At the MastersInMotionLive event we learned a lot – and one of the major topics I wanted to learn more about (and did thanks to Adam Forgione – and we’ll have Adam on our planet5D live coming up too!) was recording better audio on HDSLRs. Well, this morning I also found this little tip from Wes Pope that I thought was interesting and wanted to pass along from Kurt Lancaster’s blog (see our live interview with Kurt).

Snippet

There are three major weaknesses to recording audio directly into any Canon or Nikon DSLR camera: there is no way to see levels while recording, you cannot listen on headphones, and there is no good pre-amp or phantom power (to power a microphone) built into the camera. It is my guess that all of these issues will be addressed in some way by the manufacturers in the near future, but in the mean-time, here is my solution:

I use an external audio recorder such as the Zoom H4n or the Tascam DR-100. I then use a step-down cord (from Sescom), to run a signal out of the recorder into the camera’s mic jack. This solution allows me to put the best possible audio into the camera and also creates an external audio recording in case anything goes wrong, like a cord connection coming loose. Otherwise, without visible recording levels or headphone jacks, there is no way to know for sure if you are getting anything in the camera. I find that more than 90% of the time the audio I send into the camera works fine and I can avoid having to sync the external audio recordings.

Continuation

now that you’ve gotten a part of the tip – please read the whole story with more suggestions: How to overcome audio weaknesses of DSLRs by Wes Pope.

There’s also this adapter if you’re using magic lantern software!

How to overcome audio weaknesses of DSLRs by Wes Pope

(cover photo credit: snap from the article)

I know some of you have been hoping for a firmware upgrade to turn Audio Gain Control (AGC) off in the Canon 7D (it was added to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II in a firmware update), sorry, it doesn’t look good as Enrique Jorreto (@momentaneafoto) found out… read a bit of his blog post below.

Enrique posts:

This is a post about my conversation with Canon about disabling AGC in a Canon EOS 7D camera. A little intro about the AGC thing and the conversation follows below.

As you probably know if you own a Canon EOS camera and use it to record video from time to time, Canon added to some of its cameras a “feature” that automatically amplifies the audio signal recorded with the in-camera or external microphone to achieve a somehow “correct” audio level all the time. That is, if it is loudy out there, the camera will lower the signal and if it is quiet, it will amplify the signal. This is called AGC (Automatic Gain Control). And this is, probably, the most hated “feature” for users interested in recording video with as much quality as possible with a Canon EOS camera.

Why? Because like most “automagic” features, it doesn’t work well in all circumstances. For example, if there is no sound or the scene is quiet, and you WANT to record it that way, the AGC will amplify the background sound and with it the “hiss” from the microphone. So, instead of having a quiet video, you have a horrible buzz coming from the AGC.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II also had this annoying feature, but as a request from its users, Canon released a new firmware to allow disabling AGC completely, and letting the user to control manually the gain of the amplifier. Canon EOS 60D came with that option already installed. But it seems that we 7D users will have to live forever with AGC, as Canon won’t release an update to disable it. So I sent a complaint to Canon Spain using their web form… Here is the full story…

• I filled a complaint in Canon Spain website, explaining why I was dissapointed with the AGC thing, and requesting more info about why 5DII and 60D can disable it, but 7D can’t. And asking if a firmware update would be released at some point.
• Got a support ticket and a new email telling that my request got “on escalate” into the next support level… A couple of days later I got my response: In Canon Spain they understand my concern, but cannot help as they don’t get info about new firmware updates from Canon Inc. Japan. They provided me with the postal address (that you can find in Canon Inc. website anyway) of Canon in Japan, in case I wanted to request more info about this issue.
• I did not really love the idea of sending a letter to Canon Japan main office that could get lost jumping from desk to desk. So I went to Canon Inc. website and tried with their customer support service, filling a japanese form (thank you, Google translator) with my request (in english). I wrote my support ticket number from Canon Spain to allow them to track the issue.
• After a few days I got an email, my issue was forwarded back to Canon Europe. That sounded like bad news…

There’s more to the story – but since Enrique did all the research, I feel his site deserves the traffic, so if you want to know the final bit of the story: No “AGC off” firmware for Canon 7D

You can read the whole post: No “AGC off” firmware for Canon 7D

(cover photo credit: snap from Enrique’s site)

A short tutorial we found this morning for syncing HDSLR footage with external audio in the new Apple Final Cut Pro X – many filmmakers creating DSLR video these days are using external devices like the Zoom H4n (reviews) to record the audio – and with FCP 7 are using software like PluralEyes to sync the sound. In FCPX, it is now very easy to sync and here’s one of the first tutorials we’ve seen.

