Geoff Baxter wrote:It is my opinion, and you may disagree (feel free) that the Pocket is not a device designed for recording audio. If it was it would have more audio functions and at the very least, a method to monitor and meter the levels. Ever since it came out, people on this forum have been asking for meters to be included in future firmware updates, but even if they are, how do you control them during a session?
As the camera operator, you have plenty to do with maintaining focus, exposure and framing when shooting with this camera. Audio meters would absolutely have to be overlayed over the image so you can watch them while doing everything else. But this means you have to additionally take on the role of sound recordist as well. And in order to control the audio levels recorded to the camera, you have to have some form of control to adjust, and there are no useful controls on the Pocket to allow this adjustment.
The answer has always been to have a sound recordist on the shoot to control location audio and to ensure there is a good recording, and the arrival of the Pocket on the scene has not changed that one little bit. It seems to me, observing these discussions, that this is being forgotten by many. I am not suggesting that every shoot must have a sound recordist present, as it would be beyond the budget of many people here, including myself.
But all sorts of schemes are being promoted to solve the problem of getting sound into the Pocket in a reliable way, yet I am yet to be convinced there is a reliable way to do it. If good quality audio is important to you, then my view is you should arrange to record it on a recorder device that is designed for the job.
If you have a Zoom combination recorder/microphone system, then record on that and just feed a guide track into the Pocket, but treat the recording on the Zoom as your primary source. If you have a more sophisticated recorder, such as the Roland or Tascam devices, use those to record and feed the guide track to the Pocket. I have both a Zoom and the Tascam DR-60D recorder, and my primary device will be the Tascam, because it has features not found on the Zoom products.
If it is cumbersome to arrange a connection between your recorder and the Pocket, then try leaving it out of the equation. Use the in-built microphones on the Pocket and wind up the sensitivity, you most likely will get enough level to enable you to sync them in post, especially if you use a product like PluralEyes.
A further point is that by taking a feed out of the Zoom, Tascam or Roland, you may very well be taking a feed that has been sampled, digitised and then decoded again, and not a pristine audio feed at all, as many recorders use this technique on their monitoring output.
Those people who favour using external pre-amplifiers, such as the BeachTek are losing out on the most important part of the chain in my opinion, the recorder. They are pinning their faith in the Pocket to do the job of sound recording correctly, and there is ample evidence to say this is not a good idea.
Geoff
I dont disagree with you in any way, but for me everything you say is killed by one fact. Sometimes or even very often I am alone. No recordist, cant watch the screen, cant point the mic, cant pull focus etc.
As former TV journalist thats how Ive always worked. My job is to focus my atention on the person Im filming and the story.
Therefore this is a good way of getting regular on camera b-roll sound. And since the zoom sits on the camera any way, why not both feed it in and record to the Zooms SD at the same time?
The main audio is still recorded separatly on in my case a Tascam, but why would you throw away another option?
Sometimes a separate recorder or even external mic all together is out of the question and you need to record with your smartphone, for me it doesnt matter. I want to solve my task and always have multiple plans on doing things. A good producer is imo creative through the whole chain of producion including the gear. As we say in the army "supplied gear is always enough gear" (somewhat translated
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I think my main point is, we all work in different ways. Some use lavs and others shootguns. Some use rigs and others (like me) would never dream of it.
Any who, thanks or the input. Always healthy to share and trade opinions
Shooting for fun.
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