Blackmagic Camera App Audio Source bugs

I’ve encountered these issues many times causing the footage to have no audio.
When it does occur, it isn’t noticeable until I playback the footage or realize the audio meters aren’t moving.
By then I’ve already recorded many clips with no audio. I went nearly a whole day of recording without audio this time. I didn’t have time to playback and check the footage. When I finally realized it, it was too late. A whole day of footage ruined.

Bugs:
- The audio source switches to None randomly
- When connecting AirPods, the audio switches to AirPods but once I disconnect AirPods (by putting them in the case or turning off Bluetooth) the audio defaults to None sometimes. After disconnecting, sometimes it uses the iPhone mic but still says it’s using AirPods.


Device and Software Details:
Device: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iOS: 17.2.1
Blackmagic Camera app version: 1.2.10003

Solutions:
- Default to iPhone mic always when disconnecting from another audio source.
- Don’t automatically switch audio sources when connecting a device like AirPods or an external mic. Maybe have the optional toggle for automatically switching audio sources, but I would rather switch audio sources manually and intentionally rather than it switching without me knowing. When I connect AirPods, I often still want to use the iPhone mic. When I connect an external mic, I will explicitly and intentionally change the source to the external mic anyways to make sure it’s using that mic.
- Remove None as an option from the audio source. Why is none even an option… we can mute the audio in post anyways.

It would be useful also to have audio monitoring in headphones, like on the moment app for example.

Just registered to say this happened to me as well, it's caused me to loose audio in a bunch of recordings that were critical to the entire video project, I'm actually fuming and am just going to stop using Blackmagic Camera app as I can no longer trust it and go back to Filmic Pro (even though it looks abandoned and costs $50 a year). Sorry for the rant.

This isn't even an isolated incident. I wasn't using any external mics at the time, had recorded a bunch of video shortly before that had audio. I agree with Bcchen30, "None" shouldn't even be an option.

Give CinemaP3 a try. The author is actively developing it and it’s no subscription.

Just registered to say this happened to me as well, it's caused me to loose audio in a bunch of recordings that were critical to the entire video project... I'm actually fuming and am just going to stop using Blackmagic Camera app... I agree with Bcchen30, "None" shouldn't even be an option.

I've been using the Blackmagic Camera app for several months, and following discussions about it here and in its Facebook Groups. The fact that others aren't making your complaint raises a question about where the problem lies.

Pressing record without checking what your audio source is and whether it's engaged, which you have apparently done repeatedly, is blatant operator error. It's amazing that you and Mr. Chen think that the fix is to require the rest of us to record audio for every clip as a condition of using the app. Maybe the fix is adherence to basic operating technique.

It might also be a good idea to learn what Blackmagic Camera app Presets are. This is the feature that lets you implement your preferred settings, including for audio, at the press of a button.

presets.jpg (67.32 KiB) Viewed 1426 times

Give CinemaP3 a try. The author is actively developing it and it’s no subscription.

If you want something without subscription, get Cinema P3. It has pretty good stills functions too.

Your bullet points are getting a little repetitive

Better like this?

No "None" setting, and it stays on the internal mic when AirPods get connected. AirPods work for monitoring.

Audio_CP3.jpg (108.19 KiB) Viewed 1417 times

Of course, one should always check the settings before recording. Computers sometimes do their own thing, and an iPhone is just a computer with a camera. Won't get better with AI

Disclaimer: I bought CinemaP3 with my own money.

Better like this?

That's a demonstration of why one of Blackmagic's strengths is user interface.

Where's the page where users, including the two people who are complaining in this thread with your implicit endorsement, can create settings presets for different scenarios, including for audio inputs?

See below. Unfortunately, neither these nor those in BM Camera are treating the audio input settings reliably. You'll always have to double-check after changing connections. Maybe an iOS thing.
At least, there's no "None" setting
For further information: https://www.blackburnapps.com/cinemap3/help.php

Preset.jpg (112.88 KiB) Viewed 1391 times

See below.

Give me credit for finding out what Cinema P3 offers as a preset function before I asked the question. For the sake of your own credibility, don't suggest that that is worthy of the term.

