Interesting new Wireless Lav System from RODE: RODELink
At NAMM, RODE just announced their new wireless lav system targeted at filmmakers called the RODELink. Looks like an interesting system that competes with the Sennheiser G3 system but comes in at $399 USD. Also evidently comes with a RODE Lavalier which typically retails for $250 USD on its own. I'll see what I can do to get my hands on one when they're released in March.
Comparison of Aspen HQ-S and JK MicJ 044 Lavalier Microphones
I'm getting started on a comparison review of the Aspen HQ-S and the MicJ 044 lavalier microphones. They're both sub $50 USD lavaliers with 3.5mm plugs. The MicJ has a TS plug while the Aspen has a TRS. The Aspen records the same mono signal to both right and left channels on stereo recorders like the Zoom H1. In my initial tests, the MicJ produces a slightly stronger signal by about 3dB when looking at average RMS aptitude for this one-line clip, though only to the left channel. Not a big deal, I just drop the right channel and then convert to a dual-mono (stereo) track.
Here's a comparison of one line of dialogue where all I did was some compression and then loudness normalized to -21 LUFS.
What do you think in terms of audio quality so far?
First is the Aspen HQ-S with 3.5mm TRS plug.
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/10-Aspen-Sample-1-Normalized.wav"][/audio]
Next, the JK MicJ 044 with 3.5mm TS plug.
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/11-MicJ-Sample-1-Normalized.wav"][/audio]
MicJ 044 Lavalier Microphone Review: Good Sound, Small Price
We have reviewed a bunch of rather inexpensive lavalier microphones over the last few years so I wasn’t sure that we should review yet another, but several of you asked for a review of the $29 USD MicJ 044. So, here it is. And to my surprise, it is quite impressive for only $29. But how does it compare to my longtime favorite cheap mic the Giant Squid? Tune in to hear the difference! http://youtu.be/RBxOLnVxg3A
HMNSound MicroLav Review
So it was the HMNSound MicroLav that I bought and compared to the Audio Technica AT899 in the last episode (see below) And in this episode, we review the MicroLav. In short, I really like this microphone - great sound, less expensive than the Audio Technica AT899, similar build quality. Fewer accessories. Boutique mic so it comes with all the good and bad that entails. Have a listen!
http://youtu.be/afEpEwUATPE
Mid-range Lavalier Mic Blind Comparison
I bought another mid-range lavalier microphone and as I work with it for a bit, I wanted to let you hear it relative to another microphone in the same general league. Both mics cost between $100 and $200 USD, both have XLR connectors so they need an XLR based pre-amp/recorder. Let me know which one you prefer in terms of sound and come on back in a couple of days to see the review! For this comparison, I recorded both mics using the new Tascam DR-60DmkII. So far, so good. Still working with it before posting a review but so far, its sounding really good! The pre-amps are impressive for a $200 USD field recorder.
http://youtu.be/BZd2bA3RBZA
Hiding Lavalier Microphones
IzzyVideo over on YouTube does a great job presenting several different ways you can hide a lavalier microphone. I agree with Izzy that you'll usually get the best quality by leaving it on the outside of the clothes, but when you've got to hide it, you've got to hide it. Extra points for putting gaffer tape to use in many of these techniques! http://youtu.be/D85HmR825wM
RODERec Recording App: Thoughts on Its Processing Effects
Short version: Don't use them. Long version:
I had planned to film an episode to cover this because several people have asked about using the built-in effects and processing in the RODERec app. I really like this app but I don't use the processing or effects. Why? Because iOS has placed enough limitations on app developers that the processing is not all that useful.
What do I mean by that? Consider a limiter effect. Limiters are super helpful when recording because they can prevent your audio from clipping when your talent suddenly gets louder than expected. So this would be the number one effect to have in a recording app. The issue is this: For a limiter to be useful, it must do its job before the audio is converted to digital. Why? because if it is first converted to digital, the damage and clipping has already been done.
http://youtu.be/9kal7soRvT0
And there's where iOS has prevented RODE from allowing this effect to be useful in RODERec. Because Apple places boundaries around what apps can access and what they cannot, RODE can't access the audio before it is converted to digital. It is simply a decision that Apple made to help ensure the stability and reliability of their OS.
I don't blame either company. It is a stretch to expect that a phone would have the ability to be an amazing audio recorder.
A limiter effect would be possible with add-on products that connect to phones, as long as that add-on device did the limiting before the audio was sent to the phone.
The same applies to the other effects that one might like to apply at record time like a compressor.
I suppose things like a low cut filter might be ok to use, or the hiss reducer, but I'd rather apply that stuff in post if I must, just because I'm a little bit picky that way. I don't want to apply processing and regret it later when in post I find that it mangled my audio in some way. I'd rather apply that non-destructively in post so I can back out if I must.
And here are my original notes for the episode I was going to film:
How to improve the sound of your dialogue audio using RODERec.
Great app, the full version is priced at $5.99 USD.
Some have complained that it crashes in the reviews but I have not had that problem on my 3rd generation iPad (on iOS 6 and iOS 7), iPad Air or my iPhone 5S.
Now for the processing--I believe this is only available in the full version, not the LE version.