The tutorial

How to Sync DSLR Footage with Final Cut Pro X from Web Video Chefs on Vimeo.

A tutorial on how to sync DSLR footage or an external audio footage with Final Cut Pro.

Visit http://www.webvideochefs.com for more video tutorials.

[source: webvideochefs]

(cover photo credit: snap from the video)

Energy Transformation Systems, Inc. Introduces DSLR Audio Camera Balun – o.k., so what is it? From their materials:

“The PA911 Audio Camera Balun from ETS is designed to easily connect the Canon 5D or 7D DSLR camera audio port to a professional-grade microphone.

The device preserves the balanced line, allowing full noise reduction for any length of microphone cable.”

Joe Rosenberger from ETS sent us all this info and this additional tidbit: “The reports from our Beta testers in the field have been universally positive. Well-known director Mike Caporale in Ohio put it simply: “You have a great product.” We are now awaiting reports from the other Beta evaluators.”

So, if you’ve ever wanted to connect your XLR mic directly into your Canon EOS 5D Mark II (reviews) or Canon EOS 7D (reviews), now you can! It will be priced at $69.95.

DSLR Camera Audio Balun PA911

PR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Energy Transformation Systems, Inc. Introduces DSLR Audio Camera Balun

FREMONT, California (May 23, 2011) – ETS, the Silicon Valley-based designer and manufacturer of adapters, baluns, panels, and related devices for audio, video and data has announced a new audio accessory for the highly popular Canon© 5D and 7D Series of DSLR cameras.

The lightweight device, Model PA911, is housed in what appears to be a typical XLR connector and enables users to quickly connect professional-grade microphones equipped with XLR connectors directly to the Canon’s existing 3.5mm mini-plug jack. More than a simple adapter, the ETS DSLR Audio Camera Balun has a flexible 18” cord and contains a miniature transformer and internal circuitry that matches the impedance of high-end professional microphones to that of the camera.

The initial mono version will shortly be supplanted by a two-channel model for the Canon© Mark II Series, which includes stereo capability.

Despite the huge popularity of Canon’s cameras with millions of videographers around the world, many users have reported the shortcomings of the on-board audio circuitry. The ETS device resolves this challenge with a simple plug-in device at a very modest price.
Company CEO Trudy Andresen stated, “For decades, ETS has pushed the technical limits in the audio/video business, and with this new miniature balun, we’ve employed our expertise to design and manufacture a tech product designed for the broad range of users who employ these highly popular Canon© DSLR cameras.”

The ETS device has successfully passed Beta testing and will soon be available on the company’s website, www.etslan.com as well as through select dealers and distributors.

Contact: Joe Rosenberger, VP Marketing & Sales jrosenberger@etslan.com 800-752-8208

ETS DSLR Audio Camera Balun

FAQs

FAQS: THE ETS PA911 DSLR Audio Camera Balun
Q&A: Using the ETS PA911 with the Canon© 5D and 7D Series of DSLR cameras

Q: How do I get audio into a 5D, 7D etc?
A. The audio input on this camera is a 3.5mm stereo jack (also called a 1/8″ jack) built into the left side of the camera under the protective rubber insert. This jack gives you access to two channels (stereo).

Q: What kind of audio input is the jack on a 5D, 7D etc.?
A. This audio input is an unbalanced stereo. Because it is not a balanced input, many regard it as “non- professional.” Nonetheless, it can be used as a guide track for editing, or as a back-up track to a separate audio recording device such as the Zoom h3C.

Q: Can I use the audio input of a 5D, 7D etc. with professional balanced line microphones?
A: Yes. You can convert this input to a balanced line using a balun transformer such as the ETS PA911 (www.etslan.com). This is a passive balun (no external power is required) that puts the same mic audio on both tracks. It converts the balanced audio from the mic to unbalanced audio required by the camera. There is a precision transformer built into the XLR connector to accomplish this. You can also special order from ETS a balun that gives you two inputs so you can record stereo microphones. The only thing this arrangement won’t support is phantom-powered condenser microphones, but dynamic microphones (or condenser microphones with external power supplies or internal batteries) will work just fine. Beware of adaptors that simply attach the 3.5mm plug to an XLR. That style of adaptor actually unbalances the mic to which it is attached, which reduces the ability of the mic and wiring to reject noise and interference.

Q: Do I HAVE to use balanced microphones?
A: No. They’re simply of higher quality than most mics with unbalanced outputs. There are many varieties of shotgun and other styles of microphone with the same 3.5mm plug used in the 5D and 7D. Some of these are of adequate quality, but there are far more suitable choices available when you employ a true 3-pin XLR balanced line.

