Hey guys, I Was just wondering exactly how do i record a Buzz track? What equiptment do i need? Also, How do i Use it?
Thanks.
Uh, is that a trick question?
Basically a buzz track, or wildtrack, is what your [sound] editor will thank you for when cracks need to be papered over on the soundtrack.
As a general rule, record at least 60 seconds of every location's ambience - even interiors and studios.
What equipment do you need? Use whatever you use to record your sync.
For a quick primer, watch Living in Oblivion.
wouldn't an omnidirectional mic be better for wild tracks than a shotgun?
Nope, its not a trick question. Im just a Moron.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's a good point. I think it depends. Most low-budget productions only run around with one mic plus as one-man sound crew you get precious little time to record ambience, juggling microphones can take time. I've always recorded wildtrack with the same kit as the sync and it's always papered over the cracks nicely. I'd probably make the effort of using an omnidirectional in a sound design situation where I was recording ambience.Originally posted by Bnew:
wouldn't an omnidirectional mic be better for wild tracks than a shotgun?
In using a wild track, a sound editor presumably wants the track to cut seamlessly with any ambience that exists on the dialogue track. Toward that end, wouldn?t it be better to record the ambience in exactly the same manner as it was recorded when the actors were speaking (i.e. with a shotgun mic)?
Just a thought.
Omni directional mics suck, there are also some annoying things nearby like driving cars or flipping fridges. Just point the shotgunmic towards the sound that gives you the best ambience possible that you want with the least distracting sounds.
Alan Barker has some good hints when applied to documentary film making, or where the mic is mounted on the camera:
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why would anyone want this cardioid (wide pickup pattern), hissy sounding mic mounted on a camera when you could use is a hypercardioid (narrow pattern) mic with a lot of reach and flat response?
Intuitively, one would think that a longer, meaner looking hypercardioid ?shotgun? mic would do a better job. When a mic sits on top of a camera, sound sources are usually more distant than one would like. Isn?t that what hypercardioids are for? Isn?t longer better? Isn?t hyper better? Aren?t shotgun mics what professionals use? These conceptions are reinforced by audio sales people who talk about hypercardioid mics having more ?reach.?<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">For speech, the ME/64 will actually sound better. However, in a noisy environment, the hypercardioid will do a better job of picking out the sound it is pointed directly at. It does this by minimizing the high frequency components of off-axis sound. On-axis sound is crisp, off-axis sound is still there but muddy and distant. This is OK for use on a boom pole where the mic can be cued from source to source, the way ?professionals? work. But, it?s a liability when the mic is hard mounted to the camera - always pointing down the middle of the shot.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A hypercardioid with its heavy rejection (coloration is more like it) of off-axis sound must be pointed directly at a sound source for the sound to seem natural. In practice, that means the camera must follow the sound. Imagine a situation with two people talking to each other face to face. To get good sound with a hypercardioid, you will have to whip the camera from subject to subject depending on who?s speaking. An off-camera speaker will sound unnaturally distant and muffled. Forget about shooting one subject?s reactions to what the other is saying. In a documentary, it isn?t just the immediate speaker?s voice that conveys information. The environment is part of the content. When the unexpected happens, it usually happens off camera at first.
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