Trying to understand Audio

I have a tascam dr-60d and a shure sm93 mic to go with it. The last time I used it was to make a short video of a person outdoors who was in a fixed seated position speaking to the camera. The mic was attached to her lapel and the recorder was placed behind her. The recording was then synced in post. Everything worked out fine. Clear audio, clean picture and the best thing of all, it was what she needed and it was helpful to her.
Now this same person wants me to do another video but this time she will be hiking with one other person. I will be following her with a gimbal and camera. I plan on syncing the audio in post. But previously I was using a wired xlr connection to the tascam. This time it would be ridiculous for two people to be wired to the same recorder.
Now what i believe I can do is buy 2 wireless transmitters to transmit to a receiver which is attached to the tascam recorder which I could just attach to myself in a bag.
Where im very confused is the connections of the mic to the transmitter and then the connection from the receiver to the recorder. Should I be looking for xlr connections to the transmitter from the mic and xlr connections from the receiver to the recorder? IHopefully this makes enough sense for those in the know to figure out and help with recommendations.

What you would need for your plan is 2 wireless transmitters with lavs (clip-on mics), and, 2 wireless receivers. 2-channel wireless receivers are uncommon, though they do exist. You may be able to find 2 receivers in one box. Apparently my Audio-Technica 1800 series dual system is no longer manufactured. It was a bit over $1200 at the time, IIRC.

Why not do what you did last time, with your primary hiker carying the recorder, miced with a wired lav, then just a single channel wireless from the other hiker to her recorder? That gets you into more-commonly available gear, whether for borrowing, renting, or purchasing. And, it reduces the number of wireless on set, simplifying the approach is always a good idea!

Looking further into what I would like to do in my situation one of the problems I fear is the actual carrying of these portable audio recorders. My tascam 60d is big and looking at other recorders that offer xlr inputs I see that they are also big. What I am thinking of doing since I want this to be an outdoor walking around type of shoot is to getting an xlr connector that has phantom power such as the irig pre and connect that to the clients phone or just buy a mic that works specifically with a smartphone such as the aputure a lav. Im wondering is this a good way of doing it. Watching youtube videos just about all the mics sound very good so i assume there is a bit of post editing with the audio to make it even better. I only need to pick up the speech from the client so im also considering if a cardiod lav would be better for this situation.

You’re shooting in a different world than I’m used to. Having started with a bag of cement on my shoulder, I’m amazed at how small and light things are now, and, making much better quality recordings. I don’t have much to say to “a 60D is pretty big”, nothing wrong with that, it’s just outside my experience.

It is true, though, that for $16 USD, the right lav on a smartphone can pick up great dialog. This follows the principle that an adequate mic in the right place (within 8” of the speaker’s mouth) is way better than an excellent mic in the wrong place (at the camera).

I’ve had very good experience using this lav on smartphones & tablets.

Cardioid lavs are almost never used, though, outside stage work. The reason that we don’t use them in film and video is that if the subject turns their head, they’re off mic. Use an omni, get it close!

I think you have to really enjoy doing this stuff for the size and the amount of equipment not to bother you. The mainstream masses are just as happy using there cellphone to film and record audio. So im just trying to think from their perspective on what they would be willing to carry around. So if a lav mic plugged directly into a cellphone can do a decent job then I think that will be the best option. The field mixer can be used in more of a sitdown type situation.

Sure.

Of course, later, you'll have to do some syncing of these various audio sources.

It *would* be nice if they are all recorded at the same sample rate, usually 48KHz for sound for video. Not sure what smartphone recording app will let you do that, my experience is with the excellent Filmic Pro for iPhone and iPad, it gives you total control of the audio specs... but it won't record audio by itself, only with video.

Perhaps you've been through it already with your 60D; syncing has gotten pretty easy on most editing software.

elitejp wrote in post #18615730
Now what i believe I can do is buy 2 wireless transmitters to transmit to a receiver which is attached to the tascam recorder which I could just attach to myself in a bag. [/bquote]


Where im very confused is the connections of the mic to the transmitter and then the connection from the receiver to the recorder. Should I be looking for xlr connections to the transmitter from the mic and xlr connections from the receiver to the recorder? IHopefully this makes enough sense for those in the know to figure out and help with recommendations.

If your transmitter can provide phantom power then yes XLR to adapter to transmitter.

On the other end you need either a two channel receiver or two receivers and again receiver to adapter cable to XLR on the Tascam.

Wayne

A pair of Sennheiser EW G3 kits would see you right. I use a Tasccam DR40 when I need something smaller. I certainly wouldn't mess around with trying to use mobile phones for recording audio. More grief than it's worth.

If you're going anywhere that's remotely windy or are going to be recording people as they're moving about then lavs might not be the best idea TBH. Might be better off with a decent on-camera, wind-shielded shotty and stay close to your subjects...

Spacemunkie wrote in post #18647621
If you're going anywhere that's remotely windy or are going to be recording people as they're moving about then lavs might not be the best idea TBH. Might be better off with a decent on-camera, wind-shielded shotty and stay close to your subjects...

Lav's with windscreens would be much better than a shotgun.

With a shotgun there is no practical to control the distance between the mic and the mouth whereas with a lav that distance is fixed.

MBR wrote in post #18647777
Lav's with windscreens would be much better than a shotgun.

With a shotgun there is no practical to control the distance between the mic and the mouth whereas with a lav that distance is fixed.

A windshield is not going to stop the noise created by talent moving around and brushing the mic whilst they’re hiking. I do this stuff every day. I’d use an on-can shotgun for this...

What kind of gimbal are you using for this. I Have a crane 2. I would think a shotgun mic would throw it off balance.

Spacemunkie wrote in post #18648677
A windshield is not going to stop the noise created by talent moving around and brushing the mic whilst they’re hiking. I do this stuff every day. I’d use an on-can shotgun for this...

A wind screen's purpose is to reduce wind noise, it is not designed to reduce noise by something rubbing against the microphone, however a properly placed lav can be quite resistant to noise made by moving and clothing, I do a lot of field production for a living and have done such with a lav and a wireless transmitter dozens of times with excellent results.

Watch any of the numerous building construction and remodeling programs on DIY and you will see lots of lavs and transmitters on workers who are doing all kinds of moving and climbing, without the lavs picking any noise, it's quite doable if one places the lav properly.

A camera mounted shotgun, even a decent long shotgun will always be subject to extraneous noise from ahead and behind the talent and should only be used as a last resort, the proper method with a shotgun is to have it on a boom pole and facing downward at the talent, never laterally toward the talent.

elitejp wrote in post #18648748
What kind of gimbal are you using for this. I Have a crane 2. I would think a shotgun mic would throw it off balance.

Came 7800 or Single. Can clamp a shotty to either easily