Q: What if I want to run a long cable to an external microphone?
A: You can purchase any number of wireless systems that have the 3.5mm output you need. Alternatively, you can use the ETS PA911 (www.etslan.com) to adapt a professional wireless receiver.

But you can combine higher quality with lower cost by simply using an appropriate length of balanced line mic cable, such as Belden 1800F. The cable would plug into the ETS PA911 balun on one end and the balanced-line mic on the other end. There is essentially no reasonable limit to distance (at least up to 2000 ft.) with this arrangement. But bear in mind that if you use a simple XLR-to-3.5mm-plug adaptor, it will unbalance the entire mic cable, as well as the mic at the other end, and thereby greatly reduce the ability of the cable to reject noise and interference.

Q: How can I maximize the audio quality in my 5D and 7D?
A: Consult the Owner’s Manual and disable the “automatic gain control” on the audio in the camera. Of course, you will then have to set the audio level manually.

Q: How do I attach an outboard video monitor to the 5D and 7D cameras?
A: There is a mini-HDMI output on the same side of the camera as the audio jack. Use a cable of the appropriate length that adapts from min-HDMI to standard HDMI. External self-powered monitors are available from a number of manufacturers. But please note that these HDMI cables are typically fragile, so you might want to take a few backup units with you on a shoot.

For more information, please see their site

(cover photo credit: snap from Energy Transformation Systems)

Is it possible to have a headphone monitoring the Canon EOS 5D Mark II (reviews) or other HDSLR that doesn’t have magic lantern installed? Well, this solution seems to give you that option. I haven’t tried it.

DSLR headphone setup with Røde VideoMic from christian sundsdal on Vimeo.

I have found a solution that works for me… and cost only about 37$.

My need was:
- Cheap
- Simple to setup
- Lightweight

Diagram

The source of this is the post from Cristian Sundsdal here (translated by google). In that post he also gave us this diagram:

Possible solution for headphone connection

(cover photo credit: snap from the video)

Are you trying to decide on which mini-shotgun mic to use for your HDSLR? This post may help, but it won’t answer the question directly. It is hard to know which to pick – especially if you aren’t a mic expert (and not many of us are – I sure have a lot to learn and I’ll bet most of you do too). This morning, the folks at RØDE tweeted this video and so I gave it a watch – and if you’re looking for mics, this might help you decide. It comes from Chad Johnson (whom I’ve not contacted) and I’ll present it just as Chad did – letting you decide if it helps you make a decision.

The shootout

Shootout of the Mini Shotguns! from Chad Johnson on Vimeo.

Here’s a little shootout I did between 4 miniature shotguns. The Sennheiser MKE400, Rode VideoMic Pro, the Que Audio Micro Shotgun, and the Rode VideoMic. Who sounds best? Who has the best side rejection? Listen and you decide. Additional Audio Tests of these mics as audio files here: http://precisionintermedia.com/chadswebstuff/

My notes

I don’t have a great deal of experience with a wide variety of mics – but I do own both the RØDE VideoMic Pro and the RØDE VideoMic as well as the Sennheiser MKE400.

I haven’t ever tried to do a side by side test only because I don’t have enough experience to know how to do a proper test. I initially bought the RØDE Stereo Mic and learned that for some of my usage (especially when making videos at shows like NAB) it’s sound profile gathered too much audio from the sides – which is ok, as long as you learn what situations that is good. And then I broke the shoe mount by dropping it. This was at about the same time as I was learning more about the different kinds of mics and realized that for things like interviews at shows, I should be using a shotgun style mic.

So I bought the RØDE VideoMic. My main objection to that mic was that it sticks out the back when it is mounted on the shoe of the camera and since I shoot stills and video, getting my eye up to the viewfinder on the camera to shoot stills just doesn’t happen. The mic hits you in the forehead.

Next, I bought the Sennheiser MKE400 because it allowed me to shoot both stills and video without bumping my head.

Recently, RØDE sent me the RØDE VideoMic Pro for evaluation and it is much better at letting me shoot both stills and video (tho it still sticks out the back just a bit). It has performed very well tho at the NAB show, when I was taking it off the camera at the end of the day, the screw that holds the shoe mount to the mic popped off somewhere and I couldn’t find it. I was lucky I had the Sennheiser as a backup. I have reported the incident to RØDE and they are looking into it. I really didn’t expect it to separate as I haven’t put the mic thru that much use yet – but I’m very impressed with their interest in checking into the situation. Has anyone else had that problem?

I was very glad to bump into this comparison that Chad put together – it is very helpful to hear the differences in the mics – especially if you’re listening thru headphones. It may help you pick a mic – and it may help you decide that for your project, you’ll need something more advanced or a different kind of mic – so it is good to learn something new!

