Sound for Video Session — DPA 4017b Shotgun Microphone & Q&A

In this session, we'll have a look and listen to the DPA 4017b shotgun microphone. This has been my primary shotgun microphone for 6 or 7 years now and still my go-to when capturing sound outdoors for most productions. We'll get you some sound samples relative to the Sennheiser MKH416, RODE NTG3, and RODE NTG5 for reference. We'll also demonstrate its off-axis response. Then we'll 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, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- DPA 4017b shotgun microphone with B preamp — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices 888 field recorder/mixer with Dante — B&H, Sweetwater

- Mackie DLZ Creator XS adaptive audio mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Mackie DLZ Creator adaptive audio mixer (the original, bigger one) — B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Allen & Heath SQ5 digital mixing board — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- 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

- 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 2024, Curtis Judd

MOVO X3 II Budget Shotgun Mic: Quality Audio for Cheap?!

In this episode we have a look at and listen to the new MOVO X3-II shotgun microphone. This budget shotgun mic is a solid option for anyone building out their first filmmaking kit, but its audio quality is definitely good enough for pro-sumer applications as well! Noteworthy features include both camera-top and boom pole mounting solutions, an inbuilt high pass filter, and multiple powering options. Let’s take a closer look and listen!

You can find more from Allen on his channel 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. 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, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- MOVO X3 II Shotgun Microphone — Amazon

Some of my other studio gear:

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — Aputure, 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 2024, Curtis Judd

The White House Microphone - SHURE SM57 with Michael Pettersen

In this week's session, SHURE's historian, Michael Pettersen, joins us to talk about the history of the SM57 dynamic microphone at the White House — the residence and office of the President of the United States of America.

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:

- SHURE SM57 dynamic broadcast microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Amazon

- 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 2024, Curtis Judd

DJI Mic 2 Review vs. RODE Wireless PRO!

In this episode we finally review the much-anticipated DJI Mic 2! This new generation of one of the most-loved consumer wireless systems on the market brings it up to date with the rest of the comparable market: 32-bit float capability, dual-channel recording, 250 meter range, and improved 18-hour total battery life. In this video we’ll listen to some sound samples and feature tests, take an in-depth look at everything new to this version, and compare it to the RODE Wireless PRO. Let’s take a closer look and listen!

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, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- DJI Mic 2 All-In-One Wireless Microphone System — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- RODE Wireless PRO Compact Wireless Microphone System — RODE, B&H

Some of my other gear used in this episode:

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — Aputure, 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 2024, Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Choosing a microphone with Audio Buff and Matt Ruff

In this week's session, we're joined by Audio Buff and Matt Ruff to talk about how to choose the right microphone for various situations. Audio Buff and Matt both have experience in front of house mixing so we'll pick their brains on what they've learned about choosing microphones!

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, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Mackie DLZ Creator XS adaptive audio mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Mackie DLZ Creator adaptive audio mixer (the original, bigger one) — B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Allen & Heath SQ5 digital mixing board — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices 888 field recorder/mixer with Dante — 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

- 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 2024, 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

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

Sound for Video Session: DPA 2017 & Q&A

In this week's session, we'll first have a listen to the new DPA 2017 shotgun microphone compared to a few others, including the DPA 4017b and Sennheiser MKH416. 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:

- DPA 2017 shotgun microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- DPA 4017b shotgun microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun microphone — 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

Can You Use a Shotgun Mic Indoors? Shotgun vs Pencil Condenser Boom Microphones

Can you use a shotgun microphone indoors?

In this episode, we critically listen to a variety of boom microphones in a reverberant, echo-y indoor space. We record with a variety of shotgun microphones versus non-shotgun (pencil condenser) boom microphones and answer the question: Can you use a shotgun microphone indoors?

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:

- Sennheiser MKH 416 Supercardioid Shotgun Condenser Microphone — Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- RODE NTG5 Short Shotgun Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Deity S-Mic 2 Shotgun Condenser Microphone — Trew Audio, B&H, Amazon

- Azden SGM-250 Professional Shotgun Microphone — Amazon

- Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Microphone — Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- DPA Microphones 4017B Shotgun Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Audio-Technica AT4053B Hypercardioid Condenser Microphone — B&H, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH 50 Supercardioid Condenser Studio Microphone — Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH 8050 Low-Profile Supercardioid Condenser Microphone — Trew Audio, B&H, Amazon

- Schoeps CMC641 Supercardioid Microphone Set — Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater

- SoundDevices MixPre II Series Audio Recorders — B&H, Sweetwater, Trew Audio, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- K-Tek 36”-12’ Graphite Boom Pole — 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