Sound for Video Session: False Economies, Consumer & Pro Gear

"Fix it in post," is a very common mistake that often results in greater cost, broken budgets, and sometimes failure of a film project to get to the finish line. We call this a false economy and we discuss this subject in this week's Sound for Video Session. We also cover the difference between consumer and pro grade audio gear and when it might be appropriate to use each in the context of false economies.

So if you're self-funding a passion project, learn all you can to get great results with consumer grade gear. But once you start getting paid for sound production and post jobs, it's time to start considering pro-level gear to help mitigate risks and make sure your clients get what they need.

This episode shot/recorded with:

Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Broadcast Microphone
Antelope Audio Orion Studio Computer Audio Interface - record with your pro-level XLR microphones directly to your computer

Zoom H1 Handy Recorder (consumer grade recorder that produces surprisingly decent sound quality)
Tascam DR-10L (consumer/prosumer grade bodypack recorder)

Lectrosonics PDR (professional grade bodypack recorder)

Outro music licensed from Artlist: Sunscape by Oliver Michael on One Moment. 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: https://www.artlist.io/Curtis-54452/?utm_source=Curtis_Judd&utm_medium=Affiliate_99&utm_campaign=December

Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd

Lectrosonics PDR: Professional Body Pack Recorder

When wireless just isn’t going to work (too much interference, too far away from the camera/recorder), a body pack recorder like the Lectrosonics Portable Digital Audio Recorder can be a great option. This is a professional level recorder with incredibly sturdy build quality and great sound.

Thanks to B&H for lending us the PDR for this overview.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Lectrosonics PDR - Portable Digital Audio Recorder

Voice Technologies VT500 Lavalier Microphone

Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 OS ART Lens

Aputure COB120t Light (this is the key light in the talking head shots)

Aputure Light Dome Soft Box (used on the key light and for product shots in this episode)

Lupo Superpanel LED Panel (this provided the blue light on the wall behind me)

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Premiere to Audition with Dynamic Link & Mix vs Isolated Tracks in FCPX

In this week's sound for video session, we discuss two questions:

- How do I get a sequence from Premiere Pro CC to Audition CC and back again?
- I can record a stereo mix (L & R) plus isolated microphone channels on my recorder. When should I use which and how will those come through in Final Cut Pro X?

Gear used to record or discussed in this episode:

Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Broadcast Microphone
Antelope Audio Orion Studio Computer Audio Interface - record with your pro-level XRL microphones directly to your computer
Sound Devices 633 Audio Field Recorder for film production - my main recorder for film/video

Outro music licensed from Artlist: Sunscape by Oliver Michael on One Moment. 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

Lupo Dayled and Superpanel Lights for Video: Overview

What is unique about professional level LED lights for video? In this episode we take a look at the professional grade Lupo Dayled fresnel and Superpanel LED lights.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:
Lupo Lights now available in the USA from B&H:

Dayled 650 5600K
Dayled 650 Dual Color
Dayled 1000 5600K
Dayled 1000 Dual Color
Dayled 2000 5600K
Superpanel 5600K, No DMX
Superpanel Dual Color, No DMX

Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera - my main camera

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 OS ART Lens - my main all-around lens

Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Boom Microphone

Sound Devices 633 Audio Recorder/Mixer

Rosco 1/2 Soft Frost Diffusion

5 in 1 Reflector (with scrim) - this is the very first piece of gear that any photographer or filmmaker should buy. Well, maybe right after a basic camera and good microphone.

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd

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

LUTs for LOG: Why You Should Use a LUT with LOG Footage - DaVinci Resolve 14

If you’re new to shooting a LOG profile with your camera and are finding that the color of your footage isn’t looking as natural as you’d expect, it might be that using the camera manufacturer’s LOG LUT will make a big difference.

This was my exact situation: I started shooting with the Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro using the “Film” profile (which is a LOG profile). But I found that skin tones generally looked rather too pink or magenta. I was baffled until my friend Jacob Fenn, who is a colorist, showed me this technique in DaVinci Resolve 14. Simply using the color space transform effect to apply the BMD 4.6k LUT solved the problem!

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:

Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera

Ursa Viewfinder - Good for when shooting outdoors in the sun

Ursa Mini Pro SSD Recorder -allows you to record to standard, affordable 2.5” SSD drives

Anton Bauer 90Wh Digital Battery - about 2 hours of life with viewfinder and SSD recorder. This battery keeps track of a bunch of metadata which the Anton Bauer performance charger takes into account to optimize charging

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 OS ART Lens (used on the single shot of Cary on my Ursa Mini Pro)

Electrovoice RE20 Dynamic Microphone (This is what I used to record the voice over for this episode)

Antelope Audio Orion Studio Audio Interface (Thunderbolt and USB 3.0)

Copyright 2017 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

Ursa Mini Pro: Impressions After 6+ Months

After 6+ months of use on various projects, here are the impressions on the Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro cinema camera from two Ursa Mini Pro shooters: My brother Cary Judd and me. This is not a traditional in-depth review, but more of our overall impressions.

The wide shot of both of us was done with the Panasonic GH5 and the two single shots were shot on Ursa Mini Pro.

Find Cary Judd at The Wormhole Boise.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:

Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera (body only)

Ursa Viewfinder (we didn’t talk about this but I really like this viewfinder - clear, clean image with effective focus peaking, false color, and zoom buttons)

Ursa Mini Pro SSD Recorder (allows you to record to standard, affordable 2.5” SSD drives)

Anton Bauer 90Wh Battery (about 2 hours of life with viewfinder and SSD recorder)

95 Wh V-mount Battery (Same as above but with a different mounting mechanism for cameras)

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 OS ART Lens (used on the single shot of Cary on my Ursa Mini Pro)

Panasonic GH5 (used to shoot the wide interview shots and product shots)

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Lens

Copyright 2017 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

MixPre 10T: My Impressions After 2 Months (Final Review)

Sound Devices added some nice options to the prosumer audio recorder market earlier this year with the introduction of their MixPre-3 and MixPre-6. And now, they’ve added the MixPre-10T which takes the MixPre line legitimately into the professional recorder realm for $1800 USD. After working with the MixPre-10T for a couple of months, these are my impressions and thoughts.

Links to gear discussed and used to record this session:

Sound Devices MixPre-10T Audio Recorder/Mixer

Sound Devices MixPre-6

Sound Devices MixPre-3

Samsung USB Thumbdrive - This was tested by Sound Devices and I find it works great for the file copy function on the 10T

Sandisk Extreme Pro SD Card I use in my MixPre-10T and 633

Sennheiser MKH 8050 Supercardioid Boom Microphone

Adapter Cable for Mini XLR outputs (TA3F to XLRM)

AC to Hirose Adapter (useful if you plan to use this as an audio interface)

Sound Devices MixPre Battery Sled for Sony NP-F Style Batteries

NP-1 Style Battery - Higher capacity, often used for powering everything in your sound bag

NP-1 Battery to Hirose Adapter - You'll need this if you use NP-1 batteries

Anton Bauer Digital 90 Battery - I keep this on hand as a backup - its big but can save the day

V-mount IDX 95 Battery (Same as above but with a different mounting mechanism for cameras)

I also created a course on how to get the most from your MixPre recorder:

Copyright 2017 by Curtis Judd