two actors sharing one lav

Sound-Curious · Mar 3, 2013

Hi folks -- is there a way for two actors to share a single wireless lavalier by pinning the lav to one of their shoulders?
This sounds suspicious to me but I swear I've heard of someone doing this with some reasonable success.
thanks much!
SC

Kim Welch · Mar 3, 2013

I don't think the shoulder is good but maybe be able to get away with two actors sharing one lav if you really need to do it. The main thing is that a mic has a range or sweet spot. Test this idea. Try putting the mic a few buttons down low on one of the actors and have them stand close. Test it higher or lower until you achieve best results.

Sound-Curious · Mar 4, 2013

Ah, testing!

Good idea, no way to know otherwise.
Thanks Kim!

Kim Welch · Mar 9, 2013

How did things work out with this?

Sound-Curious · Mar 13, 2013

Kim Welch said:
How did things work out with this?

Ah, we don't shoot until August, I'm just doing a massive preproduction prep. We'll probably test in June. I'll definitely post my results then.
thanks Kim!

Kim Welch · Mar 13, 2013

That is Excellent. Thank you and do keep us updated. You never know we might want to do a write up for your project.

FredGinsburg · Sep 2, 2013

Actually, I have used that technique many times. It implies that the two actors are walking side by side, with the mic in between them. That situation is very common on beach shoots, where he is topless but she has some sort of halter top with shoulder straps. It is important to choose a lavalier capsule that is "transparent", which is a term referring to a mic with a lot of reach and minimal drop-off -- such as a Sennheiser MKE-2 or Audio Technica AT899. Lavs such as the Countryman, or Sony ECM44 both offer maximum rejection of background noises, but their reach drops off considerably at only several inches away.