Keep It Simple

RØDE’s VideoMic Pro, and recording live events

By Dan Brockett

RØDE TO THE RESCUE Q Like many people this year, I succumbed to the DSLR craze and purchased a new Canon EOS 7D. The built-in mic sounds terrible so I need an on-camera microphone, but I would rather keep it simple and not have to also buy and carry around a mixer or microphone interface. Any recommendations? Gerald P. Via e-mail A One challenge... Read more

Plug And Play

Sound Devices’ USBPre 2 is a high-resolution, portable hardware interface

By Dan Brockett

Q I need to do some location recording, and I also want to record a few voice-over sessions with my laptop. There are a lot of different outboard devices for routing microphones and digital sources into your computer on the market. Which model do you recommend, and why? Alicia S. Via e-mail A The market does seem to be somewhat flooded with various... Read more

Fix It In Post, Part Two

A list of third-party audio-repair solutions that can improve your sound

By Dan Brockett

iZotope RX is an advanced audio-repair application that includes Hum Removal, Declipper, Declicker, Denoiser, Spectral Repair and Advanced Spectrogram. Q How can you fix noisy audio in post? We were shooting intros for a television show, and the building that we were shooting in had air-conditioning that couldn’t be turned off; it was one single... Read more

The RØDE NTG-3

As a filmmaker concerned with sound quality, I’m looking to buy a good, all-purpose shotgun microphone.

By Dan Brockett

Q As a filmmaker concerned with sound quality, I’m looking to buy a good, all-purpose shotgun microphone. I don’t mind spending some money, but I can’t afford the top of the line. What should I look for, and what are your suggestions for the best value? Andrea W. Via e-mail A I’ve been using and reviewing shotgun and cardioid-variant... Read more

Sound And The Video D-SLR, Part 1

In this two-part series, HDVP first takes a look at production audio

By Dan Brockett

The popularity of shooting with HD-capable D-SLR (digital single-lens-reflex) cameras has resulted in a whole new range of audio challenges. In a nutshell, the audio on the new D-SLRs leaves something to be desired. Those in search of killer sound to go with their amazing HD images acquired with these new cameras have some major challenges ahead. PRO-Quality... Read more