Curtis Judd 4/28/16 Curtis Judd 4/28/16

Zoom U-44 Record 4 XLR Mics to Your Computer or iPad

At NAB 2016, we talked with Samuel Greene at the Zoom booth about an interesting new portable audio interface which allows you to record high quality audio from XLR based microphones directly to your computer or iPad - the Zoom U-44. The preamplifers in the U-44 are based on the same design as those in the H6 so they’re quite good based on our previous review. You can also connect any of the Zoom microphones originally designed for the H6 and H5, including the module to add two additional XLR/TRS inputs. And keeping with Zoom’s tradition, the U-44 is aggressively priced at $199 USD and will begin shipping in May 2016.

At the same time, Zoom will also release a two input version (does not have the accessory jack) for only $149 USD - the Zoom U-24.

Special thanks to Scott Vanderbilt who was kind enough to bring his brand new Sony FS5 camera to film this series.

Curtis Judd 4/26/16 Curtis Judd 4/26/16

Sony Wireless Audio 2 Mics 1 Receiver URX-P03D

At NAB 2016, we talked with Andy at the Sony booth about an interesting new wireless audio receiver: URX-P03D which is part of their larger UWP-D wireless audio ecosystem. The thing that is most exciting about this receiver is that it can receive audio from two separate transmitters. For those shooting with Sony’s alpha series of mirrorless cameras, you can now capture audio from two separate people/transmitters just by mounting this in the hot-shoe of your camera without any bothersome wires. Additionally, you can always send a 3.5mm line output to a proper mixer or non-Sony camera. And as an added bonus, there are a few additional ports on the receiver that make it even more useful: A 3.5mm headphone jack to monitor audio, and an additional 3.5mm stereo microphone input so you can actually record two transmitter body packs plus an additional mic attached to the receiver. Looks like an interesting addition to the Sony wireless audio system which solves a serious practical issue: How do I record two people with wireless lavalier mics?

Pricing looks to be $999 USD and should start shipping in August. It is a little on the pricey side but this is a pro-level receiver with line level outputs unlike kits like the RODELink which only outputs mic level signal (and thus requires an amplifier).

Special thanks to Scott Vanderbilt who was kind enough to bring his brand new Sony FS5 camera to film this series.

Curtis Judd 4/15/16 Curtis Judd 4/15/16

Free Audio Plugin Voxengo SPAN for Post Processing Sound

One of the most important tools for post-processing audio is a spectrum analyzer. In this episode, we discuss a free spectrum analyzer plugin for almost all digital audio workstation apps called Voxengo SPAN.

Even if you’re just starting out processing your audio, a spectrum analyzer like SPAN will not only teach you a lot about how sound works, but will also help you to solve practical issues and make processing decisions. We introduce the idea of multi-band compression and illustrate how SPAN can help you decide where you set the boundaries for the different bands.

The end result? Audio processing that improves the quality of your recorded dialgoue.

Because you sometimes ask, the voiceover in this was recorded with the Electrovoice RE20 microphone and the audio we show in Audition was recorded with an Audio Technica AT4053b Hyper-cardioid microphone and recorded with a Sound Devices 633 mixer/recorder.

Curtis Judd 4/10/16 Curtis Judd 4/10/16

Sound Devices 633: Why do the Pros Use Gear Like This?

Because I love sound and am aiming to take on more jobs as a mixer, I recently bought the Sound Devices 633 mixer/recorder. This is a much more capable mixer and recorder than my previous recorders including the Zoom F8, the Tascam DR-60DmkII, and others. The Sound Devices will be my primary recorder and the Zoom F8 my backup recorder.

One question I’ve heard several times, and indeed, a question I’ve asked myself is, why does a mixer/recorder like the 633 cost so much more than something like a Tascam DR-60DmkII. Why $3000 more?!

In this episode, we cover some of the features on the 633 that make it the type of device that professional sound recordists and mixers choose.

Curtis Judd 3/30/16 Curtis Judd 3/30/16

Better Sound: How to Boom Your Camera Shotgun Mic

When you bought your camera-top shotgun microphone, like a RODE VideoMic Pro, you were expecting to get much better sound. But if you’re shooting a talking head or interview type of video, you may have been disappointed at the results when the mic was mounted on top of the camera.

