I am trying to record those for my short film, as long as all the quiet sounds left. However footsteps are tough, because they are quiet to the point where the recorder is not picking them up. I have the FR2LE and was recording with the AT4053b mic, and I also have the NTG-3. I turned up the trim and gain all the way, and they are still barely picking up where the levels are reaching at least 12. What am I doing wrong?
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Question about recording foot steps.
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Where is your mic positioned? If you're doing Foley, no cameras are rolling so you can stick that bad boy right by their feet!
Yep this is post work, and I am putting the mic as close as I can get it, but it's not loud enough still. If I take a louder step, it sounds like too loud, like it was deliberate and not natural.
Foley is an art form that takes a long time to learn to do passably, more time to do well, and even longer to master. Both mics should be sensitive enough to pick up quiet sounds. What you should actually be doing is recording directly into your DAW through the audio interface hooked up to your computer while watching the visuals.
One thing to keep in mind is that you can make things a little bigger (sometimes a lot bigger) than you think they should be; they fall back into perspective in the mix. It takes some time and experimentation - as well as a large prop collection. You may also have to work on your footstep technique. Try stepping on the outside of your heal and finishing on your big toe, or stepping on the inside of your heel and finishing on your pinky toe; this way you can give the sounds a little more definition.
And you don't have to use the exact prop that you see on screen. Just because you see sneakers doesn't mean you have to use sneakers; maybe rubber-soled shoes are the right sound. Make a trip to the local Salvation Army Store (or whatever you have locally) and pick up some footwear. It's not usually very expensive, $4 or $5 a pair.
BTW, for very quiet sounds I tend to use a large diaphragm mic; they're a lot more sensitive. I'm also using a dedicated pre-amp.
One thing to keep in mind is that you can make things a little bigger (sometimes a lot bigger) than you think they should be; they fall back into perspective in the mix. It takes some time and experimentation - as well as a large prop collection. You may also have to work on your footstep technique. Try stepping on the outside of your heal and finishing on your big toe, or stepping on the inside of your heel and finishing on your pinky toe; this way you can give the sounds a little more definition.
And you don't have to use the exact prop that you see on screen. Just because you see sneakers doesn't mean you have to use sneakers; maybe rubber-soled shoes are the right sound. Make a trip to the local Salvation Army Store (or whatever you have locally) and pick up some footwear. It's not usually very expensive, $4 or $5 a pair.
BTW, for very quiet sounds I tend to use a large diaphragm mic; they're a lot more sensitive. I'm also using a dedicated pre-amp.
Okay thanks. I have tried recording to the computer, especially when doing ADR, since the actors prefer to watch themselves in the scene as they do it. However the computer console itself, makes noises that the mic picks up. How do you people avoid that? Every tutorial says to record it to the computer, yet they do not say how do block out the computer sounds. Even though it's a quiet sound as well, like the footsteps, it still records enough to be heard in the background.
In a proper Foley facility the computer, mic pres, etc., are in the control room and the Foley is performed on a separate Foley stage. You need to find a way to isolate the computer sounds, maybe some moving blankets or whatever. If you're using a laptop this is going to be problematical. What you really need a separate video monitor in a separate room, or at least a good distance from your computer, in which case you will still need to isolate the computer sonically.