- Why would you want to do any processing? - The most common use case I run into is this: I'm filming talent and before we start rolling, I have them speak for a few minutes (if it is an interview) or run through a few of their lines if they are acting and set the input level or gain on my recorder. But then during the recording, the talent or actor speaks louder, their dialogue may clip--get too loud for the recorder to record which makes some pretty nasty sounding, unusable audio… - Another use case: You have a tight timeline and you don't have enough time to painstakingly edit each audio clip, at least not extensively. - In both of these cases, the built-in processing by iZotope can help. Incidentally, iZotope is a pretty well respected audio processing company in the audio space so this is a pretty awesome feature of this app. - How can the processing help?
- Using Mild Compression setting will solve one of the two problems above: - It will NOT help prevent clipping. It seems like the way this is working is that the audio is captured, clips and all, then run through the compressor. So this will not prevent clipping! You have to get your gain right before recording. - The mild compression feature can also speed up your post production workflow by taking care of evening out dialogue while you record, so you don't have to do that in post. In this case, you can pretty much just normalize the file and be on your way. If you use Premiere pro, for example, you can just right click on the audio track, choose audio gain, and then choose normalize all peaks to -0.1 db.
- What are the risks with doing this? - The compression is baked into the audio track and you can't easily uncompress it. So if you want a recording with a lot of dynamic range for whatever reason, you probably don't want to use this processing option. - Overall, I find this pretty useful and pretty low-risk but remember that you still have to watch out for clipping. In outboard analogue gear, the compressor usually manages the spikes before the recording is stored. Not so with RodeRec.
Other Presets--I don't find these useful as often, but here's what they do: - Rumble reducer - helpful if you have a lot of low frequency rumble you want to control. If this is really a problem, my first choice would be to figure out how to stop the low frequency rumble which often means recording somewhere else. - Hiss reducer - helpful cutting hiss by simply EQing out some of the sound above 10K. Same as above, if you're recording in a space with a lot of this hiss, you may be better off eliminating the source of the hiss or moving to a different place to record. - Soft Clip Limiter - Sort of like a more extreme version of the compressor. Not quite as useful because the effect is pretty imposing/noticeable when recording dialogue. More useful as a special effect. - Hard Clip Limiter - Even more extreme than the soft clip limiter. Again, not quite as useful for normal dialogue but more as a special effect, maybe for recording screamo music?
Note, you can only use one preset at a time and I find that of all of these, the mild compression preset is the most relevant and useful for speeding up your workflow when recording dialogue.
Lavalier Microphone Comparison Results
We’ve done a bunch of episodes on lavalier microphones including reviews, technique, which recorders they work best with and, well, maybe we’ve been a little too obsessed with lavalier microphones. But one thing we have not done is blindly pit them one against the other to see which one sounds best—by that I mean, not tell you which is which, just let you listen to each one where the talent speaks the same dialogue. Last week we did just that and now, the results are in! Let’s see which mics won at the blind comparison test!
Here's the key to which mic was which in the original comparison:
http://youtu.be/eIIbmA7pdGw
Tried a new camera angle. Not sure it is the most flattering for me. Ideally, it should be a little less off to the side, just slightly more straight-on so that my nose doesn't extend beyond my far cheek. The problem is that I have this huge desk in the way. May need to look at reconfiguring the "studio".
Which Lav Mic Sounds Best? The Original Sound Files
By popular demand, here are the .wav files used in the blind comparison of 6 lavalier microphones for your listening pleasure. In each case the file is the raw .wav file recorded in 24 bit 48 kHz, normalized to -4 db. No additional processing. Even includes my voice-over mistakes.
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mastered-12-Giant-Squid.wav"][/audio]
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mastered-13-HMNSound-MicroLav.wav"][/audio]
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mastered-10-RODE-smartLav+.wav"][/audio]
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mastered-14-Audio-Technica-Pro-70.wav"][/audio]
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mastered-15-Audio-Technica-AT899.wav"][/audio]
[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mastered-11-ATR-3350.wav"][/audio]
Which Lav Mic Sounds Best?
Now, many of you are probably here to find out which mic is which from the blind comparison we posted over on YouTube. So if you haven't already, go ahead and have a listen here and choose which one or two mics you prefer, then scroll down to see which mic you chose.
First I need to say more stuff so that you don't accidentally see the results before listening to the comparison episode. If you haven't watched it yet, make sure to watch it in 1080 HD so that you get the best possible (least compressed) sound that YouTube has to offer.
Now to stall a little more so that you don't accidentally get a glimpse of the mics, let me tell you a little bit about my new site here. I've been getting it ready a little at a time over the last several months and I hope you find it useful. My goal is to give you a few more nuggets of useful info in between episodes over at my YouTube channel. So if you are looking for little ideas or insights from time to time, check back in here!
Ok, thanks for your patience. Just wanted to be 100% sure you didn't accidentally stumble upon the list of mics before listening to them and making your choice. And now that you've done your homework, here's the big reveal!
Microphone A: Giant Squid
Microphone B: HMNSound MicroLav - no longer in business
Microphone C: RODE smartLav+
Microphone D: Audio Technica Pro70
Microphone E: Audio Technica AT899
Microphone F: Audio Technica ATR-3350
What do you think? Surprised by your choice? Do you have expensive taste or is one of the lower cost options your favorite? I'm still trying to decide but I think that either B or E sound the best to me. And the only one I don't ever use for dialogue is D which is better suited to my live instrument micing projects.
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