Reducing the noise of an Arriflex SB?

Fhj Ais · September 21, 2009

I can't afford a blimp, but I'll have a barney over the camera. I'm trying to look at all possible solutions to quieting this camera. I have come up with:

- Blimp the microphone being used

- Using Soundsoap in post

That's really all I can think of. Any of y'all have any advice on how to further quiet an Arri SB without breaking a budget?

Freya Black · September 21, 2009

I can't afford a blimp, but I'll have a barney over the camera. I'm trying to look at all possible solutions to quieting this camera. I have come up with:

- Blimp the microphone being used

This won't reduce camera noise. It may help with atmospheric noise and if shock mounted may help reduce vibrational transmission to the mic.

That's really all I can think of. Any of y'all have any advice on how to further quiet an Arri SB without breaking a budget?

You could try and build your own blimp. You would basically need to create an air tight box.

love

Freya

Tim Carroll · September 21, 2009

I can't afford a blimp, but I'll have a barney over the camera. I'm trying to look at all possible solutions to quieting this camera. I have come up with:

- Blimp the microphone being used

- Using Soundsoap in post

That's really all I can think of. Any of y'all have any advice on how to further quiet an Arri SB without breaking a budget?

How I did it

Also, try to keep the microphone as far from the camera as possible. Throw a leather jacket or packing blanket over the barney over the camera. Shoot with only 100' internal loads, not with the 400' magazine and torque motor (which almost doubles the sound level of the camera). Read "Rebel without a crew" and see how he did it.

Best,

-Tim

Tim O'Connor · September 27, 2009

How I did it

That's a pretty cool article and the example of the audio is great!

Dillan L Mabillard · October 15, 2009

why wouldnt you recommend using 400 foot loads isnt it possible to get the magazine barneyd

Ian Cooper · October 15, 2009

why wouldnt you recommend using 400 foot loads isnt it possible to get the magazine barneyd

I think it's just a case of adding the magazine plus torque motor etc. will add further to the noise generated - they'll both add aditional noise on top of that made by the camera alone.

By just sticking to 100ft internal loads you are reducing the amount of noise made in the first place - the camera will also obviously be more compact and presumably make it a bit easier to barney/blimp as well.

Tim Carroll · October 15, 2009

Tim,

Thanks.

Ian,

That is exactly right. The Arriflex 16S torque motor is about as quiet as a Sherman Tank. It makes an extremely load racket, which is extremely hard to remove with noise reduction software. It also makes a much bigger package to try to barney.

Using the Arriflex 16S in the blimp (that Arriflex made for the camera), with a 100' internal load, you can barely hear the camera running at all. When you add the 400' magazine with the torque motor, it totally overwhelms the blimp and you might as well not use it at all.

You can hear the Arriflex 16S running in an Arriflex Blimp, with a 100' internal load, by clicking on the link in this article.

Arriflex Blimp

Best,

-Tim

John Sprung · October 15, 2009

Tim, I see that you have the fiberglass blimp. The magnesium one works a lot better. I shot with it using 400 ft. loads aboard a WWII submarine, hard steel surfaces and small spaces. It worked like a champ, no camera noise at all. (Granted that was over 35 years ago.) The only alternative at the time was the Eclair NPR, which is way more noisy.

-- J.S.

Tim Carroll · February 8, 2010

The blimp info has moved:

Blimp Info

Best,

-Tim

Paul Bruening · February 8, 2010

The metal blimp for the IIC is unbelievable. You can't hear anything of that IIC. Like most things German, it was way over-designed. Though, I must admit, when it was made there was little form of noise reduction in post other than hardware pass filters and EQs. I'd sit and look at that blimp and think to myself, "All that for a blimp?!"

Paul Bruening · February 8, 2010

Has anyone else tried a football? I don't know if that's their real name in the industry or just a local term. We used them on Filmos in school back in my "way back". It's not anything more than 4" thick or thicker upholstery foam that we stole'ded out of junked-out sofa cushions and a whole lotta' duct tape. You can go the extra distance and tape a bit of glass to the front for TTL noise. That foam and a thick, outer layer of duct tape ate most all of the noise from the Filmos. Obviously, it was a cheap way to blimp. Looked like genuine crap, though. It won't impress anyone.