What are your mini-shotgun mic experiences? Which sounds better to you after watching?

Blogger’s Disclaimer: as I point out in the story – RØDE has sent me a RØDE VideoMic Pro for evaluation. I have purchased all the other mics on my own.

(cover photo credit: snap from the video)

As time goes on, we find more and more great resources for learning online (isn’t the internet amazing? was just telling my daughters how hard it used to be to find information in books HAHA) and today, we’ve found out about RØDE’s new iPhone app connected to their RØDE University. And if you’re looking for audio recording information, you just might find everything you need in their site!

The press release

Tuesday 22nd March 2011, Sydney Australia – RØDE Microphones is extremely excited to announce the release of its RØDE University audio education course for the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. This free app includes all the video content from both the musical and broadcast syllabus from RØDE’s award winning website, rodeuniversity.com.

First launched in 2008, RØDE University guides viewers through the basics of recording audio via short, entertaining videos, followed by multiple choice questions to reinforce the key points of the lesson.

The instrument recording course covers various ways to record a typical band including vocals, drums, guitars and bass. Across the 28 video segments users will learn key audio fundamentals, as well as discover a range of ways to mic instruments and vocals, with the pros and cons of each technique explained and discussed. Filmed in the world renowned Studio 301 and featuring rock band “Hell City Glamours” this course will definitely rock your pocket!

Veteran sound designer and best-selling author Ric Viers takes the helm in the broadcast recording course, guiding viewers through a wide range of topics including location recording, ENG, voice-over and ADR, podcasting, DLSR on-camera miking, foley and sound effect recording.

After installing the app, users can browse the available courses and individual videos and download those that they are interested in to their Apple device. A one-touch trash function makes it easy to manage the videos stored on your iPhone and iPad.

Users also have the opportunity to share segments that they fi nd particularly insightful or entertaining via Facebook, Twitter or email.

“The iPhone and iPad are perfect platforms for RØDE University.” commented Damien Wilson, Global Marketing Director for RØDE Microphones “From the very beginning we designed RØDE Uni to fit in with the lifestyle of our users by ensuring all the content was to-the-point and entertaining. Now the added convenience of being able to watch anywhere at any time, even without a data connection makes it really easy and simple to get your audio knowledge up-to-speed while on the train, waiting for a bus, or between classes”.

The RØDE University app is available as a free download now through the App Store, or can be downloaded by visiting www.rodeuniversity.com/iphone
Visit RØDE University online at www.rodeuniversity.com

I downloaded the app and gave it a whirl and it is pretty nice. There’s even a pop quiz at the end of each video to see if you were paying attention! There are two sections – one for music recording mics – you know, the music video stuff — and there’s another section for broadcast shot with Ric Viers – author of “The Sound Effects Bible“.

There isn’t an iPad version, tho you can run the iPhone version on the iPad and the videos look good. I tried it! It appears that you download the videos to your device so they will be taking more memory on your device. But they do provide “A one-touch trash function makes it easy to manage the videos stored on your iPhone and iPad” so you can remove them once you’re finished learning.

There is some good info in these materials. Each video in the broadcast section is about 5 minutes long and there are 10 – so you’ll be getting 50 minutes of quality training on audio basics. This isn’t like a full audio training class, but there’s enough good info to get you up and running shooting your next HDSLR movie.

There’s also some detailed info on each microphone they sell – tho surprisingly, it hasn’t been updated to include the new RØDE VideoMic Pro.

Blogger’s Disclaimer: Rode has given me a Rode Podcaster mic for doing my live discussions and podcasts. They are not currently advertising with us (darn it all! HA).

(cover photo credit: snap from the PR)

A couple of days ago we had a news release called “Rycote’s portable Recorder Audio Kit for ZOOM H4N Handy Recorders” and we’ve found out that Drew Gardner (author of “Stills In Motion with Drew Gardner” – see our review) has done an interview with Tim Constable from Rycote showing the new kit. Most interesting is the flexibility of the suspension of the rig (as seen in the blog cover image which is a snap from Drew’s interview)

Drew Gardner’s interview

Here’s the interview from Drew (from his post on the Focus on Imaging show)

Rycote Portable recorder kit from drew gardner on Vimeo.

Isn’t that flexibility impressive? Would be great to maybe use something like that for some of the other mics on the market – as I’m not happy with the rubber band supports on some of them!

