Audio questions

[Story1kanobe]

I'm doing my first short film. It's going to be between 5-10 minutes. Pls remember how it was when you first began. My camera - canon 60d. Sound is going to be key. I can't decide between tascam dr-100 and zoom h4n. I've read a ton of info and blogs but I'm looking for personal experienced advice. I'm also willing to pay a couple of hundred more for a recorder that is a LOT better than both - if such a piece of equipment exist. I'm also planning on getting wireless mics, shotgun/boom and maybe condenser/cartioid mic. I've also been told about an Omni mic but I'm not sure about it's functions. Also need XLR cables. This is from reading blogs and doing site research. Dont know how to decide between the wireless laveliers vs omni vs cartioid. Advice is appreciated, need info also regards to trusted well priced stores/sites. I've been shopping at B&H so far. Any advice on sound editing software options and if there's any other sound equipment necessity, please tell me. My budget for sound is between $800 and $1300

 

[knightly]

get the tascam and spend $$$ on a nice boom pole (~$100), shotgun mic (~$500) and headphones (~$100).

My recent experience on set was lots of waiting for the zoom to boot up - don't know about the tascam for startup speed.

 

[CamVader]

- don't know about the tascam for startup speed.

Mine is just about instant.

 

[Story1kanobe]

I'm tempted to get the marantz pmd-661 with the oade brothers mod (Marantz Super mode for between $600-$700). It's supposed to be good for low level sound, voices, nature etc, which is what I had in mind. It'll stop me from getting the boom pole etc for about a month. I'm gonna have to think hard on this one - damn. Thanks for your input. Now its between the tascam and marantz.

 

[Mitra]

I'm tempted to get the marantz pmd-661 with the oade brothers mod (Marantz Super mode for between $600-$700). It's supposed to be good for low level sound, voices, nature etc, which is what I had in mind. It'll stop me from getting the boom pole etc for about a month. I'm gonna have to think hard on this one - damn. Thanks for your input. Now its between the tascam and marantz.

The audio recorder's on-board mics are best suited for journalists recording interviews. So moding PMD 661 on-board mics may not help too much in filmmaking projects. All filmmakers need three types of mics: a directional mic with with XLR for booming, a surround mic for ambient and wireless lavs for those wide angle talent shots.

Mics are like camera lenses and the recorded sound will be as good as the mic’s capability. You can get some great recording with an excellent mic connected directly to your video camera, but reverse is not true. You may not get great recording with a consumer mic connected with a fine recorder like Marantz PMD661.

There has been lot of new innovations happened lately in directional and surround mics. So indie filmmakers now have even more affordable options and technologies to chose from.

 

[The Tune Peddler]

+1 for the Tascam. I've used it a lot recently and it boots incredibly fast. The onboard mics on the Tascam are actually pretty nice in a pinch especially if you have someone to hold the unit just off screen like you would a shotgun mic. The unit also has phantom power so when I plugged a condenser mic in it worked flawlessly with very little noise. Obviously there are more expensive better choices but I wouldn't worry about the Tascam at all, it's a solid unit.