The best way to record location sound is from a boom held about a
third of a metere above the actors heads, but for various reasons the
shoot may require that the actors are fitted with radio mics. Getting
good audio from radio mics is never easy and cannot be relied upon
for perfectly clean sound, usually due to noise issues.
Causes of Noise;
Contact – clothing rubbing on mic.
Acoustic – clothing rubbing against itself and beard stubble on shirts.
Cable noise – Mechanical noise transmitted up the cable.
Contact Wind Noise – wind striking the mic capsule.
Acoustic Wind Noise – wind blowing through trees, wires or buildings.
Basic Rules For Deployment;
Choose the right clothing.
Modify the clothing.
Shave the actor.
Imobilize the clothing around the mic.
Put a strain relief in the cable.
Secure the cable.
Consider alternative hiding places.
Choosing The Right Clothing;
Cotton and woolens are the quietist fabrics.
Avoid silks and synthetics wherever possible as these are very noisy.
Avoid starched clothing.
Avoid heavy pendent jewelry.
Avoid wrist bangles.
Modify The Clothing;
Static Guard can be used to lubricate some problem materials such as where jackets rub over shirts.
Heavy starch conducts noise so wet down starched areas around the mic and any areas not seen on camera.
Make holes in pockets and ties to enable cable routing between mic head and transmitter.
Secure any swinging ornamentation, as found on some period clothing, with tape.
A cotton slip or vest worn under a t-shirt can sometimes be beneficial.
Modify The Actor;
Get the actor to shave off any beard stubble if possible.
Have the actor shave their chest to prevent noise generated by cloth rubbing on their chest.
Materials Required In The Kit Bag;
Wet-wipes/hand gel for clean hands.
Dental floss for making strain relief loops.
Sticky tape inside out for alternative strain reliefs.
Gaffer tape triangles used in pairs for mic mounting.
Moleskin in pre-prepped pieces to stick mic capsule to fabric.
Scissors for cutting moleskin.
Small safety pins.
Static Guard/anti-static spray to wet down starch and other problem materials.
Foam tip from tape head cleaner for wind suppression or,
Foam make-up wedges, or “Hush lavs”.
Rycote Stickies for static interviews.
Rycote Undercovers for static interviews.
Rycote Overcovers for wind protection and in-vision mounting.
Cheesecloth over foam for wind protection.
Patch of cloth or felt to match wardrobe for wind suppression.
Double sided tape, tit tape, wig tape, toupee tape, Topstick.
Medical tape – Blenderm/Transpore in place of moleskin at a pinch. Keep some in mixer bag. Use to tape cables to skin or fabric.
Cloth or felt swatch to camouflage mics in plain view.
Fine elastic cord made into headband/tiaras.
Hair extension clips fitted with short piece of elastic cord.
Blue-tac to attach to props and sets.
Tan fabric dye such as Rit or cold tea for staining white or flesh coloured mic cables.
Marker pens such as Copic Ciao art markers in skin tones to camouflage cables.
Tesa Tape to put on shoes in order to quieten footsteps
Sound blankets/furniture removers blankets to deaden sound reflections/ cover noise sources etc..
Strain Relief:
Make a loop 1/2” in diameter just below the mic capsule.
A second loop may be used occassionally.
Tape 1” of cable to the fabric just below the mic capsule.
Anchor:
Safety pins can be used to anchor Gaffa triangles or moleskin in place if the mic needs to be In place for a long period of time and there is a risk of it coming adrift due to moisture from rain, humidity or perspiration. As the adhesive loses hold an audible fizzing can be heard. Not an ideal solution but worth considering.
Wind blocking:
Outdoors, wind plays havoc with Lav mics and only the lightest breeze is easily suppressed. Wind will pass through T-shirts, polo shirts and dress shirts and will affect mics hidden in ties and hair. Various methods can be tried to reduce wind noise. Placing the capsule inside a foam protector made from tape head cleaning sticks or make-up wedges, before wrapping in Gaffa triangles or moleskin may work. An oversized grill off a larger microphone or additional layer of cheesecloth may offer further protection but the bigger the solution, the more difficult it becomes to hide the mic. Some wind noise, like traffic noise, is part of the environment and can be ignored.
Shirts:
Sandwich the capsule between Gaffa tape triangles and attach to the shirt near the centre of the chest.
Place cable loop opposite a button.
Tape 1” of cable to shirt.
Beard stubble abrading the collar can be an issue so make sure the talent is clean shaven where possible.
A COS 11 on a rubber mount can be mounted between two shirt buttons on a strip of TopStick or wig tape. After buttoning the shirt the top layer of material need to be pressed onto the remaining exposed tape. This is more durable than Gaffa tape triangles.
Moleskin with pin:
Wrap moleskin strip sticky side out around mic head.
Insert open safety pin and wrap again.
Use a strain relief loop as above.
