Freesound Forums

As I know that it's one of the most popular sound on Internet, I'd like to record gunshots but...

I have a Tascam HDP2, two electrostatic mics I am ashamed of (Sontronics, I didn't save enough money...), but I don't know how to do to record such big sounds without saturation or too low level...

The Tascam has a limiter, but it "pumps" the sound after the saturation.

Same problem with fireworks : how to record the explosions and the reactions of the public ?

Sounds silly, isn't it ?

If anybody had an idea on how to do it...

Since you're recording loud sounds - try switching the PAD to -20db

Next try it with the limiter off.

If that doesn't work, and you're unable to overide the automatic gain adjustment.

I suggest you find a mixer and go through the LINE IN RCA plugs.

If you don't have a mixer, try another recording device that doesn't have autogain... and loop it through to the LINE IN RCA plugs.

Not sure what else to suggest.

good luck

freq

Thank you for your tips, but I'm not sure it would solve the problem...

My explanations were poor...

Take fireworks : you want the explosions as well as the reactions of the public around (like I did on NYC fireworks, which I posted here, and wich I recorded with a simple MD). My point is : how to avoid this "pumping" of the sound after the limiter of the Tascam HDP2 goes off ? I don't want to have silent just after an explosion and before the cheerngs of the croud !

I know a compressor would do the trick but... they rarely come handheld...

Thanks again for your patience, english is not my mother language, and I know I must sound retarded ... :wink:

Ok.

Pardon me for the misunderstanding.

I still can't think of an easy solution.
I don't think one pair of microphones, or one recording can do what you want.

Perhaps someone else will.

I would either combine two recordings - one of the fireworks and another of the crowd - close up.

Or I'd set up four micophones and mix it (bring up the crowd at key moments).

-freq

I think our user Sonic could help you with this... Sonic, over here!

- bram

Hey guys, actually recording live weapons is easier then you think. I did a big session last summer and although it would take me all day to write a tutorial, I do have an 18 min video of the shoot on my site at www.sonicvalley.com

To simplify tho I didn't use any compression on site as I didn't want to make any dynamic committments, kept the faders at unity and simple tweaked the mic pre's. There's plenty of details in the video so if you check it out and have any questions let me know. In the end it's all about mic choice, placement and good mic pre's.

Wow, this is a great video, Sonic ! Thanks for the job !

I have some questions about this... well, this shot :

- So, you used only dynamics microphones, such as an SM57? Which pre-amplifiers ?
- You had three microphones, one near the gun, one taking ambience, and one at the target : how did you mix that ?
- Silly case of translation problem : what is "to tweak" ? :?

Thanks again for the job, I hope I'll be able to do it myself (and share it here)!

Hey dude, glad ya liked it. It's a bit drawn out and cheesy when I look back on it now but meh..

I used a 57 close to the shooter and Marshal MXL2001 large diaphram condensors for the ambiance and target mics. The mic pres were via the Allen and Heath Mixer in the tent.

For mixing i had to realign all the tracks as there's a time delay between all the mics and just mixed a few with low ambiance and some with alot for big reverb tails.

And tweaking means giving a slight adjustment to something.

Hope that helps. Cheers.