(cover photo credit: snap from the video)

Many of you may have noticed I have a new Rode Podcaster USB Dynamic Microphone that I’m using for my podcasts – it was sent to us by Scott Emerton of RØDE – who also make the RØDE VideoMic Pro. We’ve been looking for a good external mic to improve the audio of our podcasts and interviews and this looks to be a good one.

Unboxing, setup, and Review

Since we’re having so much fun making videos lately, we did an unboxing (yea, I know, it isn’t a new idea LOL) to be able to show it off a little bit. We also included a good bit of setup instruction. And – as a special bonus, there are outtakes at the end!

The pieces

Mini Review

As you saw from the video, setup may not be totally obvious to the new user (or maybe it is just me ha!).

Usage after the initial setup is simple and easy – especially with the desktop arm mount. Tho it is obviously much more bulk than a simple mic, if you want good audio (as with making a movie) you’ve got to go the extra mile. You won’t see many of the top podcasters using basic mics, you’ll find they’re all using higher end mic setups.

I did try out a Marshall USB-77 mic last fall (which I really liked because it looked like an old time microphone) and it gave very good results in terms of audio. I’m no microphone expert and I don’t have them both to test side by side to compare the audio quality. However, the lesson I learned with the Marshall was that it was set up to be purely a desktop mic – it didn’t mount to an arm and therefore, for my needs, it just wasn’t suitable. There are many people who don’t have a keyboard in front of them and the desktop mount works great for them. I have a corner desk and there was just no way to get the Marshall close enough to my mouth and to get it off the desk where keyboard clicks were transmitted to the mic.

The mic is much more sensitive (if that’s the right word here) than using the computer’s internal mic – that is designed of course to pick up everything around the room. With the podcaster, you really want your mouth within 6-10 inches or the sound will be very muted. Which is exactly what you want. You will pick up noises from outside the room, but they aren’t as loud as you’d get with just the internal mic.

I don’t have any real negatives to report from usage… it does what I expect it to do. The shock mount helps a great deal, but it doesn’t totally eliminate every sound if you grab the mic and move the whole setup. However, it is MUCH better than not having the shock mount!

The arm is also a must have for anyone doing any kind of podcast or video from your desk. The freedom it provides is well worth the monstrosity sitting on your desk – tho beware, you may hit your head often – at least I do haha – when I don’t move it completely out of the way. You do have to have a way to clamp it to something – or you have to have a hole in your desk. It does come with two mounting options and I used the clamp because I had a shelf to mount it to. And, the clamp has to have some place sturdy – all of this is not light – in one location on my desk it was unstable because the shelf itself wasn’t sturdy. Not a fault of the equipment, but just be aware of this requirement.

Summary

Overall, it is a quite well built and sturdy setup for a podcaster. The whole kit will cost you under $400 – but if you’re planning on doing some serious broadcasting, you’ll want to have a proper setup and a very good mic and the Rode Podcaster USB Dynamic Microphone fits the bill well. My father always told me “Son, you get what you pay for” – and most of the time that is true. You may find lower cost mics, but there’s a reason why you want to have a quality mic if you’re serious about your audio.

Blogger’s Disclaimer: Again, we thank Scott Emerton of Rode for sending us this equipment in return for a review. I did try to find something really negative to say just to prove that I’m not a total patsy, but really, unless you’re a pro audiophile, you’re not going to find much wrong with this either.

(cover photo credit: snap from the video)

While not ideal for audio, the internal mics on HDSLRs and other cameras are very susceptible to wind noise and sometimes, they’re the only microphone you have available. Rycote now has an option for you to put a ‘dead cat’ muffler on your internal mic deadening that horrid wind noise – called Micro Windjammers.

Micro Windjammers installed

Description from Rycote

Even the smallest compact cameras allow you to shoot high-quality video these days — but if you’ve ever tried filming outdoors on a blustery day, you’ll know that the wind can wreck your perfectly composed soundtrack in a matter of seconds.

Rycote have been making windjammers for professional broadcasters and film-makers for over four decades. Our new Micro Windjammers provide easy-to-fit, all-in-one wind protection for your camera’s built-in microphone, giving you great-sounding audio whatever the weather!

The Micro Windjammers are available in individual packs, or boxes of 25 individual packs. Each individual pack contains 30 stickies and 6 grey fur discs.

Benefits

• Reduce wind noise on your camera videos with these easy-to-fit Micro Windjammers!
• Protect integrated microphones found on HDSLR cameras, HD camcorders and compact cameras.
• An essential piece of kit for all your outdoors recordings!

Installation

Micro Windjammers

Micro Windjammers installed

Blogger’s Disclaimer: we have no relationship at the time of this writing with Rycote… we just love publishing cool HDSLR stuff

(cover photo credit: snap from rycote)