Sound for Video Session: Setting up the Sound Devices MixPre-10T as an Audio Interface

If you're interested in the full Sound Devices MixPre course, you can find it at our school.

The Sound Devices MixPre-10T has the added benefit of balanced XLR outputs which make it more convenient to connect powered monitors/speakers with balanced inputs. On the flip side, the MixPre-10T cannot be powered via USB. My preferred method to power the 10T when using it as an audio interface is to use an AC to hirose adapter (linked below).

TA3-F to XLR-M Adapter Cable

Balanced XLR Cable (if your monitors have balanced XLR inputs)

Balanced XLR to 1/4" TRS Cable (if your monitors have balanced 1/4" inputs)

AC to Hirose adapter to power the MixPre-10T (does not work with MP3 or 6)

ASIO Drivers for Windows (so that you can use all of the MixPre-10T's inputs)

Drivers are NOT needed for MacOS as the MixPres are CoreAudio compatible.

Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: What are Impedance and THD and Other Specs?

In this week's sound for video session, I talk through a couple of the specifications you often see listed for microphones, preamps, recorders and such: Impedance & Total Harmonic Distortion. We also talk about impedance bridging and what this means when choosing a microphone, recorder, mixer, or preamp.

Impedance Bridging article at Wikipedia.

Steve Hogan forum entry re: impedance bridging

Sound Reinforcement Handbook (2nd Edition), Davis & Jones

This episode shot/recorded with:

Lectrosonics PDR (Body Recorder with Timecode)
Lectrosonics HM172 Omnidirectional Headset Microphone
Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera (the noise you hear in the background was the fan in this camera)
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART Lens

Outro music licensed from Artlist: Midday Moon by Vikings in Tibet. 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.

Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: 2017 Audio Gear Highlights

In this week's sound for video session, I talk through some of the highlights in sound gear for film and video in 2017.

This episode shot/recorded with:

RODELink Filmmaker kit (I did NOT use the included lavalier microphone)
Voice Technologies VT500 Lavalier Microphone
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer
Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART Lens

Music licensed from Artlist: Midday Moon by Vikings in Tibet. 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.

Previous Episodes covering the gear in more detail:

Tentacle Sync E:

Ambient Recording NanoLockit:

Zoom F-Control:

Mixing Sound for 2 People:

Sound Devices MixPre-6:

MixPre vs Zoom Series:

Sound Devices MixPre-10T:

5 Shotgun Microphones:

RODE VideoMic Pro+:

Tascam DR-10L:

Izotope RX6:

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Voice Technologies VT Duplex Headset Microphone Overview

In this week's sound for video session, we talk about and demonstrate the Voice Technologies VT Duplex Omni-directional headset mic. Headset mics are a good option when the presenter or talent may be moving around a fair bit, you want to ensure that the audio doesn’t drop when they turn their head, and it is ok for the microphone to show in picture.

This episode shot/recorded with:

Sennheiser EW112 G3 Wireless Microphone Kit (be sure to check which frequencies you are legally allowed to use in your country)
Voice Technologies VT Duplex Headset Microphone
Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART Lens

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.

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Tentacle Sync E and MixPre, Booking Jobs, Mixing 2 Boom Mics, and More

In this week’s Sound for Video Session, we cover the following questions:

00:13 Does a Tentacle Sync E write audio or meta data timecode to the MixPre-3?
00:38 How do you book a location sound job?
03:50 How do you mix 5.1 surround in Premiere Pro (we cannot answer this, but cover why you probably want to do this in Audition instead)
05:02 Does using two boom mics make more work for post production? Should I instead use one boom mic and queue between the talent?
07:40 Here’s my audio post workflow. Any suggestions to improve it?
10:47 With Tentacle Sync E, I’m not getting any audio into my Canon C100mkII. Help!
14:59 How do I break into the semi-pro corporate video world and start earning money?
18:00 Questions about Zoom F8 on a documentary film.
23:49 Why can I not power my Sound Devices MixPre-3 with my Anker USB Power Bank?
26:28 Should I use Audition or Izotope RX to process my dialogue audio?
33:29 Should I buy the Zoom F4 or Sound Devices MixPre-3?
35:27 Bonus: How much light does the Aputure COB300d put out at two meters with the light dome?

Zoom F4/F8 vs Sound Devices MixPre-3/6:

Links for gear, videos, and lists discussed here.

Gear In my Kit - see all the details with links over at Kit

3.5mm TRS to dual XLR cable for getting timecode and audio into Canon C100
Dugan Automixer Plugin
Comparison of Izotope RX Versions: Elements vs Standard vs Advanced

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Order of Operations - Processing Dialogue Audio

In this week's sound for video session, we cover my thoughts on which order I apply each effect or process when cleaning and sweetening dialogue audio.

This episode shot/recorded with:

Sennheiser EW112 G3 Wireless Microphone Kit (be sure to check which frequencies you are legally allowed to use in your country)

Voice Technologies VT Duplex Headset Microphone

Panasonic GH5 Camera

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Lens

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Zoom F4/F8 Limiters & Packing Checklist for Location Sound Job

In this week's episode, I discuss how the limiters in the Zoom F4 and F8 recorders work (not just simply digital limiters) and walk through the location sound job packing checklist I use before each job.

Sound Samples of Digital and Analogue Limiters:

Checklist for gear you need on location sound jobs: https://drive.google.com/open?id=13sI0mGplMC5p2VZHXotDdg9mSdvJVspP2H9_6qyn4Pw

Gear In my Kit - see all the details with links over at kit.co

Sound Devices 633 Recorder
Sound Devices MixPre-10T Recorder
K-Tek Avalon Carbon Boom Pole
Orca OR-30 Sound Bag
Orca OR-40 Audio Harness
Rycote Cyclone Wind Shield
Schoeps CMC641 Super Cardioid Boom Microphone
Sennheiser 8050 Super Cardioid Boom Microphone
Voice Technologies VT500 Lavalier Microphone
Sanken COS-11D Lavalier Microphone
Rycote Stickies (for concealing lavalier microphones)
Sony MDR-7506 Closed Back Headphones
Comtek Audio Feed Kit
Sennheiser EW112 G3 Wireless Microphone Kit (be sure to check which frequencies you are legally allowed to use in your country)
RODELink Wireless Filmmaker Kit

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Audio Quality, Mixing and Loudness, Smartphones, Cables, Fairlight

In this week's Sound for Video Session, we answer questions about the following:

00:10 Camera vs audio recorder quality?

01:49 Mixing and loudness - which order should you do thing?

04:50 Gear for recording high quality audio with smartphones?

08:04 I'm picking up an AM radio station in my recordings, what should I do?

09:45 Sound Devices 633 - which inputs do you use for wireless and boom mics?

14:52 How to record in live theater?

16:44 When do you use a shotgun vs. a supercardioid when recording indoors?

18:12 How do you set levels when run & gunning?

19:22 How do I record better quality audio to smartphones?

21:56 What's the next step up in quality for wireless (up from RODELink, Sennheiser G3)?

26:39 What are your impressions on DaVinci Resolve and Fairlight for audio processing?

30:47 Do microphone cables that cost more make a difference?

Previous session on recording live sound with Mike Stranks:

Links to gear discussed:

Remote Audio 25 foot Canare Microphone Cable

Shure TA3-F to XLR-M Adapter Cable (e.g., to take a feed from DJ mixing board to SD 633 line input)

RODE iXLR - Adapter for Dynamic XLR Microphones to Apple Lightning (record with reporters' microphones to your iPhone)

Saramonic SmartRig+ XLR to 3.5mm preamplifier and adapter with phantom power.

Review:

Lectrosonics Professional Wireless Systems

Presonus Faderport Controller Surface for Mixing - affordable, motorized linear fader makes mixing easier and quicker.

Mogami Professional XLR Microphone Cables

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Tools for Dialogue Sound De-noising Audition, RX

In this week's episode we cover three tools you can use to help reduce noise in your dialogue audio recordings: High pass filters, de-hum, and de-noise plugins. We cover most of this in Adobe Audition but also jump over into Izotope RX to show the same set of tools. The same principles apply for other audio editing apps as well.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Boom Microphone

Voice Technologies VT-500 Lavalier Microphone

Sound Devices 633 Audio Recorder/Mixer

Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Microphone - used to record this session

Antelope Audio Orion Studio Audio Interface

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Sound Jobs and Recording in Noisy Places

This week we answer a couple of sound questions:
- What types of sound jobs are most in demand?
- Which microphones can you use to record in very noisy places like factories?

Example of how much noise isolation you can expect from the RODE Reporter handheld microphone: 

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:

Voice Technologies Duplex Cardioid Headset Microphone (this will provide more isolation from noise than most other options)

RODE HS2 Headset Microphone (another headset microphone, slightly less expensive but with an omni-directional polar pattern)

RODE Reporter Handheld Microphone (I used this to record interviews at the NAB show with good results)

Sennheiser MD 46 Cardioid Handheld Microphone (More noise isolation but you have to keep it close to whomever is speaking)

RODE iXLR (Allows you to connect the RODE Reporter or Sennheiser MD 46 or any other dynamic XLR microphone to your iPhone and your phone becomes the audio recorder or camera - also used this in the interview with Paul from Sound Devices above)

Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Microphone - used to record this session

Antelope Audio Orion Studio Audio Interface

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd