Curtis Judd 7/8/24 Curtis Judd 7/8/24

What you need to know about WAV audio files

We use WAV audio files all the time for making recordings, post processing our sound, and making the best audio experience possible for our audiences. But what is a WAV file, how does it work, and why is it sometimes quirky? For example, why are WAV files often limited to 4GB in size? In this Sound for Video Session, we learn a bit about this file we use so often!

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, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Mackie DLZ Creator XS adaptive audio mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Mackie DLZ Creator adaptive audio mixer (the original, bigger one) — B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- 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

- 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.

Curtis Judd 7/8/24 Curtis Judd 7/8/24

Pro grade production monitor: OSEE Mega 22S

A production monitor for video production is more than just an HDMI TV or computer monitor. Production monitors have some additional tools, build quality made for portability and durability, and color accuracy. The OSEE Mega 22S also has the ability to color calibrate without an additional computer, just an XRite i1Display probe. The image is bright with a max of 1500 nits so you can view the image in just about every situation. Let’s take a Quick Look at the Mega 22S, which I’ve been using for the last 6 weeks for my studio, location, and livestream sessions.

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. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

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

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

- OSEE Mega 22S production monitor — Amazon

- Calibrite Display Pro HL (powered by X-Rite) probe to calibrate your monitor — Amazon

Some of my other studio gear:

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H

- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Curtis Judd 7/1/24 Curtis Judd 7/1/24

Sound for Video Session — Audio mixing for video people

People who focus on video production, and especially camera operators, often find sound or audio to be a bit mysterious and, sometimes, they just want to not be bothered too much with it. But there are just a few fundamental things that can make recording sound for video a lot easier. And these aren't dificult things. Let's talk about what every music and live sound front-of-house mixer knows that every camera person should know.

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

- Mackie DLZ Creator XS adaptive audio mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Mackie DLZ Creator adaptive audio mixer (the original, bigger one) — B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- 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

- 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.

Curtis Judd 7/1/24 Curtis Judd 7/1/24

New FREE Course: Live Streaming Setup Basics!

This week, we're happy to announce our new FREE course on how to choose streaming gear and properly set it up in order to produce a successful live stream! The course is available here.

Live streaming is one of the best ways for podcasters, content creators, and hobbyists to connect with their audiences and build close online communities. With the right gear and setup know-how, anyone can produce very high quality streams easily and without having to spend massive amounts of money on really expensive gear.

In this free course we show you the basics of setting up to stream, as well as sharing our thoughts on some of the most efficient and worthwhile streaming gear on the market today.

In the course, we’ll teach you how to:

- Determine what types of streaming gear are right for you.

- Use your chosen gear to refine your streaming techniques and produce better-quality streams.

- Correctly route your gear into your streaming computer.

- Test your setup before going live.

What is NOT covered:

- Streaming setups for video game streaming.

- Advanced details of setting up your streaming platform (YouTube, Twitch, etc).

One of the tricky parts of online learning is figuring out what to do when you have a question. But we’ve got you covered there! You can email me any time when you sign up for the course. We also hold weekly Sound for Video Sessions where we cover sound for video topics in more depth and even have Q&A sessions once or twice a month.

Come on over to our school website and sign up to learn with us!

Curtis Judd 6/24/24 Curtis Judd 6/24/24

Sound for Video Session: Voice Over with James Younger

In this session, James Younger joins us to talk about voice over gear, acoustic treatment, and technique.

You can learn more from James here, as well as on YouTube.

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

- Mackie DLZ Creator XS adaptive audio mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Mackie DLZ Creator adaptive audio mixer (the original, bigger one) — B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- 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

- 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.

Curtis Judd 6/17/24 Curtis Judd 6/17/24

Sound for Video Session — Leveling vs Compression for dialogue sound & Q&A

When evening out dialogue or spoken word audio, most of us turn first to a compressor to do the job. It's the fast and easy way to get the job done. But, it isn't the only way and some suggest it isn't always the best approach, at least not on its own. Let's look at other techniques you can use to even out dialogue and how they each sound.

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

- Mackie DLZ Creator XS adaptive audio mixer — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Mackie DLZ Creator adaptive audio mixer (the original, bigger one) — B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- 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

- 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.

Curtis Judd 6/17/24 Curtis Judd 6/17/24

Has YouTube over-optimized its algorithm?

In this week’s episode we have an earnest discussion about YouTube’s evolving algorithm and how it affects both creators and audiences, especially those of us here in the video, lighting, and sound space. Have they over-optimized for ad revenue for themselves and their stock-holders? Or does everyone benefit from what the algorithm seems to be doing?

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. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

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

Some of my other studio gear:

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H

- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon

Curtis Judd 6/10/24 Curtis Judd 6/10/24

Why do pros use Ambient QP Slim microphone boom poles?

Full disclosure: the QP Slim Long was given to us by Ambient for the purpose of making this video review. Nobody has paid us further, told us what to say, or reviewed this video prior to posting. All opinions shared here are our own.

In this week’s episode we discuss why professional boom operators might choose a boom pole like the Ambient QP Slim. This boutique boom is made of a unique carbon fiber material sectioned into four extendable pieces that are connected with specially-engineered locks. Let’s compare it to some similar booms and examine the differences between a consumer and pro-level pole.

Check out the QP Slim’s detailed specs here: https://ambient.de/en/boompoles/quickpole-serie-5-boompole/1266/quickpole-slim?c=63

Learn more about booming from a pro boom operator Sound Speeds: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundSpeeds

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. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX. See https://school.learnlightandsound.com for more info!

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com: http://ko-fi.com/curtisjudd

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

- Ambient QP Slim Short & Long Boom Poles — B&H https://geni.us/5BeewXZ

Some of my other studio gear:

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon https://geni.us/8G8UdBB

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon https://geni.us/O8e0

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon https://geni.us/iYb065

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/8a8tt

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/EreRQa

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H https://geni.us/AVHU1p

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — https://geni.us/uGkDX

- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/4DuyTz

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H https://geni.us/GWKt

- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H https://geni.us/ABYB

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/qwsEs

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/InspOl

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon https://geni.us/gr47

Curtis Judd 6/3/24 Curtis Judd 6/3/24

OSEE GoStream Kit versus ATEM Mini/Pro

In this week’s episode we provide an overview, not a full review, of the OSEE GoStream Kit — a livestream studio with a switcher/deck and a 14 inch monitor in a hard Pelican-style case. This little livestream switcher supports 5 sources (4 HDMI inputs, a USB input, NDI source, or playback from an SD card), along with the ability to power the kit via USB PD battery bank, cine battery, or AC power. Let’s see how it compares to the very popular Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini and ATEM Mini Pro.

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. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

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

- OSEE GoStream Deck — Amazon

- OSEE GoStream Kit (with the monitor and hard case) — Amazon

Some of my other studio gear:

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H

- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon

Curtis Judd 5/28/24 Curtis Judd 5/28/24

No Free Gear for 10 Weeks: What Happened?!

In this week's episode, we reflect on the past 10 weeks in which we've accepted no free gear for review. Let's talk about what we learned and what we'll in the future.

Check out my voiceover job here, recorded with the JZ Microphones V11.

See our V11 review here.

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. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

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

Some of my other studio gear:

- Earthworks ETHOS microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H

- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon