Live Sound for Video Session: RODE NT1 & Q&A
In this week's Sound for Video Session, we have a Q&A discussion. We're testing out the RODE NT1 large diaphragm condenser microphone. We also talk a bit about Hindenburg's new auto mix feature.
Please consider taking my courses on how to record better audio and post processing.
Gear used or discussed in this session. Most of the links below are affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases:
RODE NT1 large diaphragm condenser microphone - B&H Sweetwater
ATEM Mini Pro livestream switcher/capture device - B&H
ATEM Mini livestream switcher/capture device - B&H
Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun microphone - B&H Sweetwater
Audio Technica AT875R shotgun microphone - B&H
RODE NTG5 shotgun microphone - B&H Sweetwater
Rycote Cyclone wind shield - B&H
Rycote Super Shield wind shield - B&H
RODE Blimp wind shield - B&H
ADAM near-field monitors - B&H Sweetwater
Focal near-field monitors - B&H Sweetwater
Sound Devices MixPre II Series audio recorders - B&H Sweetwater
Shure TwinPlex lavalier microphones - B&H Sweetwater
Sanken COS-11D lavalier microphones - B&H
Voice Technologies VT500 lavalier microphones - B&H
DPA 4160 lavalier microphone - B&H
DEITY W.Lav - B&H Sony MDR-7506 headphones - B&H
Beyerdynamic DT-770 80 ohm headphones - Sweetwater Amazon
RODE NT-SF1 ambisonic microphone - B&H Sweetwater
Sennheiser Ambeo VR 3D microphone - B&H Sweetwater
Zoom H3-VR ambisonic microphone and recorder - B&H
Zoom F series audio recorders - B&H Sweetwater
Novation Launch Control XL MIDI control surface for MixPre - B&H Sweetwater
AKAI MIDIMix control surface for MixPre - B&H Sweetwater
Aputure Tri8 LED light panel - B&H Amazon
Shure SM7B dynamic broadcast microphone - B&H Sweetwater Amazon
Electro-Voice RE20 dynamic broadcast microphone - B&H Sweetwater Amazon
Audio Technica AT4053b hyper-cardioid boom microphone - B&H Sweetwater Amazon
Sennheiser MKH8050 super-cardioid boom microphone - B&H Amazon
Hindenburg audio editing app with auto mix features
Cinema Sound - potential resource for 5.1 monitoring and mixing
Copyright 2020, Curtis Judd
ZOOM LiveTrak L-8 For Podcasting
In today’s episode, we have an overview of the ZOOM LiveTrak L-8 audio recorder/mixer. This little thing can work nicely for podcasting or musicians but we’ll focus on the features relevant to podcasting. This competitor to the RODECaster Pro prompted me to have a closer look and talk about the differences and which may be a better fit for you.
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses at https://school.learnlightandsound.com including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Zoom LiveTrak L-8 Recorder/Mixing Board - B&H
- RODECaster Pro Podcasting Recorder/Mixer - B&H
- Shure SM7B Dynamic Broadcast Microphone - B&H
- Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Microphone - B&H
- Cloudlifter Microphone Activator - B&H
- FETHead Microphone Activator - B&H
- Anker USB Battery Bank - B&H
- SD Card I used for the LiveTrak L-8 - B&H
- Panasonic GH5 Camera used for most B-Roll shots - B&H Amazon
Panasonic GH5S Camera use for talking head shots - B&H Amazon
- Olympus 45mm f/1.8 Micro 4/3 Lens - B&H Amazon
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - B&H Amazon
Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed: http://share.mscbd.fm/curtisjudd Copyright 2020, Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Sound Devices MixPre II Series
In this week's live Sound for Video Session, We talk about the just announced Sound Devices MixPre II Series of recorders. Sound Devices has added 32 bit float wav recording which they claim enables recording of 142dB of dynamic range. In addition, The 3 and 6 now both have 192kHz sample rate support, all three have USB backup copy capability, adjustable limiters, and 10 second pre-roll.
Sample 32-bit float files from MixPre II: https://www.sounddevices.com/sample-32-bit-float-and-24-bit-fixed-wav-files/
Explanation of the benefits of 32-bit float audio recording: https://www.sounddevices.com/32-bit-float-files-explained/
Gotham Sound's Summary/Comparison of the new MixPre II models: https://www.gothamsound.com/news/mixpre-ii-mix-harder
Gear discussed in this session:
Sound Devices MixPre 10 II - B&H
Sound Devices MixPre 6 II - B&H
Sound Devices MixPre 3 II - B&H
Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd
Ethics statement: Some of the links above are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links.
Zoom F6 Initial Impressions: Wide Dynamic Range Audio Field Recorder
Zoom announced their new F6 audio field recorder for film and video at NAB 2019. I was fortunate enough to borrow a pre-production copy for a couple of days and ran it through some initial tests. In particular, I wanted to see how well this dual analogue to digital conversion with 32 bit float WAV recording worked and whether it really prevented clipping. I was also curious as to how clean the recordings would be. To my delight, the F6 records extraordinary amounts of dynamic range so you don’t have to worry about clipping nor do you need to be terribly concerned with noise floor. This tiny recorder is impressive!
