Sound for Video Session: ZOOM vs Sound Devices, Timecode Generators, Essential Gear & More
In this week’s sound for video session, we answer your questions!
00:40 Zoom F8 or Sound Devices MixPre-10T if I also record music?
03:29 Zoom F8n vs Sound Devices MixPre & getting location sound jobs
08:54 Choosing Timecode Generators: NanoLockit, Tentacle Sync E, Timecode Systems
13:12 Wired Lavalier recommendation (Audio Technica AT899)
14:01 Batteries for powering recorders with hirose power inputs
16:15 Recording audience at live performance
18:10 Essential gear for location sound
Previous episodes referenced - Sound Bag Tour:
Recording live performance sound with Mike Stranks:
Ambient Sound NanoLockit:
Tentacle Sync E:
Timecode Systems Overview:
Sound Blanekts:
Gear and links discussed/used to record this episode:
Audio Technica AT899 Wired Lavalier microphone
JuiceBox V-Mount Battery & Charger
Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Broadcast Microphone - used to record this session
Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro Camera - Used for the talking head clips
AJA U-Tap SDI - Turns any camera with an SDI output into a webcam. Used to record the talking head clip
Sound Devices 633 Audio Recorder/Mixer - Used this as the preamp for the microphone and then fed the audio to the camera in this episode
Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd
Outro music licensed from Artlist: Sunday by Young Rich Pixies - Amazing Journey. 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.
Zoom F8n Audio Recorder: Initial Impressions
At the National Association of Broadcasters meeting earlier this year, Zoom announced their update to the F8 audio field recorder - the F8n. The focus of this update was to address many of the things that users complained about on the original - hybrid limiters that were ok, but not perfect, line inputs only on 1/4”, mediocre headphone amp, and consumer line level output among others. I had a chance to work with the F8n for a few hours. Let’s see how they did addressing these items. From my point of view, it looks like the F8n is a very nice step up from the original F8.
Links to gear discussed and used to shoot this episode:
Zoom F8n Audio Field Recorder
Zoom F4 Audio Field Recorder (similar but with 4 microphone inputs, monochrome screen, no app control)
Zoom F-Control surface with linear faders - my favorite way to mix when working from a table or cart.
Juicebox V-Mount Cine Battery - good way to power the F8n, F4, F8 all day long
D-tap to 4 pin Hirose Cable - to feed power from cine battery to F8n, F8, F4
Remote Audio BDS V4 Battery Distribution System
Remote Audio Hi-Q Battery (98 watt-hours) - this is a battery that is better suited for use in a sound bag, smaller than most cine batteries but still lots of capacity
Sennheiser MKH8050 Boom Microphone - this is the microphone I used
Schoeps CMC641 - this is the microphone my daughter used
Aputure COB 120t - This is the light I used as a key in the talking head clips
Aputure Light Dome Soft Box - Used to soften the key light
Lupo DayLED Fresnel Light with Barn Doors - Used for the “rim/hair” light
Blackmagic design Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera - used for the talking head clips and some of the product shots
Sigma ART 24-70mm f/2.8 OS Lens (Canon EF Mount)
Panasonic GH5 - Used for some of the product shots, the crispier shots
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5 most of the time
Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd
Music - MzA by Cary Judd, used with permission
ATOMOS Ninja V ProRes and Avid Recorder: NAB 2018
ATOMOS makes HDMI/SDI recorders with very nice monitoring capabilities along with focus and HDR exposure tools. Up until NAB 2018, they've made 7" and 19" monitors. But now they've announced their first 5" monitor/recorder with the capabilities of their Inferno line of recorders (top of the 7" lineup) - Focus, exposure, high frame rate, and HDR tools as well as ProRes and Avid DNxXX recording. This makes shooting and editing faster and with high bitrate and high quality codecs that playback smoothly so you don't have transcode.
Now why would you want to use a recorder like this? Here's why I use them:
Gear covered and used to shoot this episode:
ATOMOS Ninja V 4K HDMI HDR Recorder Monitor (coming Q3 2018)
RODE Reporter Microphone
RODE iXLR Adapter (Record a dynamic XLR microphone to iPhone or iPad)
Panasonic GH5 - My favorite, small camera for handheld use with a great image stabilizer
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5S most of the time
Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd
Music - MzA by Cary Judd, used with permission.
Zoom F1 Audio Field Recorder
Zoom’s new F1 is a tiny audio field recorder which works well in place of a wireless lavalier system but can also be used as a camera-top shotgun or “wireless” shotgun microphone. Here’s our overview of the Zoom F1.
Thanks to B&H for lending us the F1 for this overview.
Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Zoom F1 (with lavalier microphone)
Zoom F1 (with shotgun microphone)
32GB microSDHC Card (you’ll need one, not included with the F1. This'll give you over 30 hours record time at 48kHz, 24 bit)
Mic Stand Adapter (I used this to mount the shotgun mic configuration on a regular 5/8” mic stand)
Voice Technologies VT500 Lavalier Microphone (this does NOT come with the F1)
Panasonic GH5S (My current favorite small camera)
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5S most of the time
Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd
