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November, 2007
, 2007 |
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By Dr. Fred Ginsburg In last months issue we discussed the history and types of lavalier mics. This month, Dr. Fred Ginsburg continues the series with the second installment. To view last months article, click here. Rigging lavaliers: Outside the Clothing In many situations, it is permissible for the microphone to be visible in the shot. Needless to say, this simplifies the process of rigging the little devils quite a bit! To begin with, you should be familiar with the proper tech nique of using a tie bar type mounting clip. Secure the mic capsule (head) in the clip as one would expect. Then, loop the mic cable around in a “J” so that it circles upward and re-enters the tie clip. The cable should pass freely through the closed end side of the clip where it hinges (the side farthest away from the jaws). With the tie bar in place on the clothing, continue the mic cable up and around so that it completes a circle behind the clothing. Bring the cable back down (still behind the clothing) and secure it inside of the spring jaws of the clip. The action of the metal clip will serve to eliminate conductive cable noise from being transmitted to the mic capsule. It will also strain relief the mic from any tugging or pulling on the cable. The remainder of the lavalier’s mic cable should be hidden behind talent’s clothing. Although it is acceptable for the micro phone itself to be visible to the audience, there is never an excuse to see a sloppy cable! The thin cable of the lavalier terminates at some sort of XLR connector/power supply. This supply should be hidden either in a pants pocket, waistband, or at the ankle. Never encourage talent to drag this XLR connector around; you risk great damage to the frail cable and electronic connections. Instead, always secure the connec tor end to talent, and simply plug a standard XLR mic cable into it. At the end of a take, simply unplug the heavy mic cable from talent and they are free to roam the set without risk to your lavalier mic. I have found that a heavy duty rubber band with a safety pin works well to secure the power supply inside of a waistband if there are no convenient pockets to use. A heavy sock (or at least the ankle portion of one) works well at the ankle; as also does an ACE bandage or a salvaged ankle holster. Even a strip of gaffers tape works well, but remember to line the ankle with cloth or toilet tissue first. Velcro straps are fine on males, but will destroy fine hosiery and stockings. Clip-on lavaliers are often attached to the center chest opening of a shirt/blouse or to the necktie. They can also be attached to the lapel of a sports jacket. If attaching to a lapel, make sure that you attach to the side most likely for talent to turn towards. (Towards the interviewer, towards the projection screen, etc.) Although the lavalier is visible to the camera, it does not have to be conspicuous. Remember that in a wide shot, the lavalier is very tiny on screen. In a close-up, the lavalier will be framed out of the shot. Just a little judicious camouflage will make the lavalier all but invisible. Cover the visible portions of the mic and clip with small strips of white camera tape. Color the tape with magic markers to match the color and pattern of wardrobe. Hiding Lavaliers under Clothing: Hiding a microphone under clothing requires much more attention to detail. Not only must the mic be hidden from view, but you must also contend with the problems of clothing noise. Clothing noise comes in two varieties: Contact and Acoustic. Contact clothing noise is caused by clothing physically rubbing against or striking the mic capsule or mic cable. The best means to eliminate this type of noise is to immobilize the clothing around the mic. If the garments cannot move in relation to the mic, then they cannot rub or strike the mic! Different sound mixers have different techniques for accomplishing this feat, but my preference is the use of sticky triangles (often augmented with pins). But first, we have to eliminate cable noise. Do this by forming one or two complete loops of the cable just below the mic capsule. The loops should be around 1/2 inch in diameter. Tie the loops in
place with a piece of thread or dental floss, or even a thin strip of camera tape sticky side out. The loop should be secured loose enough to open and close freely when the cable is tugged. This becomes your strain relief. Secure the mic capsule within two small triangles of sticky tape. I make these triangles from a 1" wide by 2" long piece of camera or gaffers tape, folded corner to corner several times like a flag, sticky side always out. The mic is centered within the two triangles. Be careful not to tape over the grill or holes of the mic. Round top mics are easier to rig, since they can be surrounded by the tape, with only the top grill exposed. Flat facing mics require more care, since the stocky triangles need to be offset so as not to block the side port. This sticky triangle rig can be placed just above a button of a shirt/blouse. The cable loop falls opposite of the button itself. The next inch or so of the lav cable should be taped directly onto the shirt, with the tape lengthwise between buttons. Any tugging of the shirt or cable with be strain relieved by this strip of cable. The
floating loop isolates the tugging from the mic capsule. The sticky triangles anchor the clothing on either side of the mic. A couple of straight (or safety) pins may be used to secure the triangle tips if humidity or long duration are concerns. Another technique is to use Moleskin strips and a safety pin to anchor the weight of the mic and cable. This is very useful if the actor will be rigged for an extensive period of time, or if moisture (perspiration, humidity, rain, etc.) tends to loosen the hold of sticky tape. Cut some adhesive backed Moleskin (found in the Foot Care dept of any supermar ket or drugstore) into french fry size strips. Wrap a strip (adhesive toward the mic, softside out) completely around the body of the lav, insert an open safety pin, and continue the wrap. The pin will securely hold the mic, but you may need to add sticky triangles to prevent clothing noise.
When wiring a female equipped with a bra, the sticky triangle can be re-angled so that it is flatside up, pointy end down, and can be placed inside of the bra, in the cleav age at the “cross your heart” point. The swell of the bosom acts as a shield against clothing noise, and results in excellent sounding mic placement. The other type of clothing noise is that of Acoustic noise. Acoustic noise is created not from clothing rubbing against or striking the mic, but instead from the clothing rubbing against itself. Static Guard works very well to lubricate clothing, such as jackets rubbing over shirts. Heavy starch conducts noise, so it is best dealt with by applying or spraying a little water mist around the mic placement area, as well as in any other areas that would not appear obvious to camera. As a rule of thumb, cottons and woolens are the quietest clothing fibers. Synthetics and silks are very noisy and should be avoided as much as the situation allows.
Lavaliers can also be hidden in other areas than just center chest. Under the collar works well with sweaters and sweatshirts, or women’s blouses. Going under the collar of a dress shirt on a male may create a problem if beard stubble is present on the neck. Less conventional mic sites include under the brim of hats, or hidden in the hair at the forehead. Small lavaliers can also be hidden on the frames of eyeglasses.
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Selection and Use of Lavalier Microphones—Part 2 |
