Is my shock mount might be defective?

H

harmonica44

In some audio I recorded, sometimes there is a low thumping sound. The kind of sound a mic records, if it's moved. I thought a shock mount was suppose to prevent it, but her perhaps it's not working right? I'm guessing that if not, maybe the elastics are too tight, or what else could be causing that type of noise?

Also is there any way I can reduce the thumping sound in post with plugs in and what not, especially if it's not even as loud? Thanks.
 
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If you don't have the proper technique of course it will make noise. Starting and stopping quickly will make it bounce around and hit the hard parts of the mount. If you don't have enough slack you will transmit thumps to the mic itself. If you don't have the proper wind protection quick movements will create a brief wind that will be picked up as well.

It is also quite possible that there are sounds you don't hear on the set that are being picked up by the mic. Mics "hear" very differently than your ears do. You are constantly monitoring the sound, right?
 
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Yep constantly monitoring. When I do it there is no thumping I have come across yet. But when I am acting in the scene, I have to get someone else to boom me, and that's when it has been happening. I guess I can tell the actors that I prefer to boom as much as possible, and ask them to pretend to be looking at my character as if he were there, when the act, and I will boom them. Doing as much of the booming when I can, instead of being where the actors are suppose to be looking might insult the boom operator though. I will try to listen carefully to see if I can hear anything in the room that could be causing it, next shoot. And if it's something they are doing, I can tell them, if I figure out what it is. When you say stopping and starting too quick, what do you mean? Thanks.
 
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are you having them concentrate on one actor at a time when someone else is booming? In a closeup, the only audio you should be gathering is that actor's audio... and booming is like a dance, or a martial art form... it takes control and delicate movement. The shock mount is meant to deal with sounds like the boom ops super soft gloves moving on the boom... tiniest of things. I always try to make sure that movements in the boom are part of the dialog, I only initiate and stop movements between lines... that way, I can cut out the thumps in post.

As we've discussed in other threads, use what you've collected... see if you can use a low cut filter to deal with some of that and move on. Done is better than right at this stage.
 
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" I only initiate and stop movements between lines"

Good one, we should also make a universal axiom that generally you don't want to do anything "on a line". You don't want actors moving on a line, you don't want any foley ("put down the coffee cup BEFORE you deliver the line") on a line, etc... That is unless you want your post people (editor, post sound) to hate you and wish for your speedy death.
 
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Okay thanks. I will try to get the boom holders to keep it absolutely still next time. And yes I only have them concentrate on one actor at a time. It's hard to see exactly what they are doing when I am acting cause I have to look at the other actors and perform, and I don't see exactly what's happening with the boom. Sometimes it may move a little, but I have to keep going with the takes, and not let myself be distracted while performing.
 
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If your actors are seated while talking, use a mic stand with it's own boom arm. Your shockmount will screw on the end and you can position it close to the actor. Look in the music/instrument classified ads on craigslist, bet you can find one for $10 or $15 used and a little rusty.

We used a a big boom lightstand and just replaced it's boom arm with our audio boom pole at a shoot last weekend. We were a two man crew, and while the other guy ran camera I wanted to focus more on what the talent was saying (interview style shoot) and less about audio. Worked fantastic.

Only for still actors though, if they move around then no-go.
 
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I thought of that, but what if the actor turns his or her head, or leans back? Then the mic will not be pointed as directly at him. So could that sound a little muffled at least then? But I guess if I got no good boom person for the day, what can I do. I will also need a mic stand with a long enough arm, so it will not be in the wider shots or interfere with the shadows.
 
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