The secret to getting much better dialogue sound from mics like this is to get the microphone much closer to the talent and boom it from above, pointing down at a 45 degree angle. You’ll generally want to get the mic within 40 - 60cm of the mouth of the person speaking, if you can.

In this episode, we cover how to boom your mic like this so that you’ll get much better dialogue sound. We also quickly discuss the gear you’ll need to make this work.

So here's the list of gear you'll need to make this work:

On-stage Microphone Boom Stand - ~$25 USD, I've had mine for over five years and it has seen a lot of use, and is holding up nicely. Mostly metal and not to bad to transport for location shoots
Adapter for your particular microphone to attach it to the mic stand. If you have a RODE VideoMic Pro, you'll want this 3/8" to 5/8" adapter. Most other mics have 1/4" threaded taps so you'll need this 1/4" to 5/8" adapter.
RODE VC1 Extension Cable. Now that you've boomed the mic much closer to the person speaking, you'll need a way to connect the mic's 3.5mm plug to your camera or audio recorder. This is the one I use and it is about three meters long.

Optional items (but I recommend the sandbags or some other creative way to stabilize your mic stand)

Saddle Style Sand Bags to stabilize the mic stand. You provide the sand and I highly recommend that you put the sand in heavy ziploc style bags first, then put the ziploc into these saddle bags. You'll have far fewer spills. And spouses and property owners aren't usually too thrilled when you spill sand all over their wood floor. :)
If your microphone doesn't have a threaded tap on the bottom, only a coldshoe mount, you will also need an adapter like this.

Happy recording with much better sounding dialogue audio!

Curtis Judd 3/16/16 Curtis Judd 3/16/16

Sound for Video Session: Recording Dialogue in Mono vs Stereo vs Surround

Should you record your dialogue audio in mono, stereo, or surround?

Short answer: Record dialogue in mono to save yourself a lot of headaches. You can still use a lavalier and a boom for each person, but in your final mix, generally just use one or the other mic (i.e., use the lavalier as the backup just in case the boom track has a problem for that particular dialogue line).

Why record mono? Phase issues are much more likely to arise in stereo and surround recordings. This can result in constructive or destructive interference - comb filtering. It doesn't sound good.

Huh? Are you serious? What about every movie that has been produced in stereo or surround in the last several decades? They actually record 99% of the dialogue in mono and then mix that into the overall stereo or surround mix. And in most cases, they mix the dialogue to the center front speaker in a surround mix or equally to both speakers (center) on a stereo mix.

Links for the articles we looked at on constructive and destructive interference as well as comb filtering:

https://www.nde-ed.org/EducationResources/HighSchool/Sound/interference.htm

http://www.phys.uconn.edu/~gibson/Notes/Section5_2/Sec5_2.htm

http://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/comb-filtering

Curtis Judd 1/30/16 Curtis Judd 1/30/16

Sound for Video Session: Intro to Sound Workflows

This week, an intro to sound for video workflows. I cover my unique workflow which is really only realistic for short pieces where you don't have a ton of footage and clips and then we also discuss more traditional workflows for larger productions.

Curtis Judd 1/23/16 Curtis Judd 1/23/16

Saramonic Vmic Shotgun Microphone Overview

If you’re ready to upgrade the quality of your sound for video, one of the easiest and most affordable ways to do that is with a small shotgun microphone which attaches to the shoe mount of your camera. Saramonic just released a new mic in this category which they call the Vmic. It is affordably priced yet manages to produce very impressive, clean sound. For even better dialogue recordings, I also demonstrate how it sounds when boomed about 40cm above your talent. Pretty amazing for the price point which is $119 USD at the time of the review.

Curtis Judd 1/19/16 Curtis Judd 1/19/16

Sound for Video Session: Setting Gain or Gain Staging

When first learning the art of dialogue sound recording, one of the more mysterious matters is setting up your gain. What is gain? What is trim? What is a pot(entiometer)? What is a fader?

In this session, we introduce the concepts and put you on the path to getting things set up for the best possible dialogue recording.

Curtis Judd 1/15/16 Curtis Judd 1/15/16

Sound for Video Session: Post Noise Reduction Primer

This week we have a quick look at how to reduce noise in post production using Adobe Audition.

We also talk about alternatives to Adobe Audition for those starting out in audio for video and film (Audacity and its limitations, Pro-Tools First, and Reaper)