[David C jones]

Lately I’ve been using the SD 633 mixer/recorder on a doc, and love it. Six iso tracks, a stereo mix and aux tracks plus being able to record on both CF and SD cards at the same time gives me more than I need.

The 664 and 633’s are part of the new mixer/recorder systems that seem to be the way companies like Sound Devices and Zaxcom are going. If you need more tracks then the 788T is the way to go. If not, then why spend that much extra money for something you may never truly need.

Best,

DCJ

[David C jones]

I use the Sankin COS 11D with the rubber mount and taupe tape. I mount it on the inside of the person’s shirt, in the center about a foot from their mouth.

DCJ

[David C jones]

I have not used the h4n. I have only used them with mixers, Sound Devices recorders and cameras.

DCJ

[David C jones]

If I could have one mic for all situations…lol, it would be the Schoeps 641. I used to have a Schoeps and I used it inside and out (with a blimp and windjammer). It’s not cheap but, if you could only get one, that’d be it!

I have used the 416 and 60 inside and it’s not as bad as you might think but, you’ll most likely get some reflections. It all depends on the size of the room, wether it has carpet and what else is in the room. I haven’t used the ME-66 but, it’s a shotgun mic and will most likely exhibit the same characteristics.

DCJ

[David C jones]

The ideal distance for a boom mic is about 2 feet. If you can’t boom from above, you can try booming from below (even doing it handheld).

If you want a better shotgun mic, I’d recommend the Sennheiser MKH-416 or MKH-60, especially if you have to have it further away. There’s a reason they cost more than twice as much as the ME-66; they’re extremely sensitive and directional.

DCJ

[David C jones]

As a sound operator, I’ve generally favored booming…even for sit-down interviews. I’m now directing a documentary film (and acting as my own sound recordist) and doing all the interviews with a hidden lav mic. I’m using the Sankin COS-11D which has the reputation for sounding like a boom mic.

DCJ

[David C jones]

I’m using the Sound Devices 633. However, I got the mic to use as an on-camera mic with the Blackmagic 4K camera.

DCJ

[David C jones]

After further testing, it seems that if I switch from phantom power to mic (turning phantom power off) I get that noise. However, it does fade away after about 2 minutes. As long as I don’t switch back and forth between the two it’s fine.

DCJ

[David C jones]

Hi Chris,

While I haven’t used the pocket camera, I own a BMPC 4K and have used the 2.5K and love the image they put out. That said, with Blackmagic you are really just buying an imaging block; you still need lenses and a good audio setup. And in the case with the BMPC 4K, a cage, monitor and other accessories to really make it practical.

I would suggest renting one from BorrowLens.com and see if it would work for what you want to use it for. While it may put out a great image, it might not be practical or easy to use for what you want to do with it.

DCJ

[David C jones]

Argh!

After transferring the clips to a RAID drive (our master drive) and trying once again to AMA link, it still won’t link and gives me this error message in the console:

—— AMA Link To File(s) ——

Forcing sample provider mode for video.
Appropriate QuickTime decompressor wasn’t found!
[ Plugin Name = QuickTime Plug-In Avid Technology, Inc. Version = 1.3.2.7205 ] could not process /Volumes/CalDigit T3 12TB/toxic_state/test.mov
GetCodecName | Failed GetCodecInfo with err: -8961

We’re shooting 4K ProRes HQ with the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K. Is it possible AVID just won’t AMA link this particular codec? Maybe it’s too new? I’m still on the trial version; could that be a problem?

Very frustrated!

DCJ