Curtis Judd 3/30/18 Curtis Judd 3/30/18

Sound for Video Session: Questions for the Director When You're the Sound Mixer

In this week’s Sound for Video Session, we cover some of the questions and topics you can discuss with the director before a location sound job.

Gear and links discussed/used to record this episode:

Elvid slate/clapper board
At Amazon
At B&H

Sample gear packing list for location sound job.

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.

Curtis Judd 3/24/18 Curtis Judd 3/24/18

ATOMOS SUMO Audio Features

The ATOMOS SUMO 19” monitor & recorder is a dream to work with on set from an imaging point of view. The ATOM HDR feature makes exposing log footage much easier, has all the focus and other exposure tools pros rely upon, and even has some pretty impressive audio features. In this episode, we look specifically at the audio features and assess whether the microphone and line level inputs work well enough to rely upon for your projects and jobs. We also take a look at how the timecode and monitoring features hold up.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
ATOMOS SUMO 19 - this is the recorder version, not the monitor-only version

Tentacle Sync E Timecode Generator

Sound Devices 633 Audio Mixer & Recorder

Sennheiser MKH 8050 Super-cardioid Boom Microphone

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

Curtis Judd 3/23/18 Curtis Judd 3/23/18

Sound for Video Session: Q&A - Audio Interface, Upgrades, Headphones, Sync, & Giraffes

In this week’s Sound for Video Session, a Q&A session, we cover the following questions:

00:14 How to connect powered monitors/speakers to my Sound Devices MixPre?
02:37 Should I upgrade from the Zoom F4 to the Sound Devices 552 or save up for the 664?
05:44 What do you think of using noise cancelling headphones when recording location sound?
08:16 How do I sync 4 cameras and audio from 2 recorders?
11:13 How do I record giraffes in a hurricane with a Sony point-and-shoot camera?
14:26 Troubleshooting audio gear

Gear and links discussed/used to record this episode:

Sound Devices MixPre Course

Whirlwind pcDI - convert the unbalanced output of your MixPre to balanced XLR cables to connect your powered speakers/monitors
Sound Devices MixPre-3 Audio Recorder/Mixer
Sound Devices MixPre-6 Audio Recorder/Mixer
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer

Zoom F4 Audio Recorder/Mixer

Sound Devices 552 (2-Track Recorder, Cannot Record ISOs)
Sound Devices 664 (Records ISO Channels + Mix, But No AutoMix)
Sound Devices 633 (Record ISO Channels + Mix, also includes AutoMix)
Sennheiser PXC 550 Noise Cancelling Headphones
RODE NT1A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Broadcast Microphone

Outro music licensed from Artlist: Awaken by Ethan Rank. 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.

Curtis Judd 3/18/18 Curtis Judd 3/18/18

Sound for Video Session: Camera Audio Return

In this week’s Sound for Video Session, we demonstrate camera audio return (camera return) - What it is, why you would use it, and how to set it up.

Gear and links discussed/used to record this episode:

RODE Reporter Microphone

Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer

Remote Audio Break-away Cable - This is a set of cables often used in news shooting workflows which allows you to connect your mixer to camera (outputs, timecode, and camera return) and also usually have a quick and easy way to disconnect from the camera.

Curtis Judd 2/19/18 Curtis Judd 2/19/18

80K Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing to celebrate 80K subscribers! The lucky winner of the drawing was DAZ Studio - congratulations!

A big thanks again to Aputure for generously supplying the Deity microphone for DAZ.

If you'd like to see our review of the Aputure Deity Shotgun Microphone, have a look here:

Thanks to EVERYONE for your support and encouragement!

Curtis Judd 2/17/18 Curtis Judd 2/17/18

Mixing Board Basics for Video/Filmmakers

Why are we talking about mixing boards on this channel where we normally cover sound for video? Because understanding the basics of mixing boards makes you a better location sound mixer for film/video! Here’s a quick high-level look at how mixing boards are laid out and how knowing that can help when you're troubleshooting sound issues.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:

Allen & Heath SQ-5 Digital Mixing Board - 48 channel, 36 Bus Mixer with Motorized Faders

Panasonic GH5S 4K Camera - works great when you don't have a lot of light. Much improved over the GH5, but alas, you give up the in-body image stabilization of the GH5 so it is a tradeoff.

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5S most of the time

Curtis Judd 2/12/18 Curtis Judd 2/12/18

Sound for Video Session: FCPX to Audition - Sending Audio for Mixing

In this week’s Sound for Video Session, we look at one way to get audio out of Final Cut Pro X and over to Audition so that you can mix it with all of the tools that Audition and other plugins have to offer.

If you are aware of other ways to accomplish this, feel free to share in the comments!

