Dean Sensui
Forum Replies Created
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Well, just as a tip to anyone else who is just starting to shoot and edit multicam jobs, it helps a LOT to “slate” every take with a single hand clap or similar.
Can’t beat using an actual slate to ID every take, but at the very least having a definite starting point saves a heck of a lot of time in post.
Dean Sensui
http://www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com -
I switched last year after using M100 since 1997.
Just about everything happens in real time with FCP HD and rendering on a fast machine doesn’t take much time at all. FCP HD is also far more flexible than M100. I never thought I really needed more than two video streams until I started to work with FCP HD.
Regarding external drives, if you don’t already have a RAID from the M100 system, then I’d highly recommend Firmtek’s external SATA solutions that allow hot-swappable drives. It’s very cost effective and the performance is more than enough for work involving SD video.
I would also recommend using a Blackmagic card to monitor audio and video.
There’s only two things I miss: The way M100 manages media. It’s nice to have been able to re-digitize a timeline without jumping through hoops. I also miss having a “curves” tool for color correction.
Dean Sensui
http://www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com -
You’ve at least taken the first step: recognizing how important sound is.
As others have mentioned, there’s no simple answer to your question.
However, here are some things to consider:
— You gotta know what “good” sound is to know what needs to be done to get it.
— “Good” sound starts in the field, just like “good” video.
— High quality microphones and associated systems tend to get rather costly. Sometimes renting is a good option. Knowing how to use them really well takes training or guidance from an experienced pro.
— Having an accurate system to monitor the sound is an essential part of the process, and such systems are never cheap. I use a pair of Tannoys. If I had to do it again I’d get a pair of Genelecs.
— Often overlooked is the room you’re working in. Good speakers won’t perform well in a bad room. Consider the room as an integral part of the equipment.
— Some controls to consider: compression for some voice tracks. Equalization. Mixdown levels.
— Lastly, never mix on headphones. Always use speakers. Headphones will give you a false audio image and you’ll end up with a weak or inaccurate mixdown.
Dean Sensui
http://www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com -
Audio is from a Decklink SP card (XLR outputs) through a Tascam mixer, then into a pair of Tannoy PBM 8’s driven with a Hafler amp.
Dean Sensui
http://www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com -
You might want to look at what Firmtek has to offer. One of their products is a RAID card that comes with external connectors. This pairs up with an external housing which allows SATA drives to be hot-swapped.
With a pair of RAID cards and four SATA drives, there might be enough throughput to handle HD material.
And, with a hot-swappable RAID system, you won’t be limited in how much you can store offline. Doesn’t take much to dismount and mount a Firmtek RAID. I have a two-drive version that works very well.
Dean Sensui
http://www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com