So I'm making this post because I'm curious as to your setups on recording audio on the go. I recently got a Behringer C-1 condenser microphone and an audio interface to go with it to plug onto my desktop and it's a great setup but I'm restricted to just my room seeing as the C-1 needs phantom power, which is supplied by my audio interface but it's restrained to being connected to my desktop. I'll either need to figure out a way to achieve portable phantom power and route the mic to my field recorder, or likely invest in some kind of shotgun mic that does not require phantom power. Anyways, I'd like to hear about your setups that work great for your purposes.
Portable audio setup
- Thread starter cochinasanchez
- Start date
Six months into your audio career I wouldn't claim "experience with mixing and mastering sound." You're still a neophyte. Be honest and say so.
That still is not a budget. We need real dollar figure.
And this is why we needed the audio recorder you are using, and why we need a real budget.
Your $50 audio recorder has an 1/8" mini-pin mic input, and the specs don't specify if the mic input is mono or stereo.
If you were happy with the ATR 6550 get another one, and there are lots of other cheap-o mics just like it. But they will all self-destruct just like the AT6550. As APE (AudioPostExpert) mentioned the $125 Rode VideoMic may be a decent choice; it's reasonably well-built, sounds okay for a consumer unit and has a decent track record.
You may also want to consider upgrading your field recorder. The Tascam DR series is popular. The $150 Tascam DR-40 can do everything your Olympus can, and also has XLR mic inputs, so you can use decent mics with it in the future. The DR-40 is still a prosumer "toy," however, and you specifically asked to avoid "toys." "Real" pro gear is rather pricey.
I understand your situation; it's tough being on a minimal budget. But, as you have found, buying cheap means it will break in fairly short order. Let's face it, you're not going to get great sound unless you invest real money.
Oh, and ignore the wrangling between jrusso and APE. It's educational and entertaining, but not much specific help to you.
I really don't have time to play the whole he said, she said thing with you. Fine, I'll admit that since I wrote, "WORST CASE SCENARIO" in all caps, it could be considered yelling, but that's not what I actually was doing. OP seemed to be grateful for my opinion.
You are going to kill yourself if you keep up like this. Learn to let things go.
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Which is exactly why I'm coming down so hard on you, don't you get that?
For my part, your noise makes no difference to me personally as I know what you're saying is BS but the OP, who is a relative neophyte, is grateful for your opinion because he doesn't realise it's BS and believes/learns from it. Doesn't that embarrass you at all or does it please you to know that you succeeded in misleading a beginner?
G
...and you are who exactly? "Coming down" on me? Dad?
You haven't proven to anyone anything. All you've done is provide a counter opinion and your dogma is actually detrimental to your "Expert" status.
Anyone who considers themselves an "Expert" in a field of study, so much so that they have to create a username with "Expert" in the title, and parade around "coming down" on people in an indie forum, isn't.
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A lot of good advice has already been given.
I recently upgraded from a Marantz PMD-660 to a Marantz PMD-671 (24-bit.) Both were modified by Doug Oadie. I got over 10 years of use out of the PMD-660 and was able to sell it - in great working condition - to a fellow filmaker. I expect to get several years of use out of the new one. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 for that setup. Very reasonable considering the amount of service/life.
I say that to say, think of audio like lenses... more of an investment. At least MUCH more than the camera itself.
You're looking at a couple/few years average until you want to pick up the latest high-rez thing coming down the pike, but lenses stay around, and so does sound gear (doesn't change much, thankfully.)
I shot my first film with the PMD-660 (which provides 48v phantom power, btw) and a studio condenser (Peavey Studio Pro M2 - $150) set to hypercardioid pickup pattern. I have absolutely no regrets about the sound I was able to capture; turned out great.
Near the end of filming, I got my first shotgun - a Rode NTG-3. Did a bunch of research and found multiple comparisons which put it favorably against the workhorse Sennheiser MKH-416. Excellent microphone.
To me those were fairly expensive items, but in the bigger filmmaking picture - that's relatively cheap stuff, AND they do a great job. You may have heard by now... you can film on the greatest camera, but pair the footage with poor sound and the whole thing "looks" bad.
Put audio somewhere toward (if not AT) the top of gear consideration.
I recently upgraded from a Marantz PMD-660 to a Marantz PMD-671 (24-bit.) Both were modified by Doug Oadie. I got over 10 years of use out of the PMD-660 and was able to sell it - in great working condition - to a fellow filmaker. I expect to get several years of use out of the new one. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 for that setup. Very reasonable considering the amount of service/life.
I say that to say, think of audio like lenses... more of an investment. At least MUCH more than the camera itself.
You're looking at a couple/few years average until you want to pick up the latest high-rez thing coming down the pike, but lenses stay around, and so does sound gear (doesn't change much, thankfully.)
I shot my first film with the PMD-660 (which provides 48v phantom power, btw) and a studio condenser (Peavey Studio Pro M2 - $150) set to hypercardioid pickup pattern. I have absolutely no regrets about the sound I was able to capture; turned out great.
Near the end of filming, I got my first shotgun - a Rode NTG-3. Did a bunch of research and found multiple comparisons which put it favorably against the workhorse Sennheiser MKH-416. Excellent microphone.
To me those were fairly expensive items, but in the bigger filmmaking picture - that's relatively cheap stuff, AND they do a great job. You may have heard by now... you can film on the greatest camera, but pair the footage with poor sound and the whole thing "looks" bad.
Put audio somewhere toward (if not AT) the top of gear consideration.
This entire thread reminds me of the Karate Kid... "Daniel San, remember, license never replace eye, ear and brain."
Same thing with sound. Daniel San, remember, opinion, book knowledge, and expensive gear never replace ears, intelligence and ingenuity.
Food for thought OP.
Same thing with sound. Daniel San, remember, opinion, book knowledge, and expensive gear never replace ears, intelligence and ingenuity.
Food for thought OP.
A lot of good advice has already been given.
I recently upgraded from a Marantz PMD-660 to a Marantz PMD-671 (24-bit.) Both were modified by Doug Oadie. I got over 10 years of use out of the PMD-660 and was able to sell it - in great working condition - to a fellow filmaker. I expect to get several years of use out of the new one. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 for that setup. Very reasonable considering the amount of service/life.
I say that to say, think of audio like lenses... more of an investment. At least MUCH more than the camera itself.
You're looking at a couple/few years average until you want to pick up the latest high-rez thing coming down the pike, but lenses stay around, and so does sound gear (doesn't change much, thankfully.)
I shot my first film with the PMD-660 (which provides 48v phantom power, btw) and a studio condenser (Peavey Studio Pro M2 - $150) set to hypercardioid pickup pattern. I have absolutely no regrets about the sound I was able to capture; turned out great.
Near the end of filming, I got my first shotgun - a Rode NTG-3. Did a bunch of research and found multiple comparisons which put it favorably against the workhorse Sennheiser MKH-416. Excellent microphone.
To me those were fairly expensive items, but in the bigger filmmaking picture - that's relatively cheap stuff, AND they do a great job. You may have heard by now... you can film on the greatest camera, but pair the footage with poor sound and the whole thing "looks" bad.
Put audio somewhere toward (if not AT) the top of gear consideration.
Well said.