The mention of ULXD is around 11:27.

I love that they get such a big sound without so much as a speaker in the rig. There’s some pretty forward-thinking stuff going on here: a single rack to handle wireless and processing, and they even mix their in-ear monitors (PSM 900 in this case) with not a monitor mixing console, but rather two laptops – a primary and a redundancy.

Pretty cool stuff from a great band.

SCM820 offers selectable IntelliMix modes, dual mixer operation, and multiple connector variations. Plus, you can choose between standard Ethernet or Dante™ digital networked audio configurations.

Check out this short video, in which Gino Sigismondi walks through the key features of SCM820.

I love doing artist interviews.  It’s not just sitting down and picking the brains of our endorsers that I find engaging.  In a way, it’s a bit like doing live sound.  We Artist Relations guys often function as interviewer, camera operator, and audio engineer when we go out and shoot interviews.  There is a rush in getting everything set up quickly and making sure it all looks and sounds decent for those ten to fifteen minutes you’re hosting artists. It has been a learning process for me – much of what I’ve come to know has been through trial and error.  Like live sound we have our good and bad days.  Fortunately we’ve gotten some new production tools that have made things easy.

Shure has added quite a few broadcast production tools in the last two years and it’s been fun for me to get to know them in this capacity.  They’ve sure made my job easier.   Here’s a rundown on the gear we take to the gigs.

Mics:

VP89M medium shotgun

RPM89S short shotgun cartridge

WL51B or MX150 lavalier mic

A dynamic mic – SM57, SM58, or Beta57A

My first go-to for a mic is the VP89M.  I just love it.  I’ll engage the low-frequency roll-off because we’re working with human voices.  The mic sits in the A89M-PG pistol grip mount, made by Rycote.  In the event we find ourselves in a small space where I’m very near multiple subjects I will swap out the medium shotgun tube for the short one.  This gives a wider pickup pattern.  Lavalier mics come in handy for very noisy environments.  Some on our team prefer them over the shotgun mic.  I’ll use them if I have to, but I’ve had interviews where some unpredictable element has caused me headaches.  People move lapels, scratch necks, shake their heads vigorously, wear noisy jewelry…trying to plan for those unknowns takes time I’d rather spend getting to know the interviewee, conversing, finding a good starting point for the interview.   Of course, the most dead-simple thing to do is put the UR3 plug-on transmitter right in to the back of a mic, and for that having a dynamic mic is handy.  However, it is really only for single subject interviews and, like the lavalier, I’m dependent on the subject’s behavior.

Wireless:

UR3 plug-on transmitter

UR5 portable diversity receiver

UR1 or UR1M bodypack transmitter

Most of the time I’m using the UR3 and the UR5 together.  The UR3 fits right at the bottom of the A89M-PG pistol grip holding the VP89M shotgun mic.  The UR5 has a shoe mount and fits our HD DV video camera and our photographer’s DSLR for when he’s shooting video.  The best practice is to turn on the UR3 with the RF off.   We do an on-site scan with the UR5 receiver to find an open frequency, then sync the transmitter and turn the transmitter’s RF on.  This is to avoid stepping on anything that the show might be using at the moment.  In the event we prefer to use lavalier mics, we’ll have a bodypack transmitter in the kit.

Monitoring:

SE earphones (interviewer’s preference)

SRH240A or SRH440

If I’m flying solo I’ll just do my monitoring from the camera with my SE425-CL earphones.  I use those most of the time.  We also have a set of SE315-K earphones in the kit in the event that we left our personal earphones at home.  Earphones are not for everybody, so if we’re going to have Paul Natkin shoot the interviews on his DSLR we know to bring some headphones.  Those are usually SRH240A or SRH440.  Those take up much more space in an audio kit than earphones though.

The goal is to be set up and ready to go inside of five minutes if need-be.  The options available in our audio kit have been honed over time, though I expect that new situations will cause further changes over time.  Right now the main concerns are finding some place with decent lighting, enough space to get a tripod set up, and an area where the artist will be comfortable.  That’s very important.  If you’re going to go for great lighting but there is no place to sit or elbow room to move it’s likely that information sought will be in shorter supply.  I try to remain empathetic and listen for a natural point to start and end the interview.  Having the tools to execute the technical side of the interview without too much effort allow for the human side to show itself.  Hopefully that’s reflected in the finished interview.

Richard

Personally, I wanted to create a video that Mr. Shure would have been proud of. I think we’ve done that, and I hope you’ll agree. Thanks for checking it out.

Nutshell: FP features portable, flexible components that are exceptionally intuitive. They’re also compatible with our SLX Wireless Systems.

Word on the show floor is that people are pretty excited about FP Wireless Systems, which will be available mid-2012. We’re thrilled to hear that the preview has been well received.

Check out our Broadcast and Media Production page for a complete overview of all our broadcast products.

Nutshell: the BRH31M, BRH440M, and BRH441M offer a nice range of options in terms of weight, ear cups, and boom positioning. They all feature a dynamic cardioid microphone that reproduces the speaker’s voice clearly and naturally. When can you get one? Mid-2012.

Check out our Broadcast and Media Production page for a complete overview of all our broadcast products.

But if you spend any time on YouTube, Hulu and other UGC sites, you’ll notice that the audio (especially when a subject is speaking) can be garbled, muddy and unintelligible.  If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that audio quality can make or break any video project. No matter how creative and professional the visual aspects of a production may be, these qualities can be completely negated by lackluster audio. According to one videographer we know, “It’s easy to fool the eye, but it’s a lot harder to fool the ear”.

Creating good audio can be a real challenge when shooting video – especially if you’re using a consumer-grade camcorder. Mics that are built into camcorders aren’t really designed for high-quality audio.  They are designed for sound sources that are very close to the camera and they tend to pick up a lot of background noise.

We like how video expert Israel Hyman puts it: “The microphone is in the wrong place. Frankly, the reason the microphone is on the camera is because it’s built for the camera operator to do the talking. If you’re a parent narrating your child’s birthday party, this is perfectly fine. It will get your voice and your child’s voice (even though it will sound distant). If you’re aiming for a more professional sounding video, you don’t want the off-camera, out-of-frame camera operator’s voice. You want the microphone on the subject”.

Adding an external mic – a handheld, lapel (or lavalier) or a shotgun mic – gives you what matters the most – the best signal-to-noise ratio.  In this Shure Notes® blog post, we’re going to give you some tips about the third type – the shotgun mic. Its extremely directional pickup pattern (called a line/gradient pattern) makes the shotgun mic popular for TV news and movie sets.

The shotgun microphone is named for the long, slotted tube in front of the microphone cartridge that makes it resemble a shotgun. This “interference tube” helps reject sounds coming from more than about 30 degrees off to the sides, while still picking up sounds from the front.  Because a shotgun mic is either mounted to a camera or a boom, it is rarely seen by the viewer.   In fact, it’s almost impossible to imagine a situation in which the mic should appear in frame (unless you’re making a video about making a video).

Advantages

Let’s talk about what shotguns mics are not: They are not telephoto lenses for sound. They do not allow you to zoom in on a conversation from 100 feet away.

Here is how Shure’s Chris Lyons explains it: “Imagine looking through a long tube at a person standing 20 feet away. The person’s image does not appear to be any larger or closer, but is somewhat easier to see, because the eye is not distracted by things happening off to either side.”

This is exactly what shotgun mics do best: they screen out sounds coming from the sides. In practice, a shotgun microphone can typically be placed at four to five times the acceptable distance for a standard omnidirectional microphone. But keep in mind that the shotgun mic will also pick up sounds coming from behind the subject.

Tips for Using Shotgun Mics

• Shotgun mics can be positioned slightly above, below, or to the side of the sound source, so that the mic doesn’t appear in the camera frame.
• Try to avoid aiming the mic at a hard surface, such as a tile floor, brick wall, or hard ceiling. These surfaces reflect sound waves, and may reflect background noise into the microphone or cause the sound to be slightly hollow. (A heavy blanket can be placed on a reflective surface to provide some temporary sound absorption.)
• Shotgun mics are more sensitive to wind noise than standard microphones, so try to avoid moving the mic rapidly and use a foam windscreen if possible.  (Larger “zeppelin” or “blimp” type windscreens are usually necessary outdoors.)
• It’s a good idea to use a rubber-isolated shock mount to control handling noise that may be transmitted through a stand or boom.
• If you’re using a boom for a scripted video, make sure your boom person has a script.  If more than one speaker is going to be miked, the boom person needs to point the shotgun at the right person at the right time, a challenge when the mic needs to remain out of frame, the sound has to be consistent and the boom may be over 20 feet long.

What to look for when buying a shotgun mic

Mics with a balanced XLR outputs signals will give you better noise and interference immunity.   Remember, too, that if you have a stereo mini-jack input on your camcorder, you’ll need to get an XLR camcorder adapter that will allow you to use professional quality microphones.

Shure offers two end-address shotgun condenser microphones.

VP89

Offers a choice or interchangeable long, medium and short capsules.  Hand-tuned and assembled in the US, offers natural off-axis rejection without coloration.

VP82

This mic is designed for camera-mounted applications.  It is extremely lightweight and has an integrated preamp.

Want more information?

 Check out the Shure educational video on Shotgun mics shown above!

Chris Lyons introduces Shure ULX-D, a breakthrough digital wireless system that incorporates a collection of technological innovations into one easy-to-use professional wireless system.

• Transparent 24-bit digital audio quality
• RF performance
• Advanced setup features, such as intelligent scanning
• The rechargeability of the Lithium Ion battery offers up to 12 hours of use on a single charge

Find out more about the ULX-D Digital Wireless.

Michael Johns introduces our first open-back headphone models: the SRH1440 and SRH1840. Designed for critical mastering, monitoring and unparalleled audiophile listening, the SRH1440 and SRH1840 deliver a unique sound signature that enables listeners to achieve and produce their best quality mix.

Shure SRH1440 Professional Open Back Headphones

Shure SRH1840 Professional Open Back Headphones

John Born introduces the A300SM Shock Mount. Recently called the “Sexiest Shock Mount Ever” (recording hacks), the sleek and stylish A300SM uses advanced materials to provide exceptional isolation and shock protection for the KSM353/ED Ribbon Microphone. Most notably, in place of the traditional elastic bands the A300SM uses wire rope.

Find out more about the A300SM and the KSM353/ED Premium Bi-directional Ribbon Microphone.

Chris Lyons introduces the new MX150 and MX153, both fully compatible with all Shure wireless systems. The discreet MX150 lavalier offers uncompromising sound quality and is available with cardioid or omnidirectional polar patterns. The MX153 provides outstanding clarity in an extremely comfortable over-the-ear design and is available in 3 colors.

MX150 Subminiature Lavalier Microphone

MX153 Earset Headworn Microphone

Previewed at last year’s NAMM show, Axient is now shipping through Axient Certified Dealers. The system features new-to-the-world technologies that drive a range of innovative wireless system capabilities. Axient constantly scans for problems, always keeping a second, clean channel available—delivering control, convenience and confidence in wireless audio transmission for mission-critical events. Capabilities include interference detection and avoidance, spectrum management, advanced power management (thanks to a rock-solid rechargeable system), frequency diversity, transmitter remote control, and Wireless Workbench 6 software.