-
Quick Tips – Digital Audio Recorders
I want to share with you guys the type of digital recorder we use for audio when we’re on run and gun shoots with DSLRs. It’s very important in production to have super clean audio and, when using these particular cameras, we don’t have the luxury of XLR inputs. You could use a field recorder and wireless mics, but this method is generally faster and less expensive. It’s also sometimes necessary because there is no spare time or extra hands to deal with the additional gear. So check out our first video in the series of Quick Tips -
DIGITAL RECORDERS – Here are some other recorders I like. The biggest issue for me is size. The 520 is only .6″ thick (as is the 620) so it’s s not too big to put in a pocket. When you jump up to the LS or H1 you are looking at a recorder twice as thick and longer. The other thing I love about the 520 is the mic input is at the top and not the side. You can still find the 520s on ebay and other places.
Olympus DM-620 recorder – $150, Same size & record settings as DM-520, easily fits in a pocket.
Olympus LS-10s – $200, Bigger in size but higher quality recordings
Zoom H1 – $100, Bigger is size, higher quality recordings (.5″ thicker and 1″ longer)
Microphone Madness Matchstick Lapel – $129, Great miniature lav
Rycote Undercovers – $13, great for hiding lav mic under clothes**Update -
A few have asked where I place the recorder if the subject does not have a pocket. There are lots of options but here are two – Leg wrap & waist belt17 comments on “Quick Tips – Digital Audio Recorders”
Leave a Reply
-
-
Blog made possible by
-
-
Merci Joe pour ces astuces i am fan you work
Hello for bride place you the microphone how (English)
There are a few links above in the post for options. Easiest is to put a leg band on her to hold the recorder. Link above.
hey Joe. When using the Rycote adhesives under clothing, do you still get the noise of the clothing rubbing against the mic?
Hey Michael,
You can if it’s not in the right location. I either attach it direct to the skin or the shirt depending on how much clearance room I have. You will also have a lot better luck with cotton clothing. Sometimes I will even leave off the Rycote furry cover if I do have rubbing issues. Always test and make sure it’s clean.
You might wanna sandwich this guys between the cotton and adhesive. It works wonders!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/531029-REG/Garfield_SGARHL_BK_Hush_Lav_Lavalier.html
Thanks for the tip! Those look great.
Thanks for sharing Joe. That was a humdinger of a tip. I always wondered how you managed to get such great audio at your wedding shoots. It really adds to the impact of your videos.
check your link on the matchstick mics…all the order links on that site were dead when i tried to order.
I was able to reference the matchstick mics here for the same price:
http://www.microphones.com/microphones.cfm?urlid=Matchstick
Thanks for checking it out, as well thanks for this link. I have updated it!
Hello,
I was just curious as to weather this set up picks up a lot of background noise? I’ll be doing interviews at paintball fields and as you could probably imagine there is a lot of background noise around a field.
Hey Phil,
As long as you have your setting on low it will be pretty good. It’s still an omni directional mic so you will pick up some background noise, same as you would with a wireless mic. The best bet would be to drop in a shotgun mic from overhead on a boom to isolate the pickup range to your subject.
Joe
Nice tips. Thank you. Two questions: What is your preferred length for the Matchstick Lav mic cable? How do you attach the DM520 recorder to a wedding dress with no pockets?
Rob, Thanks for checking it out!
I have 3′ cables which are a bit short, I would recommend 4′-5′ depending on if you are running it to a let or the waist. I have also updated the post with some ways of attaching the digital recorder if there are no pockets.
Hi Joe, is better olympus dm-520, DM-550 or 620? which model is the best of the best preamps?
Hey Francesco! The 620 is the newest so I would assume it would have the best preamp. I have not used it so I can not say for sure. I’m happy with the Dm-520 and I use it a lot for run and gun quick situations. But it doesn’t take the place of true “professional audio” If I can and time allows I always boom in a shotgun to get the best audio directly into my C300. Different tools for differently situations.
Just wanted to add a note about the new Olympus DM-620 which has replaced the DM-520. The mic input has been moved to the upper right hand side and is no longer mounted on the top. If you are purchasing a matchstick mic to use with this field recorder be sure and get a mic with a 1/8 angle on it. Some come with a straight connector.
Other than that all the basic menu settings discussed in this tutorial are still the same on the 620 model.
Works great! Thanks again-
Hey Joe, My lav Mics i have now come with a threaded end that screws into the G3 sennheiser transmitter which does not allow me to fit it into my zoom h4n directly. Is the Microphone Madness Matchstick Lapel the same way? If so is there a way to take off the thread so that i can fit it into my zoom h1?