Aputure's New Light Dome III versus Light Dome Mini: Which Softbox Is Right For You?
In this episode we take a look at Aputure’s new and improved Light Dome soft box: the Light Dome III! This iteration of the Light Dome is now easier than ever to set up and tear down, pack, and transport in addition to still delivering the reliable performance we know and love from Aputure lights and modifiers. In this episode we cover the Light Dome III’s new features, compare it to a few similar soft boxes and diffusion modifiers, and discuss whether or not this might be the right soft box for you and your lighting kit. Let’s take a closer look!
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H
- Aputure Light Dome II Softbox — B&H, Amazon
- Aputure Light Dome Mini II Softbox — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200x S Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 60d S 60-Watt LED Light — B&H, Amazon
- 48x48” Chimera Frame and Fabric — B&H: Frame & Fabric
- Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Condenser Mic — B&H, Amazon
- Sound Devices MixPre Series II Recoders — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devices 888 Field Recorder/Mixer — B&H, Sweetwater
- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon
- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H
- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Sound FX with Krotos Studio & Q&A
In this week's session, we'll demo Krotos Studio, an app which allows you to create sound effects, ambiences, and foley for your video projects. After that, we answer your sound for video questions.
You can try Krotos Studio for free here.
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. We have a course on sound for live-streaming with the ATEM Mini, Introduction to Izotope RX for Dialogue Audio, and Mixing fundamentals in DaVinci Resolve Fairlight.
Gear I often use or that we mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Waves, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Mackie DLZ Creator — B&H, Amazon
- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devies 888 field recorder/mixer — Trew, B&H, Sweetwater
- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Amazon
- Teleprompter Ikan 17" high bright — B&H
- Canon C200 Camera - B&H
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 lens — B&H, Amazon
- ATEM Mini Extreme & Extreme ISO - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Allen & Heath SQ5 Digital Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel, pre-amp, EQ, compressor - Sweetwater, B&H
- Universal Audio 6176 channel strip pre-amp, EQ, compressor — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
Premium Budget Mic for Podcasting: Earthworks SR117
In this episode we take a look at and listen to Earthworks’ SR117 vocal mic! This interesting handheld number is built for high-quality vocal performance just like the beloved SHURE SM58, but this one is a phantom-powered condenser mic rather than a dynamic mic, allowing you to use less gain for similar-sounding results. Its super-flat frequency response also allows you to shape it however you like with EQ in post. In this episode we cover the SR117’s key features, compare it to a few similar mics, and explore situations in which this might be your best choice for a vocal mic. Let’s take a closer look!
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX. See https://school.learnlightandsound.com for more info!
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Earthworks SR117 Supercardioid Vocal Condenser Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Earthworks SR314 Handheld Cardioid Vocal Condenser Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater
- SHURE SM58 Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devices MixPre Series II Recoders — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devices 888 Field Recorder/Mixer — B&H, Sweetwater
- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200x S LED light — B&H, Amazon, Aputure
- Aputure Light Dome II soft box — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H
- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Earthworks SR117 & Q&A
In this week's session, we'll have a look at and a listen to two new-ish products — the Earthworks SR117 handheld condenser microphone and the new RODE DS2 desktop microphone stand. The Earthworks SR117 was designed for live performance, much like the Shure SM58 and similar microphones, but is, instead, a condenser microphone. The DS2 is a newly designed desktop microphone stand from RODE which can hold microphones up to 900g. After that, we answer your sound for video questions.
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. We have a course on sound for live-streaming with the ATEM Mini, Introduction to Izotope RX for Dialogue Audio, and Mixing fundamentals in DaVinci Resolve Fairlight.
Gear I often use or that we mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Waves, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Earthworks SR117 handheld condenser microphon — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- RODE DS2 desktop microphone stand — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Mackie DLZ Creator — B&H, Amazon
- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devies 888 field recorder/mixer — Trew, B&H, Sweetwater
- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Amazon
- Teleprompter Ikan 17" high bright — B&H
- Canon C200 Camera - B&H
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 lens — B&H, Amazon
- ATEM Mini Extreme & Extreme ISO - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Allen & Heath SQ5 Digital Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel, pre-amp, EQ, compressor - Sweetwater, B&H
- Universal Audio 6176 channel strip pre-amp, EQ, compressor — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
New from Aputure: Amaran Spotlight SE!
In this episode we take a look at Amaran’s new Spotlight SE! This smaller version of the original Spotlight mount works with a variety of Aputure and Amaran lights up to 300 watts, is available with two different lens options, and comes with almost every gobo you could possibly need. In this episode we cover the Spotlight SE’s key features and demonstrate several ways in which you might use it most effectively. Let’s take a closer look!
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX. for more info!
