Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/790371
37 Q1 2017 / CINEMONTAGE perspective to ADR and Foley. "For TV, we need to be fast," Dodd concedes. "Whereas for a film date, we might be looking to record 20-odd takes to offer alternates for the dubbing mixer; for TV, we are more efficient and will move on after maybe two or three takes, and be more selective. These days, we no longer have a separate recordist to look after different takes and label the tracks for us. Instead, we now have to rely on Pro Tools, a Soundmaster [motion controller] and a keyboard to look after those functions. But I love the challenge; I work better under pressure." PREPARING FOR AN ADR SESSION In terms of setting up for an ADR session, Dodd will place maybe four microphones for a principal or a group date. "My choices might include a Sennheiser MKH-416 [shotgun], a Sennheiser MKH-50 [super-cardioid] or an MKH-60 [short shotgun] and a Neumann KMR-81 [shotgun]," she elaborates. "Also, a Neumann TLM-103 or TLM-105 [large-diaphragm condensers], and a Neumann U87 — every stage should have an '87! The shotguns and super- cardioids match what a production mixer might use on location or on a TV set, so I also put out one final microphone: a Sennheiser COS-11 omni-directional lavalier." Dodd listens to the production track and views her picture playback screen. "On Colony, for example, the actors speak really low!" she explains. "I'll switch my inputs and put my main microphone choice — maybe an MKH-50 — on the left and the lavalier on the right, so I can hear options. I use a four-channel Focusrite pre- amplifier, which sounds very nice." The mixer has access to a 24-fader Avid ICON console in ADR Stage 7, routing to JBL LSR6328P and Genelec 8340A monitor loudspeakers, with Pro Tools tracks being recorded at 24-bit resolution and a 48 kHz sample frequency. "We also use 16/48 if there is a lot of music on the project, and sometimes 24/96 if we want to varispeed the cues." Each TV series in the Chicago trilogy has different ADR requirements. "On Chicago Fire, it is all yelling in a reverberant fire station, so I need to capture a loud, projected take, with plenty of room tone; if there are raised voices, I will ride the pre-amp gain," Dodd says. "For Chicago Med, which is set primarily in the ER, I opt for a close sound for principals and group, since the room will be filled with people, beds and desks, with little echo despite its size. To put some room tone back into the track, I might use a close-in mic and one placed a distance away across the ADR stage. For Chicago P.D., it's mostly a case of matching the inside of a squad room and locations; as such, capturing nuances in sound can be a challenge." The ADR mixer's schedule of five-hour Scandal. ABC TV