TO HANDLE SOME COMMON MIKING SITUATIONSFollowing are some hints on choosing the right mics for some commonaudio/video applications. In most sit
29Situation #2 — The Product Demo Shot: This time our speaker isdemonstrating a product on a table. Before you decide what type ofmicrophone to use,
30Picking up audience questions is a perennial problem for audio people,primarily because there is no really effective way to do it. For their commen
4PREFACEBecause the video production field is enjoying such rapidgrowth, keeping up with its technological advancementsis a real challenge. The equip
TROUBLESHOOTINGNo matter how well you plan ahead, sooner or later you will probably runinto an audio-related problem. To help you out in those situat
32the signal to the balanced, low-Z configuration. You can then plug the micinto a balanced mic input or use another transformer to convert the sign
334. “Popping” and wind noise — Popping is caused by an explosivesound wave striking the microphone diaphragm, such as that whichoccurs when a talker
34A FEW FINAL WORDSThe most important thing you can do to improve the audio quality of yourproductions is plan ahead. When you walk into a room to be
35MORE RESOURCESFinally, we’ve included a reading list for those of you who would like tolearn more about the technical aspects of audio. The resourc
MIXERS36PROBLEM SOLVERSMODEL INPUTS OUTPUTS POWER PHANTOM SPECIALREQUIREMENTS POWER FEATURESFP11 1 XLR 1 XLR 2 AA Yes; 12-volt Mic-to-linebatteries or
MICROPHONES37MODELPHYSICAL PICKUP ELEMENTIMPEDANCESPECIALDESIGN PATTERN TYPE FEATURESSM58 Handheld Cardioid Dynamic Low Crisp, clearsound, veryreliabl
38ABOUT THE AUTHORChris Lyons is currently the Marketing Manager at Shure Communications,a subsidiary of Shure Inc. In his 17 years with Shure, he has
www.shure.comShure Incorporated5800 West Touhy Avenue, Niles, IL 60714-4608, U.S.A.Phone: 847-866-2200 Fax: 847-866-2279Europe, Phone: 49-7131-72140
5THE AUDIO CHAINAlmost everyone has used a simple cassette tape recorder at one time or another. In that instance, the process of recording sound is
6If you were asked to describe the kind of car you drive, you might answer interms of make, body style, or color. Similarly, microphones are commonly
7Lavalier — Another popular mic for video use is the lavalier type.Historically, the word “lavalier” refers to microphones which are hung on acord aro
8Concealing a lavalier microphone — In some productions, it is neces-sary to conceal the microphone. It is important to prevent both the micro-phone
9Double-miking with lavalier microphones is usually achieved with aspecial tie clip or bar that holds two microphones. (Note: When wirelessmicrophone
10Tips on Using Shotgun Mics: Shotgun mics can be positioned eitherslightly above, below, or to the side of the sound source, so that the micdoes not
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