Tascam DR-701D Audio Recorder Review
If you like to capture the best sound for your video and film projects and you’re a solo or small crew operation, you might find the Tascam DR-701D to be a nice piece of gear. The recorder has 4 XLR/TRS inputs as well as a 3.5mm stereo mini jack input and can record 4 tracks plus a stereo mix at the same time. The build quality is a very nice step up from Tascam’s previous recorders with its magnesium alloy body. It also has some really useful and unique features like the ability to receive timecode from DSLR and mirrorless cameras via HDMI input and the ability to start recording when you press record on your camera.
We also spend several minutes comparing the DR-701D to the Zoom F8, another recorder targeted at independent and small crew filmmakers. One thing I ran out of time to include in the video is that the Tascam does not appear to have the ability to solo an input/track so that's another consideration if that feature is important to you.
Overall, this is a great little recorder for solo and small crew film and video making crews.
Recorder Rendezvous: Special Pricing on Audio Recorders
B&H has an Audio Recorder special pricing event going December 11th and 12th they call Recorder Rendezvous. If you're in the market for a recorder, there appear to be some nice deals worth checking out:
Tascam DR-70D and RODE NTG2 package with all the accessories you'll need (SD card, XLR cable, 3.5mm cable, batteries) for $499.
The good old Zoom H1 can be had for $69. This is still a great option to use in lieu of wireless lavalier systems when you're on a tighter budget. This and the Countryman B6 made an impressive combination in my tests.
One little item that caught my eye that I'd like to try is the Tascam DR10X (in this package with a Senal Reporter's mic) for $199. This is a tiny audio recorder you plug onto the end of a mic and it records the audio to SD or microSD card. Could be interesting to create a "wireless" boom mic with this. (Yes, in the photo they show a RODE mic but the package actually includes a Senal mic).
Sync Audio to Video in FCPX
Sync Sound or Double System Sound is when you record your video with your camera and record your audio to a separate audio recorder. The question is, how to you put them together? In this episode we show you how to sync them together using three separate options in Final Cut Pro X. It’s easy no matter which way you do it!
The three methods we cover here are automatic, manually syncing with a clap, and using timecode. I was excited to do this with timecode for the first time using my Panasonic GH4 and the Tascam DR-701D which I have on loan for a review from B&H Photo. Can't wait to finish up the review on that, it's a great new recorder for solo shooters. What's cool is that you don't even need that wonky interface unit for the GH4 to make this work--all done with a simple HDMI feed from the camera to the recorder.
B&H Deal Zone Express
B&H Photo Video, one of our kind sponsors who provide the gear for many of our reviews, have some pretty impressive deals coming up in the next week via Deal Zone Express. The way this works is that they have deep discount pricing on one item for a limited number of hours. Wednesday morning, for example, they'll have the X-Rite Color Checker Chart available for over $20 off its regular price from 9 to noon eastern time:
Might be worth checking in periodically to save big on something you've got on your list. They offered the boom pole I bought just a few weeks ago for $200 less than I paid. You win some, you lose some.
Deal Zone Express is a pretty sure way to win some.
Sennheiser MKH50 Microphone Overview: Super Cardioid Mic for Indoor Dialogue
What are the best microphones for recording dialogue indoors? I’ve been using the Audio Technica AT4053b for a little over a year with very good results. But one of the microphones often used in productions with a decent sound budget is the Sennheiser MKH50 super cardioid condenser microphone. A few episodes ago we compared these two mics and found that there was no clear winner amongst viewers, at least when recording my voice.
But when would you want to move up to a microphone like the Sennheiser at $1,200 USd? Let’s take a closer look at this mic and see which circumstances and for which types of voices it works best.
Black Friday Deal: Tascam DR-60DmkII & RODE NTG2
One last gear nerd black Friday notice and we're moving back to other things: B&H has a deal on the Tascam DR-60DmkII recorder with the RODE NTG2 Shotgun Microphone for $379 USD. Normally they'd cost over $450 separately.
I've used this combination many times in my corporate jobs with great results. If you're just getting started, this is probably the best deal I've seen on a solid shotgun and recorder combination.
