Microphones for Car Audio Recording

[dkabab]

Hi guys, I'm new here and don't worry, I've done plenty of searching for what I'm looking for and haven't really found what I'm looking for.

Im lucky enough to work with some very nice cars, ferrari's, lamborghini's etc… now normally I'm a photographer but I'm enjoying doing some video work as well. One thing i don't know much about is audio. So I'm hoping some knowledgable people on here can help me out.

In my research I've discovered 1 mic positioned near the exhaust isn't going to capture the large range of sound many cars make.
unfortunately i have no idea how to read microphones… i don't know what suits what.

I have played around with a friends 458 italia and below is the link to the video. this was purely testing hence the video is average…

anyway it was a test to see what i could get. I used an SM57 and a Zoom H4N. I had the mic attached to a suction cup on the bumper and ran the cable into the cabin where i monitored the audio. What i found was…. It was freakin loud!!! the mic was probably 40cm from the exhaust tips. I had to drop the h4n's input down to 6/100. I'm not sure i was doing the right thing there or not.

anyway, I've come up with an idea of mounting 2 shotgun mics out riggered to the back of the car. as per the picture below.
any thoughts on this idea? possible negative results? good idea maybe?



i don't know what mics to use in this situation. I don't have an endless budget but I'm happy to spend some money on good equipment.

My plan was to also have a mic mounted inside the engine bay, however this means potentially being exposed to extreme heat.

Im open to any suggestions.

it won't let me post the link to youtube for the video - but if anyone wants to see it, pm me and i'll send it that way

 

[citizen77]

I think there would be too much wind noise with the mics outs side like that, even with a windscreen. But maybe if it was positioned right the airflow around the car would miss the mic. Is it possible to put it under or inside the rear bumper area with a shockmount? I would put a mic in the cabin to pick up sound - you would get the clutch and shifting sounds. I would probably go with omni's so there isn't too much bass exaggeration inside the engine compartment and if possible a mic with a 20dB pad... or more. As for what kind... I would get a less expensive option just in case something happens you'd regret. Maybe an MXL, CAD or Nady? But if you are going to be running all these mics, you're going to want to mix this in post. If you got a laptop with a bus/firewire powered interface (like a used motu traveller) you can multitrack record and edit later. That's just an option. I remember a car or gocart engine was recorded with a Maudio microtrack in one of their promo vids - it sounded decent if I remember correctly. It did prompt me to buy one myself. Maybe you could get a used one or two and stick them in the engine and outside. Then dump the tracks into your DAW for mixing. If one broke, you wouldn't be out too much money.

 

[Bobbsy]

Well, it depends on what you want.

Besides the possible problem with wind noise, the other issue that with mics mounted that way (or in the engine compartment) you'd just be getting the sound of the exhaust or the sound under the hood and not the lovely mixture of sounds that supercars give.

More normal would be to do a series of drive-bys recorded in stereo and a bit of interior noise from the driver's point of view. This would be much more the supercar sound that people are used to rather than a close up of just the exhaust, a close up of just the engine and so on. If you can find a track or a road with a long bend, you can make the drive by last a reasonable time.

If you want a more continuous sound, I have played with riding in the back of a pick up with a directional mic. You have to be very careful of wind noise and also pick up from the non supercar. However, with some playing, it can work.

What mic? Well, by choice I'd go for a single M-S stereo mic, my personal favourite being the Sennheiser MKH 418S--a wonder location mic but quite pricey depending on your budget. I know there are cheaper ones by Superlux and, I think, Rode but I don't have personal experience with these. The other mic I know is the Shure VP88 but this is more suitable for indoor stuff.

Have fun...if you happen to be driving your supercars anywhere near Brisbane, I'd love to help!