After about four years of development, that app can't even break the top 100 App Store photo and video apps. The Facebook Group has a total of 149 members. For your part, you've started an entire thread on Blackmagic's forum dedicated to selling Tom Blackburn's app, on top of taking every opportunity to sell it in threads started by others.

In this thread, you've implicitly endorsed complaints about the Blackmagic Camera app without making any effort to analyse whether the complaints make any sense. You said nothing about the preset feature that could help solve their problem. It's just another excuse to recycle your sales pitch. And what's the pitch? In part, it's telling people that the app doesn't require a subscription, while saying nothing about the fact that it costs US$12.00. This is used car salesman stuff, not one filmmaker talking to another.

Why don't you join the Cinema P3 Facebook Group and try to breathe some life into it.

I've been using the Blackmagic Camera app for several months, and following discussions about it here and in its Facebook Groups. The fact that others aren't making your complaint raises a question about where the problem lies.

Pressing record without checking what your audio source is and whether it's engaged, which you have apparently done repeatedly, is blatant operator error. It's amazing that you and Mr. Chen think that the fix is to require the rest of us to record audio for every clip as a condition of using the app. Maybe the fix is adherence to basic operating technique.

presets.jpg

Setting the audio source to None requires several taps through the app’s menu and can in no way be done accidentally, so I’m 100% confident it’s not user error on my part. There’s a 3 min gap between the last recording that had audio and the remaining clips that had no audio. Nothing happened in that 3 minutes other than me trying to line up the next shot. Also there’s at least 2 people here having the same problem's.

At least I know now I need to keep an eye on the audio meter, or maybe rely on external mics.

Just registered to say this happened to me as well, it's caused me to loose audio in a bunch of recordings that were critical to the entire video project, I'm actually fuming and am just going to stop using Blackmagic Camera app as I can no longer trust it and go back to Filmic Pro (even though it looks abandoned and costs $50 a year). Sorry for the rant.

This isn't even an isolated incident. I wasn't using any external mics at the time, had recorded a bunch of video shortly before that had audio. I agree with Bcchen30, "None" shouldn't even be an option.

As Uli Plank suggest: Try Cinema P3 Pro.

Cheaper than FiLMiC, and in some ways more reliable, than the BlackMagic Camera App. If you absolutely need IEEE float audio, Cinema P3 is no solution - maybe, that will change in the future, who knows?

I have experienced periodic more or less spurious audio problems with BMC, cause not investigated thoroughly due to lack of time, but the “None” audio input selection has been involved in most cases too. It’s a royal PITA, when it happens

With external recording, allowing sustained high speed ProRES 422HQ HLG 25 fps (my requirements), I usually prefer Apple Camera due to sheer reliable simplicity. If limited storage or speed is involved, I use the h265 20 or 40 MB/s for the same material on Cinema P3 Pro.

I believe Cinema P3 is looking into providing 4:2:2 in HLG with h265 in the future (currently only in Log), but when that will actually be implemented is anyone’s bet. For many use cases h265 40MB/s setting delivers very impressive results - on external media for hours on end on my iPhone 15 Pro.

Cinema P3 has a far better preset system, than Blackmagic Camera App, and a few other setting options, that neither Apple nor Blackmagic support. Whether you need them at all, I’m in no position to say. I don’t need the more “creative options” personally. YMMV.

You decide, but FiLMiC is probably not the best alternative in all cases.

Regards

As Uli Plank suggest: Try Cinema P3 Pro [etc, etc].

Ahh, it's the other half of the Bobbsey Twins. Why stop there? Say what you really think:

It's time to give Blackmagic Camera a thorough overhaul - or deregister the App.

That's from your February 24th post when you proclaimed about the five month old Blackmagic Camera app:

ProRES 422LT does NOT play back

Only problem is, it wasn't true. Even your pal Uli felt constrained to point out to you that he was having no such difficulty. It was just you going off half-cocked again, complete with big red letters and underlining

At least I know now I need to keep an eye on the audio meter...

Good. That's what it's there for, along with the headphones that you should be wearing.

