So this is a lesson I learnt the hard way. Audio matters.

I now notice that when audio is bad, I tune out… let me give you two examples first from Leo and Amber’s Net@nite. Part way through Leo screws around with some twiter or something – the first one I just winced but when he did a feedback loop – I just stopped and deleted the whole file… and I like that show normally.
Secondly, There is a great podcast with Jennifer Jones called Marketing Voices, – but last week she did a video podcast with Guy Kawasaki and the audio is so bad… first the music is insanely bad – but the audio is I am guessing – just from the camera … you just can’t do that, you need to mic people. As a result there is so much background noise – it is just so distracting – if your going to sit down with Guy – who is great… and your an intelligent interviewer as Jenny is – why screw it up . On two talking heads it is the talking that matters.

Now I can say this as I have had to learn the hard way… but learn we did.

It started with the podcasts and mics… we just (ok I) just had no idea how much effort I needed to go to – to make audio sound ok. John lead the way with various solutions – but as I type this I am sitting in front of a huge collection of failed mic solutions.
I did some early interviews for fxguide and for fxphd that I hate now – hate – due to the audio. One is so annoying due to wind that I am going to re-record it – just in case we ever use it again !

In the end we found that not only do you normally need a good mic, often times a good mixer – but you need sound flags, sound proofing, close up mic work – and for field work – a lot of attention to wind/ambient sound.
There is also a lot you can do in post – but seriously crap in crap out. This is not an area to fix only in post – forget the impressive audio clean up demos… like lighting – spend time on set to get it looking good… and then polish in post.

Tomorrow I will blog the actualy brands we use, but one of big factors in the appeal of the P2 HVX200 was the to XLR mic inputs with separate level controls right on the camera.

It really now is my opinion that you need your audio quality up BEFORE even your vision quality. If you can hear someone well -then you can put up with poor vision – of course you want both. But Audio is actually more of a turn off than vision for the work we do – go figure.

In coming days I’ll start tech blogging the actual gear we use and how the field kit goes together.

thanks

Mike