Gear and links discussed in this episode:

XtoCC - app to help get audio from Final Cut Pro X to Adobe Audition. You can buy this in the Mac App Store or here.

Electrovoice RE20 Broadcast Microphone

Antelope Audio Orion Studio Audio - Computer Interface

Curtis Judd 2/10/18 Curtis Judd 2/10/18

Panasonic GH5S - 2 New Audio Features

The Panasonic GH5S has two new audio features which make this camera a little easier to work with from an audio standpoint: Timecode input and line level inputs. What does this mean? First, with timecode, you can simplify the process of syncing your video clips to audio clips recorded with a separate audio recorder. This means you can get higher quality audio and still sync quickly and effortlessly in post. Second, you could instead use your audio recorder or mixer to capture sound and then from your mixer, send the audio to the GH5S at line level which also results in higher quality audio but in this case you don’t have to sync in post - it is already baked in to the video clip!

Let’s have a look at how well each of these new features work.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Panasonic GH5S Camera

Panasonic XLR1 Microphone Adapter - so that you can use XLR based microphones with the GH5S

Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder - we used the MixPre-10T as the mixer/preamp but all of the audio was recorded with the GH5S in this episode

Oktava mk-012 Microphone - great budget microphone for indoor dialogue recording

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5S most of the time

Lupo Superpanel LED Light Panel - Dual Color. Decided to try a harder light look just to see how it went. Not always my favorite look, but you never know unless you try!

Rosco 1/2 Soft Frost Diffusion gel - slightly diffuses the light, taped to the LED panel

Ambient Recording NanoLockit Timecode Generator with Wireless Sync

Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera - only for the shots of the GH5S, everything else shot with the GH5S

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 OS ART Lens

Curtis Judd 2/3/18 Curtis Judd 2/3/18

Sound for Video Session: Q&A

In this week’s Sound for Video Session, I make my best effort to answer your sound related questions:

0:11 Which loudness target (LUFS) should I aim for when posting videos online?
2:24 Which Izotope RX plugins do you use most? I’m hoping to buy one of the less expensive options if it contains most of what you use.
11:56 How do I provide a director with a feed of the audio or do a “wireless hop” to a camera?
12:53 When recording sound effects, where should the peaks hit on my meter (Sound Devices 633 in this case)
14:28 Sound Devices MixPre questions - pre and post fader metering, gain staging for loud environments, setting camera levels using tone?
17:00 Advice on how to sync sound for a documentary project?
24:18 Should I position my speakers/monitors above my computer screens since I have 3 of them?
26:06 The recording clipped on my Zoom H1. What happened?
29:27 Liability insurance for location sound freelancers?
31:02 How do you round-trip audio from FCPX to Audition?
34:01 Sound Devices MixPre - How to configure it as an audio interface with a computer and with my iPhone?
37:45 Which blimp cover/shockmount do you use and what is your advice for combating distracting ambient sound?
44:35 ** non-sound related question, but interesting nevertheless: How do you avoid looking like a jittery, stuttering nervous wreck on camera?

Gear and links discussed in this episode:

Sound Devices 633 Audio Mixer/Recorder
Sound Devices MixPre-6 Audio Field Recorder Review

Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Field Recorder Review

Zoom H1n Audio Recorder

XtoCC (app to help get audio from Final Cut Pro X to Adobe Audition)

Rycote Modular Windshield with Windjammer (original style) Review:

Rycote Cyclone Windshield and Shockmount
RODE Blimp Windshield and Shockmount
Sound Devices ASIO Driver for MixPre Series Recorders for Windows:

Tentacle Sync E Review and Timecode Demo:

PluralEyes Audio Sync Software
Syncaila Audio Sync Software

Wireless Hop with Sennheiser G3 (Gregg Palmer):

Wireless Headphone Feeds (Comtek):

Izotope RX Elements
Izotope RX Standard
Izotope RX Advanced
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.

Curtis Judd 1/26/18 Curtis Judd 1/26/18

Thank You Giveaway: Aputure Deity Shotgun Microphone

Congratulations to DAZ Studio, the winner of the giveaway and happy new owner of an Aputure Deity Shotgun microphone! Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing and to Aputure for their generous gift!

Our Light and Sound YouTube community just hit 80,000 subscribers - thank you! Our good friends over at Aputure have offered to give away a Deity shotgun microphone to celebrate. To enter the drawing, all you need to do is subscribe to my channel and Aputure's channel using the form above. Don't worry if you're already subscribed, this will just enter you into the drawing.

We reviewed the Deity microphone last year and found it to be a really versatile and dependable mic. If you don't have an XLR-based microphone, this will be a great start. If you already do, this will be a nice addition to your kit.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement! Get out there and make some great sound.