Secure 1” cable as before.
Can also use sandwiched between tape triangles.
Polo Shirts
One of the easiest garments for hiding Lavalier mics as the capsule can be hidden in the placket close to the sternum which gives ideal placement.
T-Shirts:
Avoid high-necked T-shirts as the mic will be to close to the throat or easily visible if placed in the centre of the chest. With a lower V-neck neckline the capsule can be taped to the back of the hem in the point of the V and the cable routed along the hem following the neck-line and over the shoulder to the transmitter mounted in the small of the subjects back.
Sweaters and Sweatshirts:
Mount under collar and feed cable around the back.
Ties:
Ideally use front address mics like COS-11, B6 etc., not side address mics like TR50s.
Route cable over shoulder and under collar. Feed through back of tie to hide capsule inside the knot pointing downwards. Use Transpore tape to stick the capsule to the tie, and also to secure the cable where it comes out of the collar at the back of the neck. Useful if subject moves a lot. Secure both strands of the tie with wig tape. Loosen the tie to reduce strain in collar.
You can also use moleskin as a soft layer for the lav to be mounted on if the cloth is particularly stiff or noisy.
A COS 11 or similar wrapped in moleskin and Joe's Sticky Stuff wrapped around the moleskin so it sits perfectly still inside the knot.
A side address mic like a TR50 can be used lower down inside the fabric of the tie. Use a vampire clip and ensure that the mic grill faces inwards to prevent the grill being abraded by the material.
One thing that works is a sandwich of a cos-11, Garfield Hush lav, Topstick, then moleskin (sticky side out) attached between the layers of a tie about 4 inches down from the knot. Lots of people also find good use of corn pads (i cut them in half) to build up an "air space" around the mic.
Hide mic in standoff stuck to back of tie further down sound less boomy and more natural.
With active talent, bring the cable out of the shirt front and tape it up the back of the tie to finally be hidden in the knot.
Coats:
Under collar wings/lapels. Not good for Tram mics. Heavy coats block sound so the mic needs to be brought out into the open and disguised with a random swatch of cloth or felt. Disguise by rubbing dirt over random patch.
Suits:
A Tram on a vampire clip under a lose fitting collar.
Clothing noise often comes from the inner jacket lining rubbing against a stiff dress shirt,
Bras:
Womens cleavage offers a natural pocket that helps keep clothing away from the mic capsule. A Gaffa triangle can be used flat-side up, pointy end down placed inside the bra at the cross point where the cups meet. Alternatively, a vampire clip can be used at this point, facing inwards.
Bikini:
Transmitter at one side of strap. Mic on vampire clip in middle or to one side of centre. Route cable under cup, then wrap tape around wire and strap at 2 inch intervals all the way around the back.
Synthetic Materials:
Use Topstick (wig tape) on the cable below the capsule to attach to the material. On really noisy material put the tape on the actual capsule. Put a Rycote Undercover directly on the tape and another thin piece of tape over the Undercover. This is to secure the loose garment and prevent it moving around and rubbing on the undercover
Hat Brims:
Cable needs to route down the back to the transmitter, although it may be possible sometimes to hide the transmitter in the hat.
Trams and side addressed capsules are good for mounting on the inside or under the bill of the hat.
Spectacle Frames:
With thick framed spectacles the capsule can be taped to the frame with Blewnderm or Transpore tape.
In The Hair:
Placed above centre of forehead or placed over ear the cable is routed through the hair and down into the back of the shirt/dress. Cables is held in place with fine elastic attached to hair extension clips. Alternatively the capsule can be tied to an elastic loop worn like a headband tiara.
Inside Pens:
Holllowed out platic pen placed in jacket or shirt breast pocket with cable routed through hole in bottom of pocket.
Transmitters;
Hide in pockets
Clip to bra straps especially if wearing a tummy shirt exposing the midriff.
Clip to belts/waistbands and face inwards to avoid LEDs being seen
Cover with condoms or cut balloons for water immersion protection.
Mount in pouches on velcro straps for use with evening dresses/saris.
Plant Mics;
Hide inside handheld props such as purses, clip-boards, flashlights and cups using a wad of tape or Blue-tac to float the capsule away from the objects surface
Hiden in a cars sun visor, one mic can pick up driver and passenger.
In a centrepiece on a table such as a flower vase or in an office desk set can pick up both sides of an across-the-table dialogue.
Mounted on a door jamb where a boom would be difficult to place.
Fixed to the headboard of a bed.
Mounted on telephone handsets or inside telephone kiosks.
Fixed inside practical, (period), microphones.
Stuck on the out of shot side of a computer screen.
Use sticky tape pad or Blue-tac to reduce vibration
Perspective:
Use a shotgun as a bleed mic to improve perspective and pick up footsteps and reflected ambience.
Use one lav to record two people, especially in loud club environment to avoid phasing problems
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