Sound for Video Session: 2017 Audio Gear Highlights
In this week's sound for video session, I talk through some of the highlights in sound gear for film and video in 2017.
This episode shot/recorded with:
RODELink Filmmaker kit (I did NOT use the included lavalier microphone)
Voice Technologies VT500 Lavalier Microphone
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer
Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART Lens
Music licensed from Artlist: Midday Moon by Vikings in Tibet. Artlist provides high quality music tracks for your film and video projects. You can receive two months off an Artlist account by using our link.
Previous Episodes covering the gear in more detail:
Tentacle Sync E:
Ambient Recording NanoLockit:
Zoom F-Control:
Mixing Sound for 2 People:
Sound Devices MixPre-6:
MixPre vs Zoom Series:
Sound Devices MixPre-10T:
5 Shotgun Microphones:
RODE VideoMic Pro+:
Tascam DR-10L:
Izotope RX6:
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
MixPre 10T: My Impressions After 2 Months (Final Review)
Sound Devices added some nice options to the prosumer audio recorder market earlier this year with the introduction of their MixPre-3 and MixPre-6. And now, they’ve added the MixPre-10T which takes the MixPre line legitimately into the professional recorder realm for $1800 USD. After working with the MixPre-10T for a couple of months, these are my impressions and thoughts.
Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer
Samsung USB Thumbdrive - This was tested by Sound Devices and I find it works great for the file copy function on the 10T
Sandisk Extreme Pro SD Card I use in my MixPre-10T and 633
Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Boom Microphone
Adapter Cable for Mini XLR outputs (TA3F to XLRM)
AC to Hirose Adapter (useful if you plan to use this as an audio interface)
Sound Devices MixPre Battery Sled for Sony NP-F Style Batteries
NP-1 Style Battery - Higher capacity, often used for powering everything in your sound bag
NP-1 Battery to Hirose Adapter - You'll need this if you use NP-1 batteries
Anton Bauer Digital 90 Battery - I keep this on hand as a backup - its big but can save the day
V-mount IDX 95 Battery (Same as above but with a different mounting mechanism for cameras)
I also created a course on how to get the most from your MixPre recorder:
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
iRig Pre HD Adapter: Record XLR Microphones to your iPhone, Mac, PC
How can you use your XLR microphone to record to your phone or computer? You need an audio adapter. The new iRig Pre HD from IK Multimedia is a nice option for only $100 USD. In this episode we have a closer look and listen using microphones like the RODE NTG-2 and Shure SM58.
Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
iRig Pre HD XLR Microphone Adapter by IK Multimedia
RODE NTG-2 Shotgun Microphone
Shure SM58 Handheld Dynamic Microphone
Saramonic SmartRig+ Audio Adapter (2 XLR and 2 3.5mm Microphone inputs)
RODE i-XLR Plug-on Microphone Adapter
RODE Reporter Microphone
Panasonic GH5 Hybrid Camera (Product shots)
Panasonic 12-35 f/2.8 OIS Lens (My go-to lens with the GH5)
Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera (Talking head shots)
Sigma ART 24-70 f/2.8 Lens for Canon EF Mount
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Voice Technologies VT Duplex Headset Microphone Overview
In this week's sound for video session, we talk about and demonstrate the Voice Technologies VT Duplex Omni-directional headset mic. Headset mics are a good option when the presenter or talent may be moving around a fair bit, you want to ensure that the audio doesn’t drop when they turn their head, and it is ok for the microphone to show in picture.
This episode shot/recorded with:
Sennheiser EW112 G3 Wireless Microphone Kit (be sure to check which frequencies you are legally allowed to use in your country)
Voice Technologies VT Duplex Headset Microphone
Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART Lens
Outro music licensed from Artlist: Keep an Eye by Back to Dream. Artlist provides high quality music tracks for your film and video projects. You can receive two months off an Artlist account by using our link.
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Zoom F4/F8 Limiters & Packing Checklist for Location Sound Job
In this week's episode, I discuss how the limiters in the Zoom F4 and F8 recorders work (not just simply digital limiters) and walk through the location sound job packing checklist I use before each job.
Sound Samples of Digital and Analogue Limiters:
Checklist for gear you need on location sound jobs: https://drive.google.com/open?id=13sI0mGplMC5p2VZHXotDdg9mSdvJVspP2H9_6qyn4Pw
Gear In my Kit - see all the details with links over at kit.co
Sound Devices 633 Recorder
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Recorder
K-Tek Avalon Carbon Boom Pole
Orca OR-30 Sound Bag
Orca OR-40 Audio Harness
Rycote Cyclone Wind Shield
Schoeps CMC641 Super Cardioid Boom Microphone
Sennheiser 8050 Super Cardioid Boom Microphone
Voice Technologies VT500 Lavalier Microphone
Sanken COS-11D Lavalier Microphone
Rycote Stickies (for concealing lavalier microphones)
Sony MDR-7506 Closed Back Headphones
Comtek Audio Feed Kit
Sennheiser EW112 G3 Wireless Microphone Kit (be sure to check which frequencies you are legally allowed to use in your country)
RODELink Wireless Filmmaker Kit
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
Zoom F4 Special Pricing
One of my favorite pro-sumer level audio recorders is the Zoom F4 (affiliate link to B&H which helps support my reviews). It was a very good value when it was priced at $650 USD, but now it looks like it is (at least temporarily) priced at $500 USD over at B&H Photo. If you've been on the fence, now may be a good time to jump in.
