Rallycameraman turns RallyING cameraman

[EthanDean57 0]

Happy for you mate! Go live the dream. Don't cut.

[Porkhammer 78]

Some inspiration for you sir!                                

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsxJOXW-3BY

[Darhour 3]

If in doubt of going flat out, get back to filming rally footage. :)

Best of luck, chap! All the details you provided us with makes your preparation for rallying quite promising. At least I am glad to see a DR's commom player doing rallying in real life. :)

Porkhammer's reminder is a nostalgic inspiration for you to be at an oustanding level.

[Rallycameraman 241]

Hello all, no real updates for you all yet. I have my BARS test (rally licence) on 26th March so once that's completed that'll be another hurdle completed.

This weekend I hope to work on the car. Will be fitting the new rear suspension and an oil cooler, hopefully fix a small issue with the Gearbox too.

Once a few of the small jobs are completed I will look to finally get some graphics/livery on the car, and then I will announce my co-driver, it's someone who I think some of  you should know :)

[Dytut 89]

You're not getting @KickUp as co-driver, are you? :-D

[KevM 44]

Dytut said:

You're not getting @KickUp as co-driver, are you? :-D

Would you want him??  "I think the rear right's gone!!"  Ha!!

[RallyDriven 398]

Rallycameraman said:

are completed I will look to finally get some graphics/livery on the car, and then I will announce my co-driver, it's someone who I think some of  you should know :)

Looking forward to seeing it!

[Rallycameraman 241]

KevM said:

Dytut said:

You're not getting @KickUp as co-driver, are you? :-D

Would you want him??  "I think the rear right's gone!!"  Ha!!

I hear that far too much already :(

[Rallycameraman 241]

So today I finally completed my BARS course, and I am now able to get my MSA National B rally licence. Had a fantastic day at Phil Price Rally School, and got to drive on loose gravel for the first time, and my god it's absolutely epic!

I shall be working on my 106 tomorrow, fitting the new rear shocks and completing a few other jobs on the car, and then Monday I will be having a test day on an old WW2 airfield about an hour from my home. Will hopefully have a bit of incar footage online Monday evening.

[Rallycameraman 241]

I'm afraid I don't, was mostly inside being taught rally stuff for the test. Only went outside to jump in the car!

[SkiddyMcCrash 311]

Well done that man :)                                                              

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

Congratulations, can't wait to see the results.

In other news, i keep trying to tweet you about this, but, what kind of mic (or doesn't it matter) should i fit to my consumer camcorder for recording rallying? (as a spectator)

[JZStudios 631]

F2CMaDMaXX said:

Congratulations, can't wait to see the results.

In other news, i keep trying to tweet you about this, but, what kind of mic (or doesn't it matter) should i fit to my consumer camcorder for recording rallying? (as a spectator)

Depends on your price point. For about $90, there's the Rode VideoMic that's decent, I used it to record my friend playing guitar, ala:
https://youtu.be/Xcc3oHZoS2s
Otherwise, you can get much better equipment, for much more money. :p About a month after that, we got new equipment, and when we were set up we had about $20,000 worth of equipment. So....

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

I already have an ext stereo mic, but the reason i'm asking is more for the ability to record rally cars effectively.

[JZStudios 631]

F2CMaDMaXX said:

I already have an ext stereo mic, but the reason i'm asking is more for the ability to record rally cars effectively.

For as far as a mic goes? Still based on your price range. We upgraded to a Zoom HS6 HandyRecorder that actually comes with a pretty damn decent stereo mic and has 4 inputs for other mics. Otherwise I'm really not sure what your asking.
Edit*
Still not sure quite what your asking, but a high quality Camera/Camcorder along with a good mic and sturdy tripod/gimbal will always make better videos in quality for visual and audio.

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

I'm asking what, and i guess, *is* there a specific mic type that is more suitable for picking up loud engine sounds in a 'realistic' way?

Perhaps the mic is fine, but i need to see if there is a setting to stop the camera noise gating the input it receives and trying to normalise the levels.  Issues such as gunshots for example can let the camera massively turn down the recording levels, but be very slow to get the volume back up again.

[JZStudios 631]

F2CMaDMaXX said:

I'm asking what, and i guess, *is* there a specific mic type that is more suitable for picking up loud engine sounds in a 'realistic' way?

Perhaps the mic is fine, but i need to see if there is a setting to stop the camera noise gating the input it receives and trying to normalise the levels.  Issues such as gunshots for example can let the camera massively turn down the recording levels, but be very slow to get the volume back up again.

Ah, then turn off auto leveling, but the Zoom recorder has a stereo that's really good quality and picks up loud sounds well. You'll also want to figure out what the volume leveling should be so it won't clip, then you can do some audio processing in whatever you have.
P.S. How often are you around gunshots? :p I mean, here in Americaland, and particularly my neck of the Desert, people go shooting out in the middle of nowhere...

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

Yeah, i basically need to do a sound test, my stereo mic is old and large, but i can make it work, i have to guess that it's better than the mic on the camera even if it is ten years old.

I live in Americaland, i just wasn't born here...  Going shooting in the middle of no where is my preference.

[JZStudios 631]

F2CMaDMaXX said:

Yeah, i basically need to do a sound test, my stereo mic is old and large, but i can make it work, i have to guess that it's better than the mic on the camera even if it is ten years old.

I live in Americaland, i just wasn't born here...  Going shooting in the middle of no where is my preference.

Yeah, If it's something you're really interested in like luke, it's worth investing some money into better gear, and then everyone else will be all jealous of you.

[Rallycameraman 241]

What make of camera are you using mate? Rode mic's are pretty good, but if you want a bit more quality then then manufacturers own external mic's are pretty good. The external Sony mic I bought for my NX3 video camera is really really good. 

[F2CMaDMaXX 505]

It's a Canon Vixia R600, as i said, it's just a consumer device, nothing that good, but it does have an ext. mic socket.

I'm more interested in if there is a different *type* of mic that is more suitable, as opposed to a brand etc. that is better quality.  If that's not the case, or isn't even a thing, then i'll just shut up :)  After watching many peoples rally videos as spectators, i wanted to get good representation when i go to my first live rally (Oregon Trail) in about a month.

[Rallycameraman 241]

No there isn't a type. The only external mics you can get are shotgun style. Buy the best you can afford though. 

Anyway I had a great morning on the car, ready for some testing in the morning now! 

https://twitter.com/rallycameraman/status/714040352169189376

[JZStudios 631]

Rallycameraman said:

No there isn't a type. The only external mics you can get are shotgun style. Buy the best you can afford though. 

Anyway I had a great morning on the car, ready for some testing in the morning now!

Cars looking good!
As far as mic's go, my and my buddy took out that Zoom recorder and hooked up a Bluebird and Neumann U87. :p Not kidding, $20,000 of equipment. Sounds fantastic though.

[Rallycameraman 241]

https://twitter.com/specialstageuk/status/714434714438860801

 :D :D :D

[JZStudios 631]

I've never heard it called the silly stick before, now I'm going to have to steal that.