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, Amazon, B&H
- Aputure Spotlight Mount (original, larger, heavier, more expensive) — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 150c RGBWW Bowens mount light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 300c RGBWW Bowens mount light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 100d/S daylight Bowens mount light (daylight only lights put out more light, but cannot change color temperature) — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 100x/S bi-color Bowens mount light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200d/S daylight Bowens mount light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200x/S bi-color Bowens mount light (This is the light I use as my key light for talking head video 90% of the time. Incredible color quality and I only have to set the dimmer between 10 and 20% for most talking head shots) — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Condenser Microphone — B&H, Amazon
- Sound Devices 888 Field Recorder/Mixer — B&H, Sweetwater
- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200x S LED light — B&H, Amazon, Aputure
- Aputure Light Dome II soft box — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H
- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Dialogue Compression Ear Training & Q&A
In this week's session, it's time for some ear training. When working with dialogue audio, I find it helps to train your ears and so that's exactly what we'll do here. We'll use a compressor to help you HEAR how this changes the quality of sound. After that, we answer your sound for video questions.
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. We have a course on sound for live-streaming with the ATEM Mini and just added Introduction to Izotope RX for Dialogue Audio.
Gear I often use or that we mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Waves, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Mackie DLZ Creator — B&H, Amazon
- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devies 888 field recorder/mixer — Trew, B&H, Sweetwater
- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Amazon
- Teleprompter Ikan 17" high bright — B&H
- Canon C200 Camera - B&H
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 lens — B&H, Amazon
- ATEM Mini Extreme & Extreme ISO - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Allen & Heath SQ5 Digital Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel, pre-amp, EQ, compressor - Sweetwater, B&H
- Universal Audio 6176 channel strip pre-amp, EQ, compressor — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
Zoom F6: Is it time to upgrade your recorder?
In this episode we discuss whether or not you should upgrade to a new recorder from your ZOOM F6. We cover things to consider when choosing a potential new recorder– and when to pass on shiny new tech. In this episode we examine what’s available on the market in late 2023, show you how to determine whether recorder features will be useful to your workflow, and give you some opinions on and examples of when it’s best to upgrade versus not. Let’s take a closer look!
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Zoom F6 Field Recorder/Mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Zoom F8n Pro Field Recorder/Mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devices MixPre II Series — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devices 888 Field Recorder/Mixer — B&H, Sweetwater
- Sennheiser MKH 50 Supercardioid Condenser Microphone— B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sennheiser MKH 416 Supercardioid Shotgun Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Condenser Microphone — B&H, Amazon
- Mogami XLR cables — B&H
- Canare XLR cables — B&H
- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200x S LED light — B&H, Amazon, Aputure
- Aputure Light Dome II soft box — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H
- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
Sound for Video Session: Dialogue Audio Ear Training & Q&A
In this week's session, it’s time for some ear training. When working with dialogue audio, I find it helps to train your ears and so that's exactly what we'll do here. We'll use an equalizer and compressor to help you HEAR how these change the quality of sound. After that, we answer your sound for video questions.
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. We have a course on sound for live-streaming with the ATEM Mini and just added Introduction to Izotope RX for Dialogue Audio.
Gear I often use or that we mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Waves, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Mackie DLZ Creator — B&H, Amazon
- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sound Devies 888 field recorder/mixer — Trew, B&H, Sweetwater
- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Amazon
- Teleprompter Ikan 17" high bright — B&H
- Canon C200 Camera - B&H
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 lens — B&H, Amazon
- ATEM Mini Extreme & Extreme ISO - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Allen & Heath SQ5 Digital Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel, pre-amp, EQ, compressor - Sweetwater, B&H
- Universal Audio 6176 channel strip pre-amp, EQ, compressor — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
Awesome 4017b/MKH-416 Alternative: DPA 2017 Shotgun Microphone!
In this episode we take a look at and listen to DPA’s new shotgun mic, the 2017. This sibling to the 4017b shares the classic and characteristic sound of DPA mics, but has a completely new design both in terms of feature set, capsule, and internal electronics. In this episode we listen to some raw sound samples from the 2017 as well as a variety of similar mics, walk through the 2017’s feature set, and rigorously compare it to the 4017b. Let’s take a closer look!
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- DPA 2017 Supercardioid Condenser Shotgun Microphone — B&H
- DPA 4017b Shotgun Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Sennheiser MKH416 Supercardioid Condenser Shotgun Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200x S LED light — B&H, Amazon, Aputure
- Aputure Light Dome II soft box — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H
- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
RODE NT1 Signature Series?! Great sound, price (and colors, if you're into that)
In this episode we take a look at and listen to RODE’s latest studio condenser microphone, the NT1 Signature Series. This is the newest version of RODE’s large diaphragm condenser microphone with an XLR output for the ridiculously tiny price of $159 USD. It includes a shock mount, XLR cable, pop filter, and a dust cover as well as an industry leading 10 year warranty. Let’s take a closer look!
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 F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- RODE NT1 Signature Series microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- RODE NT1 5th Generation microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- Neumann U87 Ai microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon
- On-stage stands desk stand (you will need to add extra weight to the base to avoid tip-over) — B&H, Amazon
- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon
- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon
- Amaran 200x S LED light — B&H, Amazon, Aputure
- Aputure Light Dome II soft box — Aputure, B&H, Amazon
- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon
- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.
Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd
