A low key image of the screen on a professional audio field recorder.

MASTER VIDEO LIGHTING & SOUND

Learn sound and video lighting with our in-depth online courses, weekly livestreams, and gear reivews and tutorials.

Browse Courses

Recent videos

The Amaran 660c LED light fixture is pictured against a blue-to-purple gradient background. A round soft box is attached to the front of the light.

I did not expect this - amaran Ray 660c video light

In this week’s video, we have a look at the new amaran Ray 660C—a surprisingly powerful 660W COB point-source light that brings Aputure-level color accuracy and output to a more affordable line.
A Tascam FR-AV4 recorder is pictured at a jaunty angle on a field of white, with tech-style block letters announcing its name.

TASCAM FR-AV4 - Should you sell your MixPre or F6?

In this week’s video, we take a look at the TASCAM FR-AV4 32-bit float audio field recorder.
Image of ARC ON-EAR headphone DAC and amplifier and a set of Beyerdynamic headphones

Can you mix in headphones? With ARC ON-EAR you probably can

In this week’s video, we take a look at the IK Multimedia ARC ON-EAR headphone correction system.
A variety of shotgun, lavalier, wireless, dynamic, and condenser microphones are scattered against a tropical gradient background to demonstrate the wide variety of microphone types available for different recording purposes.

Microphone Specifications - What do They Mean?

In this week’s episode, we explain what the various microphone specifications mean — things like element type, sensitivity, impedance, self-noise, power requirements, frequency response, and more.
The Core SWX Snap Mighty battery is flanked by two audio recorders- a Zoom F6 on the viewer's left and a Sound Devices MixPre-3 on the right.

Powering Your Sound Kit with the Core SWX Snap Mighty Battery

In this week's episode we experiment on powering our sound kit with the Core SWX Snap Mighty battery.
Thumbnail with the Sennheiser EW-DP SKP wireless XLR plug-on transmitter

Sennheiser EW-DP SKP 32-bit float self noise

In this week’s episode, we answer the question, “Are Sennheiser EW-DP SKP 32-bit float recordings noisy?”
Frequently asked questions

Which microphone should I buy?

This is the first questions almost everyone asks when they decide that they want to create audio or video content. And the answer depends on a lot of things, but for video, I usually recommend a quality boom microphone for indoor recording or a shotgun microphone with a wind shield for outdoor recording. Here's a video which goes into more detail on choosing a shotgun microphone. And these are the microphones I use most often in my work.

How do I reduce background noise in my audio recordings?

Use directional microphones to focus on your subject and minimize ambient sound. Record in quiet environments, and consider using sound blankets to absorb high frequency reflected sound. Post-production noise reduction tools can further reduct noise reduction. Keep in mind that AI audio tools cannot make a really, really bad audio recording sound great. It is always best to start with the cleanest recording possible. And if you can only do two things: 1) sound blankets, 2) turn of noise generating things when recording

What’s the best lighting setup for t?

It depends on the location, but I find that a soft light source on the "far side" of the person's face along with some sort of accent lighting usually works well. Here's an example video showing how to bound light off of a piece of fabric to shoften it.

How can I avoid harsh shadows?

Soft light creates smoother transitions between light and shadow, especially on faces. Soft light is created by using LARGE light emitting surfaces like soft boxes or light bounced off of walls or large reflectors or fabric/muslin.

What file formats should I use for recording dialogue or spoken word audio?

For most video projects, record audio in uncompressed WAV format at 48kHz for optimal quality. I'd suggest you avoid compressed formats like MP3 for recording. Compressed formats like MP3 and AAC are best for final delivery after you've post processed and sweetened the audio.

How do I sync audio and video?

Use a clapperboard or hand clap at the start of each take to create a visual and audio sync point. In post-production, align the audio waveform with the visual cue. Many video editing apps have automatic sync features which use the audio in your video clip to sync the audio from your audio recording and they work quite well. We call this dual-system sync sound.