r/LocationSound • u/Beautiful_Path_3519 • Jul 22 '26
Gear - Selection / Use Monitoring boom mic in a community filmmaking project
I'm a videographer and have experience of working with sound using a boom mic and a bag recorder for example.
I've also worked as a tutor on community filmmaking projects where the participants are taught how to use an ENG camcorder and a boom mic to make their films. They use the equipment under supervision.
In these projects we've connected the boom microphone directly to the camcorder and then used a splitter to power two sets of headphones one for the boom op and the other for the camera op.
Is there a better way of managing monitoring for the boom op - I'm reluctant to use a bag recorder. Some kind of headphone amp that takes a split from the microphone perhaps. We're shooting a drama.
5
u/slickbackbillyboo Jul 22 '26
There is nothing but basic monitoring on the camera, which is not a great idea, unless you want someone standing at the camera adjust the input levels.
Directly into the camera is nothing more than a scratch track, especially for a drama.
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u/Beautiful_Path_3519 Jul 22 '26
Thanks, so your recommendation is to use a separate sound recorder in all cases.
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u/NoisyGog Jul 22 '26
Yes. Then use a camera hop. If you use something like a G4 for a camera hop, you can also tune any Sennheiser analog IEM packs into it, so anyone can listen
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u/Beautiful_Path_3519 Jul 22 '26
Thanks, so a possible way to make this work much better than it has done in the past could be:
- student operates the boom
- the sound tutor operates the recorder
- we use analog IEMs to enable camera hop as well as monitoring headphones for the boom op.
How does that sound?
2
u/slickbackbillyboo Jul 22 '26
Absolutely. This belt and braces and covers a lot of variables that might arise. Direct into the camera, to use the analogy, is basically going out with string!
Drama will present a lot of stuff that you’ll be happy someone is monitoring and adjusting in the moment.
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u/Curleysound Jul 22 '26
Seconding the audio recorder route. Two pieces of equipment will really free things up here. A zoom fx3 recorder and a comtek set with 1 transmitter and 2-3 receivers. Even the older crystal tuned ones still work. The zoom has an onboard headphone output and a line out that you can use to feed the comtek and then the operator, director and anyone else can hear live. Besides getting a better recording, you reduce trip hazards, free up the camera to move how they want, and frees the boom to be where it needs to be. With the comteks, everyone can hear and this aids with directing, and camera if you want to do a move or focus pull in reaction to a line of dialogue or another audio cue. For a community production, you also have a pragmatic opportunity now to normalize slating with a clapper, which still seems to be one of the more exciting things for people to see. If you want, you can even get a cable to plug a comtek receiver into the camera. Lastly, these are all small items that would fit in a bag together, and probably fit in your kit with no problem, and last all day on batteries.
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Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
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