Analysis Paralysis: Sound Devices, Tascam, audio interfaces, etc.

[Richard Crowley]

I don’t see any mention of the camera(s?).
Are you using such low-end camera(s?) that you must do double-system sound?
You haven’t really established why you are using double-system sound to begin with.

Although I started out as a sound person before ever getting involved with video, and I have TONS of audio gear, I will almost certainly record directly to the camcorder when I start shooting video for some instructional/blog things in a month or two.

There are reasons for using double-system sound. But shooting simple 1 (or 2) microphone instructional video hardly requires that much fiddling around.

I also plan on using headset mic(s) which IMHO are far superior to lav or boom for utilitarian instructional production. No, that is NOT the headset mic you see in my photo. That is an old, hard-wired production intercom headset.

[Michael Harrison]

We are filming on a Canon DSLR. Most of the time we use a single camera, but have used two cameras on occasion. For audio we’ve been using a dual system from the beginning. Right now our mic is on a boom pole mounted on a C-stand that feeds directly into our Zoom H4n.

[Al Bergstein]

Your mic on a boompole is fine when you can use it. I have the Tascam 680 and for use with a DSLR and a shotgun or other field mic it’s fine for the price. It’s not terribly rugged. I would not buy the SD unless you really want to carry that much weight around. Don’t get me wrong, It’s a fabulous product, and yes, you likely will need to replace the Tascam in a couple of years, but I’ve found it to be very reliable, though it eats batteries.

I tend to agree with Richard. I now usually use a real videocamera (C100) with xlr inputs. Simplifies my life greatly and gives me the DSLR look of shallow DOF when needed.

Best of luck.

Al

[Michael Harrison]

Thanks Richard & Al for your feedback!

I’m definitely drawn to the idea of feeding audio directly into our camera. For this, it seems the SD mixpre-D would be ideal. At the same time, however, the Tascam DR-680 looks like a simple, affordable alternative. In the field, throw it over my shoulder, press record, and I’m off to the races without mounting extra gear to my rig.

Rather than list a few configurations and ask for a buy recommendation, can you suggest some tests I can do to properly evaluate these for myself? I’d love to learn how the pros analyze recording quality.

Thanks again!
~Michael

[Al Bergstein]

Remember, the Mixpre-D, while very useful, is only a mixer, not a recorder. The Tascam is a recorder (and it has some mixer ability with it). How many mic ins do you need? if you need 4 in and a high quality mixer/recorder in one package, then yes, the 680 is quite nice. We used it to record live performances of a singer/songwriter and the quality was superb. No discernible noise floor. Nice preamps. For the price, it’s a great deal. If you only need two mic/line in you might also want to check out the 60d, which screws onto your DSLR mount. It has the ability to record one channel of audio while recording a second backup copy at -6 db below so you are protected from spikes. It not only records but also can feed your camera so you get a backup onto the camera that is high quality blend. Helpful for one man bands. The build quality is less, a bit plastic, and the pre’s are not up to the 680 quality (IMHO).

Of course, you can buy SD quality for more money, and if you are really going to be pushing the gear in the field, it might be the right way to go. you can’t beat SD for ruggedness. And I believe their field recorder allows you to use standard Sony batteries for much longer life in the field. That’s a huge plus.

Good luck.

Al

[Michael Harrison]

Thank you for your help!

BTW, I just saw that the next version of the DR-60 will be going on sale next week: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1084690-REG/tascam_dr_60mkii_portable_recorder_for_dslr.html
Apparently they’ve improved the preamps.

Thanks again!
~Michael

[Al Bergstein]

The specs seem almost identical to the older unit. But for the price, what the hell. It’s a great unit for $200. A no brainer.

Al

[Bruce Watson]

The joy of a MixPre-D is that you can run balanced line out to a separate recorder, like a DR100mkII (I don’t know if your Zoom H4N can take pro line out), while simultaneously sending unbalanced mic out to your camera. That’s how I use mine.

If your camera audio is good enough, you can use it without any sync issues in post, and the recorder files become backups. If camera audio not good enough, you can use it as a guide track to help sync the audio from your recorder in post.

But if money is tight, a Tascam DR-60D seems like the obvious choice for use with a DSLR.

[Michael Harrison]

Thanks for your feedback, Bruce!

Here are my 3 use-cases:
1) Record voice-over straight into a computer
2) Film in a green screen studio (controlling camera with laptop)
3) Shoot in the field

For 1) and 2), I’m thinking the USBPre 2 would be ideal.
For 3), it seems the Mixpre-D would be best (or DR-60D for a budget alternative)

It’s been tough because I’m trying to find a magic solution for all 3 use-cases, but I’m beginning to think that may not be possible. Since 90% of our work is 1) and 2), I’m leaning towards the USBPre 2.

Q: Can you use the mixpre-D as an audio interface? If so, how does it compare with the usbpre 2?

Thanks!
~Michael

[Al Bergstein]

Michael. it seems if you really need to do live voice over and also film in a green screen studio and only care about mixing the audio and running the volume control into the camera, that the Mixpre-D is a good solution. The Tascam is a bit harder to ride volume pots on real time. I wouldn’t consider using it for such a thing. using a Mixpre-D to feed a 680 might be the bette choice. You can also feed your camera at the same time. Might be a bit non-ergonomic. But it would get the job done. But you could do it with any recorder actually from the mixpre-d.

Al