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F8 and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.
Links to gear used in this video:
Zoom F6 Audio Field Recorder
Zoom BTA-1 Bluetooth adapter - required to run the iOS control app
Lupo Superpanel Full Color 60 - Used for the blue background
Falconeyes 120TDX - (Amazon) 4’ x 4’ LED roll-flex panel light used as a key light and for the table-top product shots
Olympus 45mm f/1.8 Lens - (Amazon) used on the talking head shots
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - (Amazon) used on the Pocket 4K for the product shots
Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - used to shoot the talking head and most of the product shots
Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd
Music Copyright 2018 by Cary Judd. Used with permission.
Sound Devices Scorpio - NAB 2019
As part of our coverage of the Nation Association of Broadcaster’s show in Las Vegas in April 2019, we talked with Paul Isaacs at Sound Devices about their new flagship mixer/recorder called Scorpio. This is a device which is aimed at larger budget, very demanding productions where lots of inputs and lots of outputs are required.
Please consider my sound for video classes available over at our school.
Gear discussed and used to record this episode:
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens
Electrovoice RE50L Dynamic Interview Microphone
Sound Devices 633 Mixer/Recorder
Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd
Music Copyright 2017 by TVAC. Used with permission
Zoom F6 - NAB 2019
Zoom just announced their new F6 field recorder for location sound audio recording. Rather than just tweak the form factor, which they did, they also moved to dual analogue to digital converters which record to 32 bit. So the way you record changes pretty dramatically. When recording to 32 bit, you don't set the gain trim (there is none), you simply adjust the fader for each input channel. If you missed the level, no problem, in post you can cleanly normalize to the levels you need with no degradation in audio quality.
They've also switched up a few other things: The screen is a slightly smaller version of the high resolution screen from the F8n, the back of the recorder is a Sony NP-F (L series) battery sled, and you can now power the F6 via its USB-C input. The same quality timecode generator from the F8n is on board, this time with a 3.5mm TRS input/output jack. The F6 has a single SD card slot for recording media and still includes the advanced hybrid limiter when you record in 24 bit.
Auto mix is included and the with an adapter, you can use the Zoom Control app for iOS. You can also use the Zoom F-Control control surface.
We'll have a full review after the F6 starts shipping, hopefully in June 2019. Pricing still to be announced.
Gear discussed and used to record this interview:
Zoom F6 at Amazon - Coming Soon
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens
Electrovoice RE50L Dynamic Interview Microphone
Sound Devices 633 Audio Field Recorder/Mixer
Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd
Music Copyright 2017 by TVAC. Used with permission.
Audio Recorders for Filmmaking 2019: Choosing a Sound Recorder for Your Video Projects
In this episode, I explain my opinions on each of the sound recorders and mixers I’ve used for filmmaking. This includes the following. Click the links to jump ahead:
00:36 Zoom H1, H1n, and Tascam DR-05 Handheld recorders
03:00 Zoom F1 lavalier and on-camera recorder
05:17 Tascam DR-10L and Lectrosonics PDR mini body pack lavalier recorders
06:43 Tascam DR-60DmkII, Zoom H4n Pro, Zoom H5, Zoom H6
11:53 Centrance Mixerface R4R
12:50 Roland R-88 (Discontinued but can find used)
13:48 Zoom F4/F8/F8n, Sound Devices MixPre, Tascam DR-701D
32:21 Sound Devices 600 Series and Zaxcom Maxx, Nomad, & Deva
Recorder/Mixer Reviews - If you want more detail:
Zoom H1n: Handheld recorder which is a good option for using it like a wireless lavalier recorder
Zoom F1: Small recorder made for recording lavalier microphones or as a camera-top shotgun mic
Tascam DR-10L: This is my favorite tiny recorder for using in place of a wireless lavalier microphone
Lectrosonics PDR: Pro level lavalier microphone recorder.
Tascam DR-60DmkII: My favorite budget recorder with XLR inputs for recording on location
Zoom H4n Pro: Ok option if your XLR microphone has a strong output signal. Not a good option for mics like the RODE NTG2
Zoom H6: Much better option than the H4n Pro. But the screen is hard to see in direct sunlight
Centrance Mixerface R4R: Incredibly durable handheld recorder with 2 XLR inputs, great preamps, but no screen
Zoom F4: 4 XLR microphone inputs. Very good preamps and timecode generator
Zoom F8n: Probably the most value for money. 8 XLR inputs with great preamplifiers and durable build
Sound Devices MixPre-6: 4 XLR inputs, very good preamplifiers, analogue limiters, and durable build
Sound Devices MixPre-10T: 8 XLR inputs, very good preamplifiers, analogue limiters, timecode generator, and durable build. This is my backup recorder/mixer for paid jobs.
