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- Ambify capture system audio portable#
- Ambify capture system audio software#
- Ambify capture system audio professional#
Why both? For redundancy and easier sync in the edit suite. With dual-system sound, you’ll split the audio signal, sending one feed to the camcorder and another to the separate audio recording system. With a laptop, you can mix and match your options to create the perfect audio recording system.
Ambify capture system audio software#
Software can be as simple as Audacity or as complex as ProTools. Recording media can be a hard drive, thumb drive or Flash memory card. There are many affordable audio interfaces that include two to eight microphone or line inputs. Using a USB or FireWire audio interface and some recording software, a laptop-based recording system gives you the ultimate in control. The most flexible recording option is a laptop computer. Back in the edit suite, you just plug the card into a reader and transfer the audio files to your hard drive. Since there are no moving parts, these recorders offer extended run times and can record as much audio as you want, using removable cards.
Ambify capture system audio professional#
Most have professional XLR microphone inputs, phantom power and quality input sections.
Ambify capture system audio portable#
Edirol, M-Audio, Tascam and Zoom are a few of the manufacturers offering this type of small, portable recorder.
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If you decide to go this route, make sure the recorder has a microphone or line input and some good basic controls.Īnother popular option is the Flash-based recorder. The MiniDisc format is fading, but there are still plenty to be found on eBay, at swap meets and even in your local pawn shop. It’s small and runs forever on batteries, and the discs record about the same amount of time as a regular CD. For some time now, the MiniDisc has been a favorite with video producers. That means you need only a dedicated audio recorder and some extra cabling for dual-system sound. Let’s assume you already record audio with an external microphone and/or mixer. Extra work, yes, but the kind of extra effort that insures a quality product. It requires more setup, more operator involvement and some rec-ordkeeping.
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Recording separately eliminates this concern.įinally, dual-system sound forces you to pay close attention to your audio. In addition, there are plenty of producers who don’t like the compressed MPEG and AC3 audio of HDV and AVCHD cameras. They often have limited headroom and increased noise, compared to a dedicated audio system. Second, camcorder microphone preamps aren’t always the highest quality.
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With dual-system sound, that camera is now available – if not for your primary shot, at least as a B-roll camera. As a content creator, you’re probably leaving that camera on the shelf rather than risk the bad audio. There are many perfectly adequate cameras that are locked into their tiny built-in microphones. I know what you’re thinking: why go to the trouble of recording on another piece of equipment when my camera’s got a mic input? Please be patient, because there is more than one answer.įirst, not all camcorders have a microphone input. In the video world, this technique is called dual-system sound, because the audio is recorded on two devices: the camcorder and a separate audio recorder. Sounds like it’s worth investigating (pun intended). In the video production world, it’s a technique you can use to improve the consistency and quality of your digital audio. This technique adds a layer or two of complexity to the production, but it also has some powerful benefits. Have you ever wondered how they record audio for a motion picture? DVD bonus features clearly show the microphones, headphones, wireless packs and other audio goodies, but where does it all go? They don’t have microphone inputs on film cameras, do they? While it is possible to record audio on film, virtually all film sound is recorded on separate devices. When you need to sync many mic sources into your video or want to boost the audio you’re already collecting, you might want to look at dual-system sound.
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