I'm gearing up mentally towards doing my very first major surround-sound project. I will be doing another choir tour documentary this summer, and plan to shoot in 4 channel audio for the entire trip.
I will use two camera-mounted stereo microphones for the handheld portions, with one facing forward and one back. I've already tried out a simple test outdoors, and the effect is remarkable. For performances I assume I'll separate the microphones, with the forward one positioned so as to get an excellent conventional sound image, and the rear one again facing aft, further back in the performance cathedral. I've tried using Minidisc for the recording medium, and the results are pretty nice (and cheap--my little MD-MT15 recorders cost about $60 each on eBay).
My question is: Are there some reference publications out there that describe all the nuances of recording and mixing surround sound? I notice on some Hollywood DVDs that the surround is often used only in a superficial "ambience" sort of way, which is quite different from my tests, where the rear channels pump out whatever the rear microphone captured.
I will use two camera-mounted stereo microphones for the handheld portions, with one facing forward and one back. I've already tried out a simple test outdoors, and the effect is remarkable. For performances I assume I'll separate the microphones, with the forward one positioned so as to get an excellent conventional sound image, and the rear one again facing aft, further back in the performance cathedral. I've tried using Minidisc for the recording medium, and the results are pretty nice (and cheap--my little MD-MT15 recorders cost about $60 each on eBay).
My question is: Are there some reference publications out there that describe all the nuances of recording and mixing surround sound? I notice on some Hollywood DVDs that the surround is often used only in a superficial "ambience" sort of way, which is quite different from my tests, where the rear channels pump out whatever the rear microphone captured.