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Zoom on a boom


Erik

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Today I was at an outdoor music festival when a DSLR film crew showed up and started interviewing people. From the badges hanging around their necks, they appeared to be the official media crew of the festival. They had a sound guy. His entire sound equipment consisted of a Zoom H4n on monopod "boom pole" and a pair of cheap head phones with a long cord. It was rather windy so I suggested that he might want to spend at least $49 on a Rycote branded fuzzy for his Zoom from B & H Video. He looked at me like I was from Mars.

Maybe we are all doomed by the Zoom cult.

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I was writing that..."I'm at 1:43, and there are already three glaring pieces..."

...and Safari crashed on me.

So obviously, either Jim "Quotes clever things in between his first and last names" Feeley was right, and it's the apocalypse, or Dan VanJanMan doesn't tolerate anyone talking smack about the Zoom "microphone" thats capable of recording your dialogue in four channels of audio in preparation for your 5.1 mix.

Consider me schooled.

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Bigger problem is maybe as much as 90% of audience won't really notice or care about not so great sound.

I had a professor of audio recording named Mark Waldrep. He does some serious sound recording, mixing, mastering and is an audiophile of ridiculous discrimination. I remember him lecturing and telling us that his recordings don't appeal to about 90% of people and most of them can't hear any difference between an mp3 and a hi-def audio DVD. That's pretty sad if it's even half accurate...which it seems to be.

I always try to tell myself, most can't hear...but all can perceive :)

You know, for the HS kids who want to make a film in between classes and have some fun and have a total budget of Whatever They Finds They Keeps, then that is a fine solution. The problem begins when people look at these and don't understand why hiring a pro will get you better results.

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You know, for the HS kids who want to make a film in between classes and have some fun and have a total budget of Whatever They Finds They Keeps, then that is a fine solution. The problem begins when people look at these and don't understand why hiring a pro will get you better results.

Ultimately, if they want any form of distribution on a film, it needs to be of a reasonably high technical quality. It would be interesting if DVDs listed the main kit used, then we could go to the shop and find out how many off the shelf feature films actually use this ultra low end kit. I'll bet not many.

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Bigger problem is maybe as much as 90% of audience won't really notice or care about not so great sound.

Maybe this discussion will give you some hope....seen on our beloved forum !

He looked at me like I was from Mars

Don't worry, this guy is going to understand very soon that sound recording is a real job.

USING A ZOOM H2 MICROPHONE AND BOOM POLE FOR FILMMAKING

Ahah ah ! Do you think we should tell him that the mics are NOT in the end of the Zoom but on the sides ? Don't worry they are only doing very cheap movies, not a big deal to make a better sound.

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Oh my. 3rd sign of the coming apocalypse.

USING A ZOOM H2 MICROPHONE AND BOOM POLE FOR FILMMAKING

[nearly 60,000 views]

1) Love the huge disclaimer up front that runs by so fast you can't read it

2) Love the boom pole

3) Love the beer and what seems to be the beer's effects in the host's speech a bit later on in the video

4) Love the idea that all this prep is because of a "biggish" upcoming film that he's going to be working on

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" He looked at me like I was from Mars. "

probably just someone doing what he was told...

" The problem begins when people look at these and don't understand why hiring a pro will get you better results. "

they get the results they want, and frankly, in a lot of these situations, "hiring a Pro" (and paying more) won't really make much, if any, difference! There are plenty of other factors that prevail....

" this guy is going to understand very soon that sound recording is a real job. "

probably not.

" Don't worry they are only doing very cheap movies, not a big deal to make a better sound. "

pretty much...especially in their minds!

let's remember that 'once upon a time' recording sound for movies required a special recorder from Switzerland that was neither easy nor intuitive to operate, and the manual for it was not really much help, either. Today, there are alternatives from $59 up to $15k including some decent free programs for computers. Having someone, anyone, pointing a Zoom on a Boom is an improvement from a mic on the camera. Even Audio Developments has realized this is a fertile market sector, and our old friends at NAGRA make several products for these applications, though somewhat more than the low hundred$ range!

" I suggested that he might want to spend at least $49 on a Rycote branded fuzzy for his Zoom from B & H Video. "

Why ? it probably is not his!

his gig: point stick, get $$

" Cinema 5d. You do't know how popular h4n, h1, rode video mic pro, and rode ntg-2 are. The ideal filmmaking kit is ntg-2 plug into h4n on a boom. "

that is what it is, though to me it is too bad that the TASCAM's don't have better penetration of this sector. the use of these recorders is largely the result of WOM (word of mouth) from the press catering to this market sector in the forms of articles, reviews, and user experiences. the bottom line is that if the audio is adequate, that is 'good enough' for these folks, then there will be more and more of this. So, if a Zoom os always a Zoom, the question becomes: how much better is a $1k Nagra hand-held recorder, and will the producers recognize the differences ??

" a pair of cheap head phones with a long cord. "

I've seen this sort of things without any headphones!! When one of my schools started sending out Zoom's with dSLR's, they didn't even include headphones until I raised a stink!

" an outdoor music festival when a DSLR film crew showed up and started interviewing people. From the badges hanging around their necks, they appeared to be the official media crew of the festival. "

I'm guessing this was not something major, like the Newport or Playboy festivals...

so depending on the size and scope of the event, and its funding, most of the probably limited $$ went into other things, and someone was tasked (paid or volunteer) to "get some footage". So, please tell me about the sound system, and crew, that they had doing the sound reinforcement for this event ... and maybe that crew was even making an audio recording ??

Edited by studiomprd
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I like how he was accusing Michael Miramontes of making duplicate accounts. He used the arguments that most of the people who watch this are amateur filmmaker with little money. I'm also an amateur with little money and I know to spend it on good sound equipment because I know it's money well worth spent... not on every freaking new camera that keep coming out.

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of course, but one needs to know how to use their tools...whatever they are.

ofcourse, that's why I'm reading on Post Production Sound, and Production Sound by Jay Rose. I'm also saving up money at the same time. After I'm familiar with my gear then I'm requesting to be an assistant for Brian Albritton who lives in the same city as me.

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