[QuadG5Man]

Hi guys, hoping someone will be kind to help me out with this:

I've been asked to record a panel of eight people on video, which is many more folks than I've ever had to mic before. I'm used to video taping a bride and groom with mics on, fed into a video camera with two XLR inputs. I've never recorded more than two, and eight is daunting.

I do NOT want to do any post production and mixing, I want all eight mics fed into the video camera though a mixer of some sort (that can provide individual level adjustment as well) when it is recording, so it can go straight to web.

I've gone to B&H and gone over a lot of different recording machines, but am at a loss on what I would need to do this effectively. If anyone could point me in the right direction I'd be grateful. Thank you.

~qG5m

[Spheric Harlot]

A mixer with eight mic inputs, mixed straight to stereo and recorded via the camera's stereo XLR, just like before.

The trick is keeping levels in check.

In all honesty, for eight people, you're better off hiring a sound guy to take care of the mix for you - keeping eight non-professional speakers in check will require compression and attention.

Ideally, you'd record eight tracks and mix in post.

[ghporter]

Yep, 8 channel mixer feeding a single stereo line to the camera is the only practical way to go. And I agree about mixing in post as the optimum process. Your 8 panel members will almost certainly not maintain consistent vocal volumes, and even if you use lapel mics on all of them you'll still have variations in level that will be a pain to manage. At the very least having someone managing the mix on the fly would be helpful to keep those variations from becoming too much of a challenge.

Procedurally, make sure your panel members know how to use the mics you provide. I can't tell you how many supposedly intelligent people I've mic'd that thought they had to practically swallow the podium mic or talk into the lapel mic. Which of course screws up all your pre-set levels...

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Procedurally, make sure your panel members know how to use the mics you provide.

Forget that.

Just…forget it.

If they're not professional performers, you're ALWAYS going to have to ride the levels. You can count yourself lucky if they don't smack the lapel mic with their hand, or remember not to wrap that scarf around their neck.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

Forget that.

Just…forget it.

If they're not professional performers, you're ALWAYS going to have to ride the levels. You can count yourself lucky if they don't smack the lapel mic with their hand, or remember not to wrap that scarf around their neck.

A guy can dream, can't he? But you're right. If you can get them to just forget about the mics, you're doing really well.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

At the very least having someone managing the mix on the fly would be helpful to keep those variations from becoming too much of a challenge.

No go. The ride will only occur when the engineer has heard the level change, at which point the damage is already done.

If it's not live, then mix in post.

If it's live, then:
8 mics. ->
8 noise gates. ->
8 compressors. ->
8 -> 2 mixer with mic preamps and insert points.

Only way. Expensive for a one-off job. I'm guessing $2k minimum, even with crappy used gear.

[Phileas]

Really expensive and a pain in the proverbial. I know you've said you don't want to do post, but to get a decent result you'll have to.

Doofy, Spheric, how about this: Boom two omnidirectionals above the panel, pick them up that way?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

Doofy, Spheric, how about this: Boom two omnidirectionals above the panel, pick them up that way?

It'd be a crap shoot as to whether it worked well or not. Depends on how the peeps are seated, if there's an audience, what the room acoustics are like, etc.. It can be done, but it's not guaranteed to give good results unless the whole event can be dry run first while positioning the mics (a "sound check", so to speak). Might get lucky or it might be a nightmare.