I do video in weddings, I have a Canon XHA1 with a Rode mike. When a record in the wedding reception if they have live music, and if there are a lot of drums, like the Mexican music or live DJ with a lot of base, the sound come out very distorted in the low frequencies. My question is, what can I do to remove the low frequencies to get a decent sound in the video?. Do you recomend the Wind Muff Microphone?
2 Answers
Which Rode mic are you using?
A Wind Muff will not reduce bass distortion due to high levels of sound, only distortion due to wind.
Check if the mic has a HPF high pass filter (80 Hz). Also try using the built in pads -10 or -20, if the mic has them.
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The mike I have is the "Rode VideoMic" and yes there is a high pass filter, there is no built in pads in the mike, do you have any sugestion?– AnselmoCommented Mar 28, 2012 at 6:15
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The selection is made inside the battery compartment.– user80Commented Mar 28, 2012 at 9:44
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@Anselmo Of course you can also apply the high pass filter after recording using an audio software (e.g. Audacity) and an equalizer. Though it's a good idea to use the included filter in the mic in such situations to cut down some of the problematic frequencies already when recording. Commented Mar 28, 2012 at 10:57
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@Mviljamaa If the distortion is already on the recording then adding a high pass filter in post will not help in the slightest! Commented Mar 28, 2012 at 14:19
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OP described that "the sound come out very distorted in the low frequencies.". If the recording in itself is badly distorted and needs restoration, then get someone knowledgeable to restore it. Commented Mar 28, 2012 at 15:00
You probably have an overload problem with the original recording. My first suspect would be microphone pre-amp overload, which could be addressed by either padding down the mic, or possibly by using a high pass filter, as your problem seems to be caused by strong bass sounds. I doubt that the microphone itself is overloading--Rode makes good quality microphones that should not overload in your application, unless you stick the mic inside a kick drum, etc. (unlikely for general video pickup).
There is also the question of how you are setting and monitoring your sound levels. If you are relying on AGC built into your camera, it may not be adequate to the task of dealing with really loud levels. If you are setting sound levels manually, you have to check the metering in your camera to see what happens when loud, bass heavy music starts playing--it could just be a matter of your levels being set too high for that situation.
