Audio Gear

Send Audio from Zoom F4 to Camera 3.5mm Mic Input

This is one segment from the upcoming Zoom F4 course which will be available soon at our school.

In this episode, I run through the process of feeding audio out of the Zoom F4 into the 3.5mm microphone input on your hybrid, mirrorless, or DSLR camera. Some cameras make this a little more difficult because their microphone inputs can only be “turned down” so far (lookin’ at your Panasonic), which is not enough. But we also show you how to work around this issue.

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 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 F4 (Amazon) - Audio Recorder and Mixer. Course on how to get the most of your Zoom F4 coming soon!

Juicebox 95Wh Cine Battery (Amazon) - I use this to power my F4 for 8 hours. Need the cable below as well.

And you’ll need this cable:

D-Tap to Hirose 4-pin cable (Amazon) to power the F4 with Cine Batteries

TalentCell 22,400mAh Battery (Amazon) - a less expensive rechargeable battery to power the F4 for many hours

And you’ll also need this cable:

DC Barrel to Hirose Cable (Amazon)

Aputure COB 120DII LED Light (Amazon) - this is my main workhorse light for 90% of my video work.

Nikon Z6 & 24 - 70 f/4 Lens - used in this video to demonstrate how to feed sound from the F4 to camera

Panasonic GH5

Olympus 45mm f/1.8 Lens - wow, super sharp, fast lens. Love this for product shots like this video

Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd

Music Copyright 2019 by Cary Judd. Used with permission.

Help Please: GH5, ATOMOS, MixPre HDMI Timecode and Control

I'm hoping that our community might be able to solve this together.

I've received the same question 4 times this week alone: How do I get timecode and Record Start/Stop controls to work with the GH5, ATOMOS (Ninja V, Sumo, Shogun, etc.), and the MixPre (3, 6, 10T) via HDMI?

I was NOT able to get all of them working by routing and HDMI cable from the GH5 to the Sumo, and from the Sumo to the MixPre. However, I confirmed with the same cables that it works when you use just the GH5 and MixPre or just the GH5 and ATOMOS recorder.

One hypothesis is that an HDMI splitter might solve the problem: Route an HDMI cable from the GH5 to an HDMI splitter, and from there, one of the splitter outputs to the ATOMOS and the other output to from the splitter to the MixPre.

Has anyone had success with this?

If this works, there's still the problem of how to power the HDMI splitter as most of them require power. But I believe there are some which are USB powered so that might work.

Thanks if anyone has information on whether the HDMI splitter approach or any other approach works. I'll create another video if we are able to find a solution.

I know that this is a bit of a Frankenstein type of rig. I don't usually shoot this way but I used to and many others still do for various reasons.

Thanks!

Copyright 2019 - Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Q&A 25 March 2019

In this episode, we answer your questions on sound for video.

00:20 Recording Cars

03:57 Zoom H4n & Samson CO2?

06:22 How to sweeten dialogue sound

11:10 Which boom microphone for indoors?

13:00 Apps to automix dialogue in post?

15:00 MixPre as audio interface - does quality degrade when recording to screen recording app?

16:54 How much PC do I need to run Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve?

18:32 How to capture a noise sample? (Need more info)

18:57 Zoom H6 - remote reduces handling noise?

19:36 How to aim a super cardioid boom microphone

20:50 Replacing lavalier microphone for RODELink

22:28 RODECaster Pro multitrack recording to SD card?

24:12 Batch processing audio in RX and Audition?

25:14 Which sound effects should I record when I'm the mixer for a video?

28:05 Why is my compressor letting peaks through?

29:24 Boom and lavs to director's audio feed? AES42 digital audio with A10 and SD 633?

32:08 Panasonic 991 and timecode and post sync?

35:01 Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and MixPre - line level feed

36:28 Which specs can help you choose a recorder or microphone if you can't try it hands on?

41:11 Which boom mic and recorder do you recommend for interviews for $1200 or less?

43:18 RODE NTG3 or Deity S-Mic 2 sounds closer to the 416?

44:27 What is the difference between the Sound Devices MixPre-3 and MixPre-3M and can I use the "M" version for film and video?

47:55 How do I gain stage a Sennheiser G3 wireless system and Zoom F8n?

49:42 What is a timecode workflow for shooting music videos?

See this workflow information: 

https://www.bamfsound.com/how-to-music-video-playback-with-ltc-timecode/


Gear discussed/used in this session:

RODECaster Pro - used to record this session

Sound Devices MixPre Series

Zoom F8n - Very good value for money on a pro/prosumer audio recorder

Sennheiser G3/G4 Wireless Microphone system - note that you need the correct version with frequencies you can use in your region. Contact a reseller in your country for details.

Deity S-Mic 2 shotgun microphone

RODE NTG3 shotgun microphone - I prefer the sound of this on most voices.

Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun microphone - the classic shotgun microphone that seemingly everyone is trying to mimic at enthusiast prices

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - I find that I use this more often than any of my other cameras these days.

Tentacle Sync timecode generators

Izotope RX7 - my favorite app for cleaning and optimizing audio clips

Samson C02 - budget boom microphone - comes in a set of 2. Good budget option for interviews.

Zoom H5 - budget recorder with 2 XLR inputs

Tascam DR-60DmkII - budget recorder with 2 XLR inputs

Zoom H6 - budget recorder with 4 XLR microphone inputs

Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd

Outro music from Artlist by Kick Lee. You can receive a 2 month discount on a subscription to Artlist, a subscription service for stock music you can use with your videos. Check it out at Artlist.io.

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:

Zoom H1n

Tascam DR-05 (Amazon)

Zoom F1

Tascam DR-10L

Lectrosonics PDR

Tascam DR-60DmkII (Amazon)

Zoom H4n Pro

Zoom H5

Zoom H6

Centrance Mixerface R4R

Zoom F4

Zoom F8n

Sound Devices MixPre-3

Sound Devices MixPre-6

Sound Devices MixPre-10T

Sound Devices 633

Zaxcom Maxx, Nomad, Deva

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.

Sound for Video Session: Zoom F4 Firmware, Fairlight, & Sennheiser XSW-D Wireless

In our first audio-only Sound for Video Session, we cover the new features Zoom added to the F4 recorder in the 3.0 firmware update. Now F4 users have AutoMix an the Advanced Hybrid Look-Ahead limiters that were previously only on the F8 and F8n.

We also cover my impressions of the Fairlight digital audio workstation page in DaVinci Resolve 15.2.4. It is getting pretty close to the point where I can move to Fairlight and away from Adobe Audition. There are still some minor issues. In fact, in mixing this episode, I learned that Resolve has issues exporting audio only projects. Sigh.

And finally, we talk about a new wireless lavalier microphone I just received in for review: Sennheiser XSW-D Portable Lavalier Set. I have yet to do the review, but cover some of its features here. This is a consumer/prosumer grade wireless system that is made to be as easy to use as possible. The review should appear on my YouTube channel in the next few weeks.

Gear used/discussed in this episode:

Zoom F4 (Amazon) audio recorder

DaVinci Resolve - Free video editing, coloring, and audio mixing

Sennheiser XSW-D Portable Lavalier Set - Wireless microphone system for those who need wireless to be as simple as possible

RODECaster Pro - Mixer and recorder used to record this session

Golden Age Project R1 Active mkIII (Amazon) - Affordable ribbon microphone which I used to record this session.

Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd

Outro music from Artlist: Call on Me by Kick Lee. You can receive a 2 month discount on a subscription to Artlist, a subscription service for stock music you can use with your videos.

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:

RODECaster Pro

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.

Headphones for Filmmakers: My Impressions of 7 Headphones

In this episode, I share my impressions of 5 different headphones which I have used for production or post production filmmaking. We start out with a discussion about open vs. closed back design and impedance and why those matter when you’re choosing a set of headphones. As a bonus, we also cover two additional sets of headphones I use when I’m not making films.

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 (Amazon)- My go-to headphones for when I’m recording

Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80ohm (Amazon) - Also very good when recording, super durable, a little bulkier in size

Sony MDR-ZX110 (Amazon) - When I give a director or producer a wireless feed of the audio, they get these with the receiver

Sennheiser HD820 (Amazon) - The most amazing headphones I have ever owned, but expensive and reserved for post production

Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro 250ohm (Amazon) - A very good set of open back headphones for post production, much more reasonably priced

Meze 99 Classics (Amazon) - Classy looking and good sounding “Lifestyle” headphones with low impedance for listening from phones and laptops

Sennheiser PXC 550 Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones (Amazon) - My favorite travel and everyday headphones when I want isolation from the world

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - I used this to record most of this episode

Panasonic 12-35mm F/2.8 OIS Lens (Amazon) - Used on the Pocket 4K camera

Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd

Music Copyright 2019 by Cary Judd. Used with permission.

Sound for Video Session: Timecode Apps - Convert Audio Timecode to Metadata Timecode

When using timecode to speed up the process of syncing audio clips to separately recorded video clips, there are times when you need to use consumer cameras. These cameras usually do not have a proper timecode input so you have to record the timecode to an audio track via the camera’s microphone input. In this session, we cover a few apps which will convert that audio timecode to a format your video editing app (NLE) can use to quickly sync all your video and audio clips.

Please consider my sound for video classes.

Gear and apps used to record this episode:

DaVinci Resolve - works about 50% of the time in my experience (Version 15.4.2)

LTC Convert - Solid, straightforward option for converting audio timecode to metadata/file timecode

Tentacle Sync Studio - Included free when you buy a Tentacle Sync timecode generator

Timecode Systems Ultrasync One - Wireless timecode generator

Ambient Recording NanoLockit - Wireless timecode generator

Tentacle Sync E - Bluetooth enabled timecode generator

Nikon Z6 Mirrorless Full Frame Camera

Panasonic GH5 Camera

AKG C414 XLS large diaphragm condenser microphone - this is my new, main voice over microphone

Universal Audio Apollo x6 - Thunderbolt 3 audio interface used to take audio signal from the dbx286S channel strip, convert it to digital, and send to my computer for recording.

Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd

Outro music from Artlist: Sunday by Rich Young Pixies - Amazing Journey. You can receive a 2 month discount on a subscription to Artlist, a subscription service for stock music you can use with your videos. Check it out at Artlist.io

Sound for Video Session: Q&A 9 Feb 2019

Its time to answer your sound for video related questions! For those new to the channel here, as part of my online school, we have question and answer sessions every few weeks. If you’d like to be notified when a new Q&A session is coming up, sign up for free at Learn Light and Sound. You can also preview several segments from my online courses on sound for film.

Here are the questions we covered this week:

00:07 Wireless hop to camera with Sennheiser G3?

01:10 Microphones for recording a concert?

02:18 Plugins for cleaning up background noise?

04:42 Room tone and sound effects? M/S Recording?

06:24 Stereo microphones for recording concerts?

07:17 Timecode from Zoom F8n to Panasonic GH4?

08:53 Remote Audio Battery distribution system and powering Panasonic GH5?

11:47 Why hasn’t the perfect recorder and microphones been developed yet?

17:07 Can I de-noise as the last step in my post workflow?

22:35 Audio, sound, film book recommendations?

28:20 If I have 2 UltraSync 1s, should I use just one or both for 1 cam shoots?

32:10 If my video will be H.264, does it matter if I use 48kHz vs 96kHz?

34:30 What are microdot cavaliers?

37:32 Person moves in and out of mic sweet spot, what do I do?

39:55 Will the new version of ARRI Alexa come with a boom holder?

40:10 What’s the difference between trim and fader?

42:58 Order of operations when processing dialogue audio?

49:12 Should I upgrade from RODE NTG2 to NTG4?

51:03 I’m getting older and my hearing is not good. How do I compensate?

57:42 Izotope RX, Logic Pro, Audition, and changing sample rates?

1:00:20 Powering a recorder. I have a 20 hour battery vest!

1:02:20 Audio repair software suggestions?

1:04:22 How would you cleanup this audio recording?

Here are a few previous sessions we references in today’s Q&A session:

Wireless Hop to Camera with Sennheiser G3 with Gregg Palmer:

Recording Live Concerts with Mike Strands:

Accusonus ERA-D Noise Reduction Demo:

Gear we discussed in today’s session:

Sound Reinforcement Handbook, 2nd Edition (Amazon) - Dense but very good reference for anyone serious about sound

Location Sound Bible (Amazon) - one of my favorites on recording sound for film. Dated info re: specific gear, but otherwise very good info.

Sound Effects Bible (Amazon) - good reference on recording sound effects. Dated info re: specific gear, but otherwise very good info.

Hearos (Amazon) - Ear protection for loud locations

Zoom F8n Audio Recorder

Zoom F4 Audio Recorder

Ambient Recording Timecode Slate

Schoeps Super CMIT Shotgun Microphone - with real-time noise reduction. Not cheap, but very effective.

Cedar DNS - hardware real-time noise reduction. Not cheap, but very effective.

Universal Audio Apollo x6 - Thunderbolt 3 audio interface which can basically replace a full rack of analogue audio processing gear

Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd

Outro music from Artlist: Sunday by Rich Young Pixies - Amazing Journey. You can receive a 2 month discount on a subscription to Artlist, a subscription service for stock music you can use with your videos. Check it out at Artlist.

Sound for Video Session: dbx286s Demo & Settings

What is a channel strip? The dbx286s is a popular microphone preamp and processor, often called a channel strip, that is helpful in cases where you are live streaming or broadcasting. It can also be helpful when you need to save yourself some time in post by doing the processing while recording. Here we take a look at the 286s and show how to adjust the settings.

Please consider my sound for video classes.

Gear used to record this episode:

AKG C414 XLS large diaphragm condenser microphone (Amazon) - this is my new, main voice over microphone

dbx 286s Preamplifier and channel strip (Amazon) - new vocal processing channel strip. I’ve had a ton of requests for help setting this up so I had to add one to my collection so I can learn how to use it first.

Universal Audio Apollo x6 - Thunderbolt 3 audio interface used to take audio signal from the dbx286S channel strip, convert it to digital, and send to my computer for recording.

Copyright 2019 by Curtis Judd

Outro music from Artlist: Sunday by Rich Young Pixies - Amazing Journey. You can receive a 2 month discount on a subscription to Artlist, a subscription service for stock music you can use with your videos. Check it out at https://artlist.io/artlist-70446/?artlist_aid=Curtis_Judd_99&utm_source=affiliate_p&utm_medium=Curtis_Judd_99&utm_campaign=Curtis_Judd_99