How to Mic a Car | Recording Audio in Car Scenes

On this episode of Sound 101, Mike joins Andrew from Deity to show us how to recreate the audio recorded in the film Se7en by mic'ing up a car. How to mic a car depends on many factors like blocking, the type of microphones you have at your disposal and much more but recording audio in car scenes is a very important skill for a sound mixer to have. There are a lot of challenges but with these tips, you can become a pro in no time.
What do you want to see next on Sound 101? Let us know in the comments below!
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Summary:
Deity Microphones produces weekly digital web content to help filmmakers and sound mixers grow in their education. Deity Microphones shares this free web series in hopes that the next generation of filmmakers grows in their video production quality and changes the world.
Deity Microphones produces free educational web content to help filmmakers, vloggers, sound mixers and sound designers grow as creatives and take their production quality (be it independent, TV, or studio) to the next level. Deity Microphones believes that budget should never be a constraint to creativity.

[@DeityMicrophones]

What would you like to see next on Sound 101?

[@CarsSimplified]

Perhaps the opposite of what was done here; positioning the microphone(s) for the best capture of engine sounds, for when the car itself is the focus of a shot.

[@TERUMI7]

Hi! Andrew I've got the variety show project from my client. I need a 8ch wireless system. And I can't use a Sound cart system at the venue. So I'm planning that using deity dual wireless system 4ch + Sony UWP D21(900Mhz) 4ch. So I want to know, If I got the Deity dual wireless kit more. can it operate 8ch or more? And If you have knowhow for vireity show filming. I would like to see it in next sound 101.Thank you!

[@philpike6177]

@@TERUMI7 No it can't - you can only use four channels (two Deity Connect Receivers) together, and you need to use the included USB-C connectors to connect them together. This is because the Deity Connect system hops frequencies to give the best signal, and they can only coordinate the hopping of 4 channels at once. Your idea to use four channels of Deity and four channels of Sony works, however.

[@TERUMI7]

@@philpike6177 thank you for information!

[@bradleybowersox9134]

Hey Andrew, I would love to see a video on the basics of setting limiters. With all the 32-bit float recording it's starting to not be taught as much and there doesn't seem to be a condensed video of the standard settings and tolerances for everyday scenarios. Love the series! Reply

[@luisa9628]

These mounting tips were great, thanks!

[@fabio.dainese]

Great video as always 🎉 It would be interesting to see a video on how to properly record loud sounds (car chasing, gun fight, ...) together with the actors' speeches!

[@enottingham]

Damn! Deity is awesome! Thank you for your valuable content!

[@patfranz17]

I love these vids so much, so helpful!

[@busyak]

Thanks! This is fantastic.

[@MrBaptista]

Cool tips. Thanks

[@CarsSimplified]

Great stuff! I'll definitely experiment with some of this!

[@MauriceMercado]

Wow....very cool, I record a podcast in the car these tips were great!

[@chrisweber7460]

To put the lavalier microphone on the roof is a good tip! Thanks for the video.

[@ВолодимирБілий]

Nice scene!!!

[@gregwhitten6070]

I remember this one time I filming a car skit for a summer camp I worked at. I mic'd the car by by simply putting a shotgun mic in the center console facing upwards to capture audio from the people talking in the front seat. The quality was abysmal. I ended up using the audio from the go pro we had mounted to the front windshield, because it sounded better. The audio was a complete disaster. I wish I had this video back then, very informative!

[@flapdance]

I must say the lavelier sounded the best. Perhaps the S-Mic 2S picks up more base of the human voice.

[@flapdance]

I needed this.

[@brandonboomizad738]

Great video, can you discuss what it’s like on a reality TV set. What techniques boom operators use to grab all kinds of impromptu lines, do you rely heavy on lavaliers and plant mics....etc.

[@yashiel]

What an important topic; yesterday night, I thought about how action-heavy car scenes sound so good and how they record the audio perfectly. Today deity published this video, like knocking on my dream door. Hahaha. thank you deity

[@Henchproductions]

With heavy car action scenes, we'll end up using lavs and ADR

[@DiabolicalWitness]

This was a very good video - I took notes. Thank you.

[@DeityMicrophones]

thanks for watching :)

[@speedshopnetwork]

Used a D3 Pro on a Dinkum arm between the seats. And a W Lav Pro over each visor on the feature that I worked on last year.

[@ErisedMediaCo]

I’d like to see you guys mic up a 3-way sitting conversation in a living room. Two people together on a sofa talking to a 3rd person sitting in an arm chair diagonal to them (like in a typical living room). It’d great to see how to keep mics out of shot on the wide but then have the audio match up for the close up’s.

[@Henchproductions]

You'd use lavs

[@vincentreignier]

Thanks for sharing those marvelous tips ! What kind of suction cup did you use ? Is it a customized suction cup for phone ?

[@GR7Media]

mike mic'ing up cars 😳

[@billmakesmovies]

Mix master Mike on the ones and twos!

[@ChrisEllinas]

Would love to see a similar video of an action scene, how do you hide and follow an actor running? Or also how to set up for a fighting scene? 🙂

[@aaronaustin7760]

Good demonstration. Regarding the "open window" scenario, would this be a good time to lav the talent?

