Sound for Video Session — What is Dante & Q&A

In this week's session, we'll do a high level overview of what Dante is, and how audio professionals can use it to simplify how they get audio from one piece of equipment to another. And with a LOT of channels. And low latency. And without a lot of complexity. 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:

- Dante AVIO adapters — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- Allen & Heath Dante 32x32 IO card for SQ mixers — B&H, Amazon

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

- Mackie DLZ Creator — B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — 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

- 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

Dante Digital Network Audio and Switch Back M8RX Demo

Today’s episode is an explanation and demonstration of Dante digital network audio and the Switch Back M8RX preamp/headphone mixer. What is Dante and why do you care? Dante can help solve several problems such as long audio cable runs and how to capture large numbers of audio channels in a single production. Even if you don’t have a need for it now, let’s show you how it works so you are aware and can solve these types of problems if you do find yourself running a larger production some day.

The hear Technologies Switch Back M8RX is a small, 4 input preamp (2 XLR mic/line inputs plus a 3.5mm line input) plus a 4 channel Dante headphone mixer. The preamps are very high quality, with Burr Brown converters and very little THD. This is one of the more affordable ways to get into Dante network audio and solves several potential problems for location and production sound mixing. It can also be very useful in dialogue replacement and foley studio recording. This is one of those devices that might make you might scratch your head at first, but once you get it, you quickly see its value.

You can learn more about Dante at the Audinate website.

Learn more about how Dante was used in the production of La La Land: https://www.audinate.com/meet-dante/dante-in-action/projects/la-la-land-on-set-sound-mixing-and-recording-with-dante

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, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- hear Technologies Switch Back M8RX Dante preamp and headphone mixer - B&H

- Sound Devices 888 Mixer/Recorder - B&H

- Cisco SG350-10MP Gigabit PoE+ Network Switch - B&H

- Canon C200 Camera for talking head portion - B&H

- Canon 24 - 105mm f/4 L IS II lens - B&H

- Panasonic GH5 Camera for b-roll shots - B&H Amazon

- Aputure MC Mini LED RGB Light - B&H

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens for Pocket 4K - B&H Amazon

Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed

Copyright 2020, Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Dante & Live Q&A

In this week's Sound for Video Session, we talked at a high level about Dante network audio, how it relates to sound for film and video, and then took live and pre-submitted questions.

Please consider my sound for video classes available over at my school.

Links to gear and topics discussed in this session. Most of the links below are affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases:

Audio DAW and video editing app 32 bit compatibility list

Sound Devices MixPre II Series recorders - B&H

Sound Devices 888 Mixer/Recorder - B&H

Sennheiser MKH416 Shotgun Microphone - B&H

Neumann U87 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone - B&H

Sennheiser MD46 Handheld Dynamic Interview Microphone - B&H

Audio Ltd A10 Wireless Microphone System - Gotham Sound

Countryman B6 Lavalier Microphone - B&H

Sennheiser MKE2 Lavalier Microphone - B&H

Shure Twinplex Lavalier Microphones - B&H

Sanken COS-11D Lavalier Microphone - B&H

hear Technologies Switch Back M8RX Dante enabled mixer with 2 XLR microphone inputs - B&H

Copyright 2020 by Curtis Judd