Here's my most recent comparison episode which includes the Zoom F4:
And here's my original review of the Zoom F4:
Sound for Video Session: Audio Quality, Mixing and Loudness, Smartphones, Cables, Fairlight
In this week's Sound for Video Session, we answer questions about the following:
00:10 Camera vs audio recorder quality?
01:49 Mixing and loudness - which order should you do thing?
04:50 Gear for recording high quality audio with smartphones?
08:04 I'm picking up an AM radio station in my recordings, what should I do?
09:45 Sound Devices 633 - which inputs do you use for wireless and boom mics?
14:52 How to record in live theater?
16:44 When do you use a shotgun vs. a supercardioid when recording indoors?
18:12 How do you set levels when run & gunning?
19:22 How do I record better quality audio to smartphones?
21:56 What's the next step up in quality for wireless (up from RODELink, Sennheiser G3)?
26:39 What are your impressions on DaVinci Resolve and Fairlight for audio processing?
30:47 Do microphone cables that cost more make a difference?
Previous session on recording live sound with Mike Stranks:
Links to gear discussed:
Remote Audio 25 foot Canare Microphone Cable
Shure TA3-F to XLR-M Adapter Cable (e.g., to take a feed from DJ mixing board to SD 633 line input)
RODE iXLR - Adapter for Dynamic XLR Microphones to Apple Lightning (record with reporters' microphones to your iPhone)
Saramonic SmartRig+ XLR to 3.5mm preamplifier and adapter with phantom power.
Review:
Lectrosonics Professional Wireless Systems
Presonus Faderport Controller Surface for Mixing - affordable, motorized linear fader makes mixing easier and quicker.
Mogami Professional XLR Microphone Cables
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
Tentacle Sync E: Timecode Generator and Demo
A couple of years ago, Tentacle Sync released their first timecode generator which was not only easy to use but also more affordable than other generators. Now they have released their next generator called the Sync E with wireless setup and monitoring from iOS or Android devices. Here we show how timecode can help simplify the process of capturing professional quality sound separate from the camera and easily and quickly syncing the sound to picture in post. We also look at the new features on the Sync E and how they make the process of shooting with timecode easier than ever.
Demonstration with many video and sound clips:
Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Tentacle Sync Sync E Kit (2 Sync E timecode generators and license for Tentacle Sync Studio
Tentacle Sync Sync E (single timecode generator and license for Tentacle Sync Studio)
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer
Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Boom Microphone
Tentacle Sync to BNC Bidirectional Timecode Cable
Tentacle Sync Cables for all other cameras
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
Sound Devices MixPre-10T: Initial Impressions
Links to gear below. If you found this review helpful and are planning to buy one of these lights, please use one of our links below which will help fund our ongoing efforts to make high quality filmmaking gear reviews.
Sound Devices added some nice options to the prosumer audio recorder market earlier this year with the introduction of their MixPre-3 and MixPre-6. And now, they’ve added the MixPre-10T which takes the MixPre line legitimately into the professional recorder realm for $1800 USD. I pre-ordered and the 10T arrived yesterday. Let’s take an initial look with a full review to follow in a few weeks when I’ve had more time to work with it.
Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer
Sound Devices MixPre-6 Audio Recorder/Mixer
Sound Devices MixPre-3 Audio Recorder/Mixer
Voice Technologies VT Duplex Headset Microphone
RODE Reporter Handheld Dynamic Microphone
Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Boom Microphone
Adapter Cable for Mini XLR outputs (TA3F to XLRM)
AC to Hirose Adapter (useful if you plan to use the 10T as an audio interface)
Sound Devices MixPre Battery Sled for Sony NP-F Style Batteries
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Sound Jobs and Recording in Noisy Places
This week we answer a couple of sound questions:
- What types of sound jobs are most in demand?
- Which microphones can you use to record in very noisy places like factories?
Example of how much noise isolation you can expect from the RODE Reporter handheld microphone:
Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Voice Technologies Duplex Cardioid Headset Microphone (this will provide more isolation from noise than most other options)
RODE HS2 Headset Microphone (another headset microphone, slightly less expensive but with an omni-directional polar pattern)
RODE Reporter Handheld Microphone (I used this to record interviews at the NAB show with good results)
Sennheiser MD 46 Cardioid Handheld Microphone (More noise isolation but you have to keep it close to whomever is speaking)
RODE iXLR (Allows you to connect the RODE Reporter or Sennheiser MD 46 or any other dynamic XLR microphone to your iPhone and your phone becomes the audio recorder or camera - also used this in the interview with Paul from Sound Devices above)
Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Microphone - used to record this session
Antelope Audio Orion Studio Audio Interface
Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd
