Difference in Live and Studio Audio? Feedback
We interviewed Michael Lanier from Clarity AV Pros. We talked about what makes good audio; What’s the difference in live and Studio audio? They gave us a simple answer…Feedback. You can’t have good audio when you have feedback. What is feedback? Feedback is that annoying hissing noise does that makes your eardrums feel like they’re about to explode. Feedback is caused by a microphone picking up the same speaker that’s it’s out putting to. It makes an endless loop and results in feedback. So in short don’t put a mic near a speaker. Or you have to know how to use an audio mixing board to turn down a mic so it doesn’t pick up the speaker. Have you ever been in a concert where the singer was walking around on stage, they are ok on the right side of the stage, but when they go to the left side where the speakers are it makes trouble.
Since I never had this problem before I assumed that was just a naturally good audio technician. I quickly found out that Studio audio is not nearly as hard as live audio. With live audio you basically have one chance to get it right. With podcasting, music production, and voice overs you basically keep playing with it until it sounds right. If you ever have to shoot at a live concert you either have to bring an external Mic/sound recorder or you have to plug directly into the soundboard. You cannot use the microphone built into your camera.
The point is to practice before you actually have a paying gig doing this. I always bring a zoom h4 with me. I’ll admit I cannot run and audio board of myself, that’s why my video contracts I specifically tell my clients I’m only responsible only for video and the audio has to be ran by a sound technician. If there is feedback thur the house speakers as a videographer there is nothing I could do. A lesson to all you videographers out there remember your video is only as good as your audio. You may be an experience videographer but make sure your client realizes, you need a audio tech as well.