Okay. At this point we have the Reporter on a mic, as well as able to hear our field Producer or Director who is also on mic (another handheld or a lavalier, whichever is handy).
We will need a boomperson to mic the general goings on in the event. Feed the Boomperson's headphones from the post-fader Aux Send of your mixer. Post-fader means that the signal passes through the main fader first, and then is send to the Aux Send. If the fader is closed, then no signal makes it up to the Aux Send. This means that the Boomperson will be able to hear the final mix, and will know what mics on the set are open at any time.
You can turn off the Aux volume for the tone generator, and maybe for some of the FX mics (if the boom mic does not cover the same sounds). If the Boom mic does cover the same sound FX as the dedicated FX mics, it is better to let the boomperson hear them so that he/she can tell if phasing is taking place. Phasing is when two mics hear the same sound, and the signals interfere with each other, causing echo and hollowness.
The boom mic will cover most of the live audio from the action, including contestant's utterances, the Referee or Judge, and general sounds. If the Reporter is in too close, the Boomperson must steer clear so as not to cause phasing. (The Producer should instruct the Reporter to move away from the action, so as to allow the Boom mic to get general audio.)
In addition to the boom's general coverage, you will want to deploy at least one dedicated sound effects mic. Lavaliers taped to table surfaces, pressure zone mics, or other sensitive mics may be good choices. We want to exaggerate the sounds of the event in order to add excitement.
For example, in the course that I teach, I had the students cover a "penny football" game played on a hard tabletop. We attached a very sensitive Audio Technica MT830R lavalier to the underside of the table, and it enhanced the sound of the coins spinning and sliding across the surface.
Note that we only have four mics in this example: Reporter, Producer, Boom, effects. Why only four? Because most small mixing panels only have four mic inputs! If you are lucky enough to have more inputs, then by all means feel free to deploy more mics!
If your mixing panel is two-track output (stereo), then resist the temptation to mix in left-right stereo. Keep the Reporter on one track, and mix the Boom and FX mics to the other track. During the final mix, the Editor can simulate left-right placement of the sound effects.
During the recording of this "penny football world championship", the students had to cover:
- Reporter introductory stand-up. "We're here live at the…" Live sound effects in the background from Boom and SFX mic.
- Reporter then interviews the Players during their warm-up. Producer prompts the Reporter with interesting factoids or probing questions to ask.
- Referee comes into frame and reviews the Rules. Begins the gameplay. Boom covers the Ref as well as the Players. Live sound effects from the SFX mics.
- During Gameplay, the Reporter comments on the play-by-play action.
- Referee calls end of period. Reporter might interview the ScoreKeeper or Audience/Fans.
- Referee comes back to begin the next period. Producer prompts Reporter to cut short the chit chat and announce that the match is about to resume.
- After the final match, more interviews with the Players, etc.
- Producer finally prompts the Reporter to wrap it up and "return it to the studio anchor."
This is a great exercise for students, and can be done without too much equipment. Have fun!
