"Beta Zero" wrote in ...
> (Trying to record a music band outdoors)
>
> Please give me some advice-
>
> I'm thinking of digitally recording an outdoor musical performance in
> late June 2008, and I am worried that some microphones are subject to
> failure, or at least an unusual performance of some kind, if the
> microphones - or the wire hookups - sit around baking in the sun. If
> the weather is in the mid 90s F, in the shade, and even worse in direct
> sunlight, should I take precautions like shading the microphones in the
> shade of an umbrella or parasol? Or am I worrying about something
> that's not worrying about?
Lots of microphones are used in direct sunlight in hot places.
If you are operating in harsh conditions, then use microphones
that are made for field use. For example, dynamic mics are
likely less susceptable to either tem****ary or permanent
damage from ambient heat.
> I won't have access to AC current, as I'll be running off batteries;
> that also means there isn't going to be an amplifying system, and the
> performers will just sit around strumming their strings, or banging
> their drums, or whatever. I figured that decibel alterations will be
> available to me during post production editing. (Yes, there will also
> be some cameras around, but I don't want to use their microphones as
> they may be around 30 or 40 feet away from the performers.)
You didn't mention what you are recording on/with?
> Which microphones are best for this sort of situation? I haven't
> bought them yet, and noticed that some microphones are very expensive.
> My budget is $800 for microphones alone (at about $150 apiece) but I
> would like to divvy that up between two separate recording systems,
> where each music performer has two microphones on stands, and if the
> first system fails, the second system is bound to pick something up.
The old standby Shure SM57 & 58 will likely take the heat and
they are cheap enough to have 100% backup on your budget.
> So that made me wonder about something I've read about - 'balanced'
> audio lines. I understand that there are 3 wires inside a typical
> balanced line, two of them are for audio, and a third wire between them
> is a ground.
Actually, there are two wires inside (usually twisted together)
with a ****eld (braided wire and/or aluminum foil) around the
outside as the ****eld/screen.
> Does anybody actually strip the insulation off those
> things so the grounding wire can be grounded better,
No. If you need access to the ground/****eld, it is available
anywhere there is a connector on either end. Stripping the
insulation permanently ruins the cable.
> say, with 8 feet of a copper rod pounded into the ground?
> Or is that something nobody does?
If you really need to ground the system, it is typically done by
going to the equipment that the cable plugs into, and connecting
its chassis to ground. But if you are shooting with battery-
operated equipment in a place without grid power, you likely
won't need to ground anything. Unless you are in the shadow of
some broadcast transmitter or something. (In which case there
would be power! :-)
Note that there is annother newsgroup where field recording
on battery power and with cameras is the "normal" setup.
news:rec.arts.movies.production.sound I'd bet that there are
some people there who have worked in extreme temperatures.
If you ask you question there, suggest a little more technical
details (like what you are recording on, etc.)
Remember that there are outdoor summer music performances
all over the planet, many without shade and melting mics is not
something one hears much about.
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