Zoom F8, Sound Devices MixPre-6, and 633 Sound Sample Comparison: Hear the difference between the Zoom F, Sound Devices MixPre, and Sound Devices 633. You’ll need some good headphones or speakers.
Zoom F vs Sound Devices MixPre - Which should you buy?: A little perspective on which might be best for you.
Sound Devices MixPre Control Surfaces: If you’re at a table, desk, or cart, these control surfaces can make mixing a little easier.
Zoom F-Control Control Surface: If you’re at a table, desk or cart, these control surfaces can make mixing a little easier.
Sound Devices 633: Why pros use expensive recorders/mixers like the 633
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Fairlight and Audition, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F8 and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.
Links to gear used in this video:
Tascam DR-05 (Amazon)
Tascam DR-60DmkII (Amazon)
Anker USB-C Battery Bank (Amazon)
Aputure COB 120DII LED Light (Amazon)
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Panasonic 12-35mm F/2.8 OIS Lens
Panasonic GH5 (Amazon)
Panasonic GH5S (Amazon)
Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd
Music Copyright 2018 by Cary Judd. Used with permission.
RODECaster Pro Review
In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the new RODECaster Pro recorder, mixer, and audio interface designed specifically for podcasting and recording panel discussions. I have to confess that I was originally not that enthused about the RODECaster Pro, but now that I’ve use it a for a couple of weeks, WOW! I’m surprised by the quality of sound that it produces and find the effects more effective than I expected. It is much easier to use than most mixers for those that aren’t audio engineers making this a great choice for those less interested in spending lots of time learning how to get better sound for their podcasts. And even for audio nerds like me...well, I'm buying this which was originally just on loan for the review!
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F8 and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.
Links to gear used in this video:
Sony MDR-7506 - My go-to headphones for when I’m recording
Audio Technica AT2005 Dynamic Microphone - I recorded this episode with this microphone. Amazing mic for its price!
Electrovoice RE20 - Classic broadcast dynamic microphone. Dani was recorded with this in our demo
Shure SM7b - another classic broadcast dynamic microphone. Almost everyone sounds awesome with this microphone
Electrovoice RE50L - A common reporter’s microphone. Emma was recorded with this in our demo
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - I used this to record most of this episode
Panasonic 12-35mm F/2.8 OIS Lens - Used on the Pocket 4K camera
Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd
Music Copyright 2019 by Cary Judd. Used with permission.
Zoom F8n Review
The Zoom F8n is the latest F-series audio recorders from Zoom aimed at filmmakers. The F8n is an evolutionary upgrade from the original F8 with some useful hardware and software upgrades including advanced hybrid limiters, AutoMix, simultaneous recording to a computer as an audio interface and internally to the F8n, timecode generator that keeps time while the recorder is powered off for up to 2 hours, mic/line selectable inputs, pro line-level balanced outputs, and many more features that pros demand. And this is available at a groundbreaking price that makes it accessible to many independent filmmakers - $1000 USD at the time of this review. Let’s run through a few of the highlights in this video.
If you’d like to learn how to get the most out of the Zoom F8 or F8n, please consider my course over at our school.
Links to gear used in this video:
Zoom F8n Audio Field Recorder
Orca OR-28 Sound Bag - I have the slightly larger OR-30. Great, sturdy bag. The OR-28 was made specifically for recorders the size of the F8/F8n
TA3F to XLRM Adapter - to adapt the outputs from mini to standard XLR. This allows you to run sound to pro-level cameras, wireless headsets for directors, producers, or script supervisors, or any other audio device with balanced XLR inputs.
JuiceBox V-mount Battery - 95 Watt Hour
Aputure COB120t - Key light for the talking head portions of this video
Aputure Light Dome II - Newer version of the big soft box with faster setup and gel holder
Lupo Superpanel Full Color 30 - RGBW 1x1 panel light for the funky background colors
LED GO E268C Bi-color Edge-lit LED Pad - super thin and light, making it a great soft light source for tight spaces
Vistek Canada (also ship to USA)
Sennheiser MKH 8050 - This is the boom mic used to record this episode
Panasonic GH5 Camera - Used for all of the product shots
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - this is the the lens I use more than any other on the GH5s
Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd
Music Copyright 2018 by Cary Judd. Used with permission.
Sound for Video Session: Meter Types (featuring the Zoom F8 & F8n)
In this week’s session, we share an excerpt from the upcoming online course, “Getting the Most From Your Zoom F8/F8n Recorder.” In this particular segment, we cover the different types of meters and when you might want o use each type. - VU, peak, dBFS, and dBu. You’ll be a better audio engineer once you understand this.
Gear and links discussed/used to record this episode:
Zoom F8n Audio Field Recorder (2018)
Zoom F8 Audio Field Recorder (2015):
Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd
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.
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