Headliner Magazine meets production sound mixer Michael Clark.
"Michael Clark started making mix tapes from the airwaves as a kid, which led to him editing 1/4-inch tape at his college radio station to cut swear words, and eventually to the Full Sail, where he was able to fully immerse himself into the recording world. During his studies, he had a switch in passion from music recording to film post production, and it’s worked out pretty well for him since. Today, he is one of the top production sound mixers in the business, with credits such as The Walking Dead, and the uber-popular Netflix series, Stranger Things, to his name. We chat to the man behind the mics to find out more."
That's how Headliner opens the article and sets the foundation for delving into the details of working as a production sound mixer, which also involves capturing the sound on the film sets. A key part of Michael Clark's recording kit are our miniature microphones and he has found that certain models are particularly good for e.g. female or male voices, or to be used while buried under costumes:
“My kit consists of DPA models 4060, 4061, 4061 Core, 4071, 4098, and 4080; each microphone has its own characteristics, and I use each dependent to the voice and/or action of the actor. I will use the 4060 on soft talking actors, as the microphone has a higher sensitivity than the other models, and picks up these lower volume voices without adding Tx noise floors into the signal.
When we bury the microphones under costumes, we are changing the sonic footprint of our actors’ voices; I find that for men, most sound best on the 4071 when buried under costumes, and I usually get away with using 4061s on female actors when buried, as their vocal signature tends to have higher frequencies that cut through the costumes well.
I enjoy using the 4061/4071 and Core series for most of our work, as we tend to have dynamic dialogue, and these DPA microphones handle way higher SPLs than what I used prior. These are great additions to this style of TV production. I use the 4098/4080s strictly as plant mics in vehicles; they are compact, and attach directly to the Txs as quick plant tools, and are great tools for small spaces."
Please read the full article here...