Jones-ing for Great Sound

A Sound Investment

Over the years, I've invested thousands of dollars in newer, better cameras and lenses, each time in an effort to create the best visual product possible and it's fair to say that much of my effort has paid off.  Still, with all that effort, the best of my images will receive a poor rating if accompanied by crappy audio.

I have seen (and heard) some amazing video recordings of performing artists go right down the flusher as soon as the volume is raised to a level louder than an opening announcements.  The artist says "Ok, Now we're going to play our hit song" and as soon as the drummer's stick hits the skin... Wham!  A very cool video instantly becomes junk.

Sometimes,  it appears as of some camera manufactures intentionally designed their cameras to make as much bad audio as possible.  Cameras with built in microphones will not only pick up all the ambience and echo a room has to offer, often, it will also catch the subtle noises created by your camera's electronics or the motor focusing the lens.  The farther you are from your subject, the more noise you'll catch and if your camera has automatic gain, which means it adjusts the volume automatically, you might get large swells of white noise if nothing else is heard.  White noise is that swushing sound your TV makes when nothing but static is on the screen.

Some of these problems can be easily eliminated.  Moving closer to your subject will not only help you achieve better audio, it will probably give you less shaky video if you are hand holding your camera.  Some cameras allow the use of external microphone that can be closer to your subject and/or allow louder sound to be recorded without distortion.  If you know in advance that you are going to record in a rock club on the lower east side, call and ask the sound man what you need to bring in the way of a wire to get a feed from the audio board.  (A $20 tip will usually enhance his response).  Also, check the internal menu in your camcorder to see if there are any audio adjustments for very loud sound.

If you often shoot your footage outdoors, there are foam and furry microphone covers that will eliminate the harsh noise of wind hitting the mic.

But what about the audio situations that you don't have control over?

Has this ever happened to you?

Your client has asked you to record the CEO of a very large corporation.  A receptionist ushers you into a beautiful conference room and after you carefully set up your camera and lights, you realize that there is no way to turn off the air conditioning that is swushing through the vents on the ceiling.  No one is around so you ask your assistant to carefully step on the cherrywood meeting table and close the vent which then begins to whistle violently.  Oh dear!

This and a host of other common noise problems such as, steam radiators, aircraft, sirens, traffic, the folks in the next office and the ever so famous,"backing up UPS truck"  can absolutely kill the best take your talent has to offer.

This is where a decent audio sound designer can save your butt.  Sometimes your audio issue can be corrected with a simple adjustment to your EQ settings, available in most non linear editing systems,  but for anything more serious a good technician with the right assortment of hardware and software can take the pressure off your shoulders, by removing the noise from those air conditioning ducts.  Armed with the knowledge that you can "fix it in post" for real, will give you the confidence you need to get through some awkward situations.

Last week, Sarah and I were in just such a situation.  As part of a promotion, Sony asked us interview Francis Kenny, a DP with over 40 features to his credit.  When we visited the potential site as the setting for an interview, it seemed like the perfect location.  The room was absolutely beautiful with glass panels and copper-clad walls.  When we emptied the room for the production, the glass and metal walls created a strong ambience.  Regardless of type of microphone I tried, every sentence had a slight bit of echo, as if we were in a cavern.  But, it was too late.  Everything was in place and we had to proceed.  The sound we recorded was Ok.  We could get by with it, but that isn't be the way we work

I remained calm, but I knew that I would be calling the fixer.

"Extraordinary art takes extraordinary effort...."

Jeff Jones is an extraordinary recording engineer, sound designer, musician and producer, who, more than once, has bailed me out of an arresting audio problem.   Jeff Jones is well known in the music industry as "Jedi" and his tweaking is taken very seriously by many of today's most popular performers and recording artists.  Jones recently received a grammy for his live recording of Dr. John, "The City That Care Forgot".  He also engineered an album with Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson.  His engineering skills are intuitive and I am honored that on more than one occasion, he has help me out.

Although he likes explaining these things to me, the Jedi's techniques are not of this world and usually way over my head and I sort of like it that way.  He has successfully removed most of the common audio problems I previously listed, as well as noises that I didn't yet realize were present.  His ears are critically sensitive and his technique superb.  The coolest thing is that Jedi really loves what he does and Sarah and I love him even more for that.

I believe he will eventually recognized as an engineer on par with the likes of Rudy Van Gelder, who ears and technical sensibility is responsible some of the most important jazz recordings of our time.

Well, bottom line I sent Jedi a sample of the audio I felt needed some attention and he sent back the same audio clip free of any unwanted noise or ambience.  Once again he began to explain the ways of the force, but I knew it was way over my head.

I truly appreciate Jedi's magic and skill.  But most of all I appreciate his friendship.

The Crazy Duck Website