Thoughts About Lav Mics & Live Phase Cancellations on Film Sets, Speed Bumps Podcast E6

Welcome to the sixth episode of the Speed Bumps Podcast. This weeks question is about using lav mics and if they are something to consider. On film sets sometimes the sounds we hear coming thru our headphones sound better or worse than they are when you listen back so in this episode I'm discussing how and why this happens.
Audio notes:
I decided to try a little more processing in this episode than last week to see if I could find a happy balance between lower background noise and less artifacting. The audio was processed at 50.0% on the voice side in Clarity VX Pro which is slightly more processing than last week. What are your thoughts? I have my own opinion.
0:00 Intro
0:28 The Question
1:04 What are your thoughts about using a lav mic?
7:15 Phase cancellation on a film set.
10:17 A very long outro
Want to record this outro? Follow the below copy with your own flair and email it to [e-mail]. Must be 24 bit 48K WAV or similar to be considered. Feel free to have fun with it but don't drag it out. Include in the email how you'd like to be credited in the outro. By emailing us an outro, you are giving us the rights to use it in future episodes on this channel without compensation other than written credit in the description. Once edited into an episode that's live, it will not be taken down but at your request we will cease using it in future episodes.
Voiceover copy:
If you'd like to ask a sound related question to be answered in a future episode, send text, audio or video to [e-mail]. Want to record this outro? Details in the description below. Find us in social media and online at www.SoundSpeeds.us. Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications for more sound related content.
Outro credit:
Mike DelGaudio of Booth Junkie : www.boothjunkie.com
The background noise in this episode was processed out using Waves Clarity VX Pro.
To Buy Waves Clarity VX Pro: waves.alzt.net/QO93eM
There's also the standard edition you can try if interested:
Waves Clarity VX: waves.alzt.net/EaXNgP
Episode Recorded on Monday, July 25, 2022.
Camera: DJI Pocket 2: geni.us/DJI_Pocket2
Microphone: Oktava MK-012: geni.us/Oktava_MK012
Oktava Extension Cable: www.oktavausa.com/mics/produc...
Oktava Swivel Used: geni.us/OktavaSwivel
Recorder: Deity HDTX: geni.us/DeityHD-TX
Thank you to Aron Siegel for loaning the Oktava audio equipment.
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[@peterslegers6121]

Mike's on a mission! Next time we'll have 10 minutes of Speed Bumps as an intro and he'll go wild!

[@SoundSpeeds]

Mike is amazing and when I first heard this, I was in tears and barely able to breathe laughing so hard. This was so awesome.

[@BandrewScott]

PERFECT TIMING! This covers exactly what I have been thinking about and wanting to learn more about Lav mics.

[@BandrewScott]

YES! The outro! It happened!

[@SoundSpeeds]

Yes! You and I should talk lavs sometime.

[@uncle-english]

Allen, you look ridiculously cool with your sunglasses.

[@SoundSpeeds]

Thanks dude. I'm very much not cool though. Appearances are deceiving. :-)

[@d-sx560]

Nice explanation. 👍

[@SoundSpeeds]

Thank you. :-)

[@charlesisrecording]

great outtro!

[@SoundSpeeds]

It's probably my favorite ever

[@IMDABROWN]

👍👍👍

[@SoundSpeeds]

😎

[@Dizintegrator]

When it comes to lavs I once tried a stupid idea to prove myself that it was indeed stupid: I used a cheap 3$ lav from china with a DIY headmount, ending up with a headworn/headset lav mic. I thought it would sound bad but it turned out that unless you overload lav's capsule (which is easy to do, since it's now closer to your mouth) it sounded really good. I was able to reduce background noise being picked significantly up by lowering the gain, which I needed to be lowered anyway not to overload the mic. Sure, you look like that guy from infomercials, which you can't afford to do sometimes, but for streaming/blogging and such it's way too good for what it costs. Kinda made me question why do all those headset mics even dedicated ones sound so bad, since you can just stick a 3$ 3.5mm lav and call it a day :D I also later realized that Rode sells headmounts for their lavs so I guess the idea wasn't as "stoopid" as I initially thought.

[@SoundSpeeds]

I've never heard a cheap lav that sounded as good as a premium one. Can you tell me which $3 lav you used?

[@Dizintegrator]

@@SoundSpeeds ​ I'm not sure if it does, since the only comparisons I found are highly compressed youtube videos. And from the distance it was meant to be used, it sounds just meh. Nevertheless, the model is "original" Andoer EY-510A (they've made copycats of it... figures...). It looks like the one demoed in these videos watch?v=-HxKRbYdRZw and watch?v=XlU79l2uBqI. But it's china, so there's always a lottery with whatever components they happened to source that batch. I used to run it through UMC202HD via active XLR-to-3.5mm adapter and the sound I got from using it as a headset mic was way better than any lav I've ever used as a consumer. My bet is that everything will sound "better" when moved closer to sounds source, especially cheap lavs that tend to lack low end, which is conveniently being offset by the proximity effect. If only they could remove facemics in post 🤣

[@SoundSpeeds]

Thank you for that. I'm always curious about cheap products and how they can be made so inexpensively.

[@Dizintegrator]

@@SoundSpeeds The way I've always thought of well known expensive products is that you don't pay extra because the device itself costs more to manufacture, but rather for warranties, QC and so on. It may very well be made on the same chinese factory with the same semi-random set of components BUT the "brand" one is tested to be good enough, whilst others are thrown out. And since those defective ones are already being paid for by the manufacturer, the cost is offloaded to an end product. Same(-ish) thing with RMA/Returns. Now for me, it was a case with safety equipment (because you dont cheap out on those!) but I wager it's roughly the same with audio equipment too.

[@SoundSpeeds]

Premium parts and availability too.

[@redjrjames]

That outro.. 🤣

[@JosThoSul]

Literally what I was going to say!

[@SoundSpeeds]

Word!

[@pernauldthevisch5907]

New fan! I'm new to audio and I just need to be able to Lav 2 actors and 1 boom (ntg5) for a indie film, but the whole thing is out in the middle of nowhere in an Asian country. Everyone keeps telling me to get the rode go wireless system and upgrade the actual Lavs, but then others are telling me that it will have drop outs in heavily wooded areas. I don't want to spend thousands, but I'm willing to spend 1,000 - 1,500. Thoughts?

[@SoundSpeeds]

2.4GHz will indeed drop in wooded areas or anyplace with obstacles between TX and RX. If you buy the Go II then you can always use the recordings on the TX if you experience dropouts and that will be helpful. If you can get your hands on a Deity Connect with BP-TRX units and Duo-RX then you'll be as good as possible with 2.4GHz wireless. Either way, get a better lav and you'll be happy.

[@cannon-kid-design6248]

I've gotten good work out of the zoom F6 and a few refurbished Sennheiser G4s.

[@SoundSpeeds]

I always prefer UHF over 2.4GHz but at his price point, I don't know he could get two channels.

[@pernauldthevisch5907]

@@SoundSpeeds thank you so much for the thoughtful reply. You and your videos have been such a great asset to someone like me. The deity system looks like it will be perfect for my needs/budget. However, if I did have the budget, do you have any recommendations on a "prosumer" UHF system?

[@pernauldthevisch5907]

@@cannon-kid-design6248 I am also using a Zoom F6 so I really appreciate your input! Thanks.