Just registered to say this happened to me as well, it's caused me to loose audio in a bunch of recordings that were critical to the entire video project, I'm actually fuming and am just going to stop using Blackmagic Camera app as I can no longer trust it and go back to Filmic Pro (even though it looks abandoned and costs $50 a year). Sorry for the rant.

This isn't even an isolated incident. I wasn't using any external mics at the time, had recorded a bunch of video shortly before that had audio. I agree with Bcchen30, "None" shouldn't even be an option.

Registering and posting for the first time to report that this bug occurred for me as well. We were doing extremely fast paced run-and-gun shooting all weekend, and 1/5 of the way through shooting, the audio source setting seems to have arbitrarily reset from iPhone microphone to “None”. At no time was the microphone source setting even opened! At all times, the levels were indicating that audio was present, but the setting was reverting to “none” and no audio was being recorded.

Needless to say, this led to an entire ruined weekend of shooting, along with wasted money for flights, food, etc.

I managed to duplicate this issue- it seems to intermittently occur when a phone call comes in, and sometimes if AirPods are connected or disconnected. At this point, the entire production team has transitioned away from the Blackmagic Camera App until some more concrete evidence emerges to indicate that this bug has been fixed.

I’m anticipating the inevitable snarky comments, “oh you should have checked and reviewed your footage”. We DID, for the first 2 hours of shooting, and everything seemed fine. But as many of you may be aware, the realities of shooting in an extremely fast paced environment made that less doable later in the weekend.

In short, just very frustrated that such a basic bug has been present for so long without even being acknowledged by the Blackmagic Camera app team. I agree with the above posters, just remove “none” as an option. If you don’t know how to mute the audio of a clip in post, you shouldn’t be using this app anyway.

What an absolute embarrassment for Blackmagic design. Reliability issues like this seriously tarnish their reputation.

Just registered to say this happened to me as well, it's caused me to loose audio in a bunch of recordings that were critical to the entire video project, I'm actually fuming and am just going to stop using Blackmagic Camera app as I can no longer trust it and go back to Filmic Pro (even though it looks abandoned and costs $50 a year). Sorry for the rant.

This isn't even an isolated incident. I wasn't using any external mics at the time, had recorded a bunch of video shortly before that had audio. I agree with Bcchen30, "None" shouldn't even be an option.

Registering and posting for the first time to report that this bug occurred for me as well. We were doing extremely fast paced run-and-gun shooting all weekend, and 1/5 of the way through shooting, the audio source setting seems to have arbitrarily reset from iPhone microphone to “None”. At no time was the microphone source setting even opened! At all times, the levels were indicating that audio was present, but the setting was reverting to “none” and no audio was being recorded.

Needless to say, this led to an entire ruined weekend of shooting, along with wasted money for flights, food, etc.

I managed to duplicate this issue- it seems to intermittently occur when a phone call comes in, and sometimes if AirPods are connected or disconnected. At this point, the entire production team has transitioned away from the Blackmagic Camera App until some more concrete evidence emerges to indicate that this bug has been fixed.

I’m anticipating the inevitable snarky comments, “oh you should have checked and reviewed your footage”. We DID, for the first 2 hours of shooting, and everything seemed fine. But as many of you may be aware, the realities of shooting in an extremely fast paced environment made that less doable later in the weekend.

In short, just very frustrated that such a basic bug has been present for so long without even being acknowledged by the Blackmagic Camera app team. I agree with the above posters, just remove “none” as an option. If you don’t know how to mute the audio of a clip in post, you shouldn’t be using this app anyway.

What an absolute embarrassment for Blackmagic design. Reliability issues like this seriously tarnish their reputation.

I can confirm the problem.

It happens out of the blue - even an hour or more after starting takes without any connected or selected external microphones. Sometimes - in my case - only one of many takes is affected. But…

I wouldn’t rely on luck, when we’re talking “non-repeatable”, maybe even “once in a lifetime”, situations and takes. Especially family gatherings, travel to far away places etc.

Regards

P.S. It also happens, when no phone calls arrive, and when Focus “Do Not Disturb” is active for the App. No timers or alarms defined on the iPhone 15 Pro either (my iPhone 12 Pro is used for actual, real life management - an expensive solution to Apples limitations on “do not disturb”