My review of the Tascam recorder:
https://youtu.be/TRoIMPHS91U
And my really old review of the RODE NTG2 shotgun microphone:
https://youtu.be/GlQ32DwdpEw
RØDE VideoMic Pro Black Friday Pricing $179
Another amazing deal for those into audio: B&H has the new version (2015) of the RODE VideoMic Pro accessory shoe shotgun microphone for only $179 USD. Normally they go for $250. I was quite impressed with the sound they capture back when we reviewed it earlier this year. And while this is not my first choice for capturing dialogue since I prefer to get the mic closer to the talent, this is great for run-n-gun type shooting.
https://youtu.be/B_esjF1KtVw
Also, you can get it closer to your talent. I have used RODE's RODELink wireless system to boom the VideoMic Pro in close to an interviewee:
https://youtu.be/CONhcUiyIXg
K-Tek Carbon Fiber Boom Pole Special Pricing
B&H has special pricing on the carbon fiber K-Tek Avalon KEG 150CCR boom pole. This is the pole I use and I don't think I could be happier with it.
It is amazingly lightweight, sturdy, internally cabled (with a coiled cable so it doesn't slap around inside the pole), and has a right angle XLR connector at the base of the pole so that I can rest the pole on the ground between takes. The XLR female connector at the top of the pole comes with a plastic webbing on it to prevent the connector from damaging the carbon fiber pole when not connected to a mic. Thoughtful design through and through.
This pole has five sections and extends to 12.5 feet which has not left me wishing for more reach yet. The twist lock for each section is very smooth and firm.
No, it isn't a cheap, but this is a pole that should serve for years to come. You can buy replacement parts. (try that with budget options and I think this is one of the big differentiators of pro vs. consumer gear - products that can be serviced).
Zoom F8 Noise Performance: One Simple Test
Jim Braly asked a good question about the Zoom F8 field recorder:
A question about how quiet the preamps are -- I'm impressed that the Zoom has 75db of gain (compared to 66 on the Sound Devices 7-series recorders). I found that the last 6db on a 722 SD recorder was not very usable, as it got pretty noisy above +60db of gain. And that last bit of db helps for quiet dialogue, or on wider shots when the boom mic cannot get as close to the actors.
How about the F8? What is the noise floor like if you crank it to +75 with the mic in a quiet room? (No recording of dialogue, just the room tone and the self-noise.) Do you hear a lot of hiss? At what level would this hiss be? Louder than, say, -50db if you are measuring the audio file in iZotope RX? If the F8 does get noisy at high gain settings, at what point does it become unusable? Maybe above 70db of gain? But would, say, 66db of gain sound good?
Of course, I'm wondering how the F8 specifically compares to Sound Devices in the noise floor department, as I think of their recorders as the gold standard.
I ran a Shure SM58 into the Zoom F8 via a 25' ProCo XLR cable with Neutrik connectors, set the gain at +75dB and recorded my basement studio. This room is not perfectly silent and not perfectly treated in an acoustical sense. But I do have a sound blanket hanging to one side, exposed batt insulation in the ceiling and an old duvet on the floor.
Looking at the silent section, I measured the noise floor (this is the sound of the room + the self noise of the mic and the F8 recorder) at -63dB RMS. In my final produced audio, I usually aim for the "silent passages" to sit at -60dB or lower. This seems acceptable and is a rather impressive result for the Zoom F8.
Looking at the spectral chart, it appears that of the noise that is present, the majority of it is in the 100Hz and lower range which should be reasonably straightforward to reduce with a simple high-pass filter. There is some spread throughout the entire spectrum, but very little. (in the screenshot above, I measured the section from 35 to 39 seconds. Just prior to that, the mic was able to pick up a few notes from my wife's violin upstairs.)
RODE VideoMic Me: Better Sound for Smartphone Video
If you need better sound for your smartphone videos, RODE has an interesting “mini shotgun” mic that might be a good choice. At $59 USD, the VideoMic Me plugs directly into the headphone jack on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device and is held in place with a very simple adjustable clip so that it works with nearly any device. If you’re shooting outdoors, it also comes with a furry cover to prevent wind from messing with your audio recording. Great little microphone if smartphone video recording is your thing!
