New location audio mixer

[Peter Stedman]

Having been doing video for many years I have never got past the stage of recording sound on the camera with various external microphones. (Sennheiser RM, tie clip and hand held and Sennheiser MK66 etc.). I had frequently thought of acquiring a proper location sound mixer, for myself and for my video club to use. The high price of these was definitely a drawback. Recently I learned about a more reasonable priced piece of kit that clearly wont be of the same quality as a broadcast model but will be OK for my less ambitious needs. This is the SignVideo ENG-44. The internet will give you all the specs.

I now have obtained this from a West Country dealer and the boss has been more than helpful in all my dealings and always offers to answer any points arising.

I have mentioned to him (via e-mail) that, whilst the hand book explains all the controls in detail, it doesn’t explain how to actually set-up and use all the many facilities. I think the manufacturers assume that any sound man using this or any advanced broadcast location audio mixer will have had suitable training and experience in this area. For instance any driver will soon be able to drive any car as they will have learnt the basics years ago. I will say again that my dealer always offers to help with guidance etc. but one doesn’t like to keep on asking the simplest questions.

For instance, I wasn’t sure what the ‘reference tone’ was about or how to use it. My man explained and I think I have got to grips with that now. He explained that proper ‘pro’ cameras have a special mark for setting but such as Sony PD170 etc. it will take a bit of trial & error.

What is needed from the manufacturer is a proper handbook for the true novice. How to set up and use the mixer correctly to get the best results. Various examples and so on. This could be available on-line as a pdf file. The manufacturer already does show online some articles with guidance about the general principles of using a mixer but nothing specific relating to using the controls.

An example is the use of the coloured diodes in setting the volume of the mic input. There is a set of green, changing to yellow before hitting the top end red. Lots of talk about ‘limiters’ etc. What is the difference between the green and the yellow diodes I wonder? A rookie like me with no training or experience, needs some guidance as to whether to set the mic level in the ‘green’ or at the beginning of the ‘yellow’ or at the top of the ‘yellow’ before hitting the ‘red’ overload.

I plan to e-mail the manufacture with my thoughts but wonder if anyone in the IAC has this specific item (or similar and would care to pass on thoughts and advice. (Can you hear me Howard Gregory?)

I’m sure advice from experienced users will be welcomes by others as well as myself.
Regards.
Pete

[Peter Stedman]

Oh Dear,
I was so looking forward to loads of wisdom from those that know more about things than I do. At the moment 25 viewings and not one comment.
Pete

[howard gregory]

Yes, I can hear you! My first visit to the Forum.
I've never used such a device, but, in essence you use the controls on the mixer whilst recording on location - so you need to establish compatibility of signal levels between mixer and recording device (camera probably in your case) The ref tone allows this. With the tone on, adjust the camera record gain so that the camera recording level meter is showing the reference level (if the instructions etc say nothing, then trial and error will be the order of the day.) Then, leave camera controls alone and do all "recording" adjustment on the mixer. Needless to say, this only works if the AGC (ugh!) on the camera is disabled.

As regards signal levels - normally green indicates normal, yellow high normal and red near overload (sometimes actual overload - the instructions should tell you - on my portable recorder it is possible to user-assign the threshold at which the red light comes on - I have it set to "oops-nearly!) rather than actual overload.

Hope that helps - don't forget the sound recording and soundtracks dayschool on 18th October!
Howard Gregory

[Peter Stedman]

Thanks for the gen Howard. Appreciated. Since making the posting I have e-mailed the manufacturer in the USA with basically the same as I posted here.

I received a quick reply where they stated that they were just the makers and did not supply the training . . . HOWEVER they sent to me a basic users guide produced by one of their dealers in the USA for their customers. This runs to several A4 pages and really is very helpful with all the basic info required. Naturally it supports what you say.

Now I can get down to some proper field trials. Thanks again Howard for taking the trouble to reply.
Pete

[Dave Watterson]

Hope that helps - don't forget the sound recording and soundtracks dayschool on 18th October!
Howard Gregory

Welcome to the forum, Howard. For those who may have missed the details ... Howard, who writes a regular column on sound recording for the IAC's magazine, and his partner Suzanne are running a couple of training days.

SOUND RECORDING & SOUNDTRACK PRODUCTION DAYSCHOOL on 18th October.
Howard Gregory and Suzanne Walker help everyone to produce better soundtracks. Suitable for beginners and advanced workers. 10am - 5pm. Fee 20GBP. Wilmslow Guild Independent Centre for adult Education (3 miles from Manchester Airport). More details from http://www.wilmslowguildav.org.uk

They are repeating it in Belfast on 1st November. Details from Gordon Gray 0282 076 9722 or rev6845@yahoo.co.uk

While books and websites can illustrate visual aspects of film making it is very hard to communicate the practicalities of good sound recording. So take your ears along for a treat!

-Dave