[@DavidGriffin]

Sounds 101 idea: how would you mic up a film that occurs in a small echo-prone bathroom.

[@Henchproductions]

Lav mics. Boom will always have too much reverb on it.

[@Henchproductions]

You can spend all that time getting this mics in place. But reality is, wire everyone up with lav mics, as that's what we'll end up using in the final mix anyway. I'm a re-recording mixer by trade. I just finished mixing "Tulsa King" and will be starting the new season of Fabius and final season of Mayans next month.

[@thekentcreative]

This is me playing dumb here, but why this setup versus just laving all of the talent? Or would you do both ideally?

[@storybabble]

I 9:37 learned a few things. Thanks. Good job.

[@hoodflicks3390]

im going to try some of this on my next car shoot.

[@beuhrail603]

what mic should I use for recording a train engine sound?

[@jonytep]

What are things actors should know/be aware of regarding sound when on set or differences you notice between vetern and newer actors with respect to sound?

[@ChrisEllinas]

What if you want to shoot in an open location with a lot of wind, how can you maximize for the best quality?

[@MR-AK]

How do you remove the sound from the road

[@taticantalejo759]

Not convinced at all about the supercardiod sound. Sounds like a bathroom to me, but the lavalier in the middle of the car sounds really good. Would love to test it.

[@mar7838]

I would love to see an episode about "rules" for boom ops on how to avoid shadows on actors and the background when there is light coming from multiple directions. And where to stand on a crowded set.

[@DeityMicrophones]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6WweWqGqbSir6M&ab_channel=DeityMicrophones

[@laserfliptoboneless]

Are you guys gonna make a Tentacle Sync Track E equivalent.

[@deepsea313]

I wish I saw this a few weeks ago before my shoot! Lol😂

[@SirSeabass]

i was cast in a low-budget film a few years ago, I was in the back seat white the characters interrogated me. Anyway, the director and the audio guy say in the bed of the truck ducked down, while we drove in circles. It was SOOO cold. I felt so bad.

[@hoodaffairstv]

that W.lav Pro 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@TransplantHelper]

Can the D3 pro be attached via USBc directly to a computer and used for a usb mic???

[@DeityMicrophones]

No. But the brand new V-Mic D4 can and offers the same ergonomics and a lot of the same features as the V-Mic D3 Pro shop.aputure.com/products/v-mic-d4

[@TransplantHelper]

@@DeityMicrophones thank you. I’ll check it out.

[@QuestionMan]

Location sound works in mysterious ways.

[@brianpeterson4046]

Please post a link for S-Mic 2S shock mount

[@DeityMicrophones]

We can... tomorrow ;-)

[@ScottyHunter]

Ridiculously late here, but do you happen to have any mic'ing tips when the talent is on horseback. You surely can't be using suction cups or Dinkum mounts in this situation, and I'd assume the trot or gallop of the horse must screw up Lav sound because of the vibtations. Would an FM Transmitter be used here? What about when audio is being recorded (such as on horseback) but camera needs to be keeping up with that horse by using ATVs and motorbikes or smaller non-standard motorized vehicles? How in the hell do you keep the sound of THAT out of the recording of talent dialogue on the horse?!

[@kevinremy]

Video idea. How to record for a very long take, like Birdman.

[@jordankendall86]

If you are going cover a product, put a link to the product in the description.

[@TERUMI7]

Hi It's so urgent situation. Now I'm in production field. I'm using BP TRX. It was suddenly freezed for 12 hours from today morning at my work. IT totally does not work. It'can not turn off and rebooting I CAN SEE ONLY Please wait... from LCD screen of BP TRX. I called to AVX Korea to get solution to fix this problem. But they did not offer RIFGHT solutin for me. They also say to me . Just wAit. WHAT can I do?????????

[@DeityMicrophones]

You can press and hold the power button for 15 seconds. You'll need to repair the wav file using this software. www.videotoolshed.com/other/wavefix/ Further more, stop using San Disk. We have been telling people never use those cares for 2yrs now.

[@TERUMI7]

@@DeityMicrophones thank you!!! Now Things is going well!!!

[@TERUMI7]

@@DeityMicrophones and I want to suggest to you guys. When I 4ch wireless with Duo RX. I know that those receivers are connected each other with C cable. But sometimes It falloff during I recording. If C cable has a locking volt I think It would be great.

[@xorxeli]

In case of movie, all sounds are recorded separately :)

[@TheMinistryFilmworksEST2018]

I would love to see how you tackle mic-ing an actor wearing football gear. See what I did there?

[@TheBroadcastEngineer]

NFL uses lavs on the outside of the pads under the jerseys. That’s how they get the snap call and initial hits for TV.

[@TheMinistryFilmworksEST2018]

@@TheBroadcastEngineer I'm talking about on a film set.

[@Lio6180]

Im not convinced by the signal to noise ratio. The microphones are way too far, specialy on the front passenger position. It would have been nice to listen to it with the car moving.

[@Henchproductions]

Scenes like this we'll usually end up using the lavs in the final mix

[@Henchproductions]

Scenes like this we'll usually end up using the lavs in the final mix

[@kyleranney]

Thanks for showing the process trailer. Talent should not be delivering lines and also driving. Super dangerous and very different from Docu/tv work.