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Your experience with a gimbal stabilizer


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Hello guys,

I'm Daniel, a sound mixer from Germany and iam quite often in this forum, because the answers you get here are always very useful. Thanks to Jeff for making this forum possible!

I will have a 2x90min shooting for TV next month, using an Alexa (no problems here) and a BlackMagic Cinema Camera. The DOP wants to use the Blackmagic together with a gimbal stabilizer. Because a gimbal uses Motors to stabilize the camera I wanted to know if anyone of you could tell me about the noise a gimbal usually creates. Is it a problem to record clean audio when a gimbal is on set? I know, there are different types of gimbals but I don't know yet, wich one will be used. I'd like to talk about your experiences, since I couldn't find anything about this topic in the Internet.

And my next question would be, if Audio TC on the Blackmagic caused any problems for anyone here. I used Audio tc on 5D's successfully before, using an Ambient TinyLockit, so Iam familiar with setting all properly up. But sometimes, there are strange problems you can avoid if you ask first ;-) I know you know what I'm talking about 

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

 

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Hi Daniel

I've been on a two day shoot with a dji ronin recently, and it was about the quietest thing we had on the set. I did not hear it at all, even when the cam op was showing off. The cam op walking around (what this gimbal is made for in the end) was a lot more audible.

- Andy

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Hi Daniel,

 

I have worked with stabilized cameras. The "Perfect Horizon" system is not too noisy, especially if you are working with it at sea.

The Mako system, in my experience was quite a bit noisier. 

These are expensive systems, and there may be much cheaper alternatives others out there like the Ronin which are quiet.

Haven't used audio TC for years, so no comment there.

Regards,

Jim Rillie

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Daniel,

you will definitely want to do a workflow test with the black magic. depending on what firmware it is running and at what resolution you are shooting there can be a few quirks. The biggest one is that sometimes the camera drops frames and doesn't record audio or drops audio here and there. Not sure if blackmagic has fixed any of those problems with the latest firmware. It has been a little while since I have shot with one. It does have 1/4" inputs so you will need to be prepared for that. Also when I shot with them there were no audio meters so I had no clue if audio was going to the camera or at what level. I think they may have added meters with a firmware update but I am not sure. You would have to confirm with the camera you will be shooting with. You would have to roll and then offload to check to see what level the audio was at and then adjust accordingly.

Recording with gimbals hasn't been to bad. If it is a very, very quiet set you may hear it but otherwise it shouldn't be a concern, Usually the fan noise from the camera is louder.

Ryan

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A gimbal usually is ok as long as they don't do excessive moves. Cam fans will give you more trouble (though the BM is relatively quiet for its size).

TC to an audio track has been discussed a few times here. Definitely check with post (assistant editor, DIT, or whoever does the syncing) if they really need TC on the gimbal cam. Often they are comfortable with a properly clapped slate. Mounting a Lockit to that gimbal cam might be more hassle.

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I just shoot a movie with the ronin and its pretty much destroying every quiet recording if you mount a red dragon or arri alexa mini on it.....

Huh. I haven't worked with a Ronin, but have worked with Freefly Movi systems often with RED Epics and Dragons on them. A pain to set up, but then fairly quite...at least "quiet enough." Unless camera is doing some crazy move or if the system isn't correctly/perfectly balanced...or rather re-balanced after switching a lens or something... At least, that's my anecdotal experience...but the camera folks I work with have all learned and been forced to re-balance regularly.

Maybe something like that is going on with the Ronin you suffered with?

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The Balance, with Dragon/Epic, in usuall, gimbal configuration and a 1 kg. lens (battery on back plateto balance) , withe Ronin extensions, is fairly straigthtforward and the operating noise generally minimal.  The issues however, may superve at greater weights and with quick moves, especially in suitcase mode.  Then the gizmo can go helicopter on the operator, etc., etc....  Once the operator knows the limits of the Ronin and what it allows, the noise floor is very low. and not at all an issue, in Fury's humble opinion.

 

TRhank you very much

 

Fury

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  • 6 months later...

I've used lots of different kinds of gimbal systems, they should be very quiet. But if they've been badly balanced..... they'll be noisy!! (because the motors will be working extra hard to keep it straight)

So sound should be zero issue, unless the gimbal op screws up the balance (hopefully very unlikely). 

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