Hi All

I have been asked to video a conference. As I have no previous experience with this type of event I am seeking some advice with the audio side .

Do I need
a) wired or wireless
b) type(s) of microphones (lapel,headset or mic on stand.

I had thought of mixing into a small field mixer similar to the Behringer MX400 mixer . I think this is mono out but has 4 channels in and looks ideal to then take directly into the camera.

There may be questions from the audience. How could I cover that?

Thanks for any help.

Ash

Ash,
actually audio is more important than video. And what you need to setup depends on the ambitions/expectations of the organizers. You can use one handheld mike for a small Conference, even connected via USB, and mix in vMix. But that is a very limited solution.

Could you describe the Conference a Little bit more? Number of simultaneous presenters on stage, will they be standing still, or move around. Will there be video material presented on stage (eg with audio). How many people in the audience?

Wired mikes, as ceejay7777 suggests, typically needs phantom power, which the MX400 does not have.

I am not a sound engineer, merely a happy live video producer ;)

Generally at Conferences and large meetings we prefer to hire professional AV firms who manage the audio, and then we simply tap their mixer into our production. Just adding a mixer in between to be able to make minor adjustments if necessary.

Many Conference venues have pre installed audio Equipment, often with an automated sound mixer. The challenge then is to make sure that it is possible to tap audio out from that mixer. In some rare cases we have as a last resort simply put a mike in front of one of the rooms loudspeakers.

For the gig you describe Ash I would go for one wireless head/ear mike (for the presenter) and one wireless hand mike (for audience questions and as a spare). Because wireless receivers are at line level, they can be plugged into the MX400. Since the audio out from that mixer is mono, you need to split that mono into two channels before it goes into vMix (otherwise you will only get left or right). As you wrote you can go via the camera (given that it has line level audio input), or into the PC via the line in jack, or USB (eg if the mixer has that).

Judging from the looks of the MX400 (never used one), it might be a Little bit tricky to quickly adjust the levels. A small 4 to 8 channel mixer (eg Behringer or Mackie) are quite cheap and well Worth the Money.

We tend to avoid lapel mikes, as they pick up more ambient sound than head mikes. If you use lapel mikes, Place them at the chest's center in order to keep the level relatively stable when the presenter is moving hers/his head left and right.

If possible set up loudspeakers for PA (Public Audio). Not necessary for small audiences, but very useful for the presenter/questioneer as a feedback (otherwise they have no clue if their mike is working).

Read vMix help file carefully about the audio part.

Start small, experiment, and grow!

Good luck.