DSLR Audio

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find-price-button Tascam DR-05 Portable Audio Recorder

Tascam has released a new DR-05 portable audio recorder that's firing back at the Zoom H1. Set up at the same pricing and target audience looking for a tiny portable recording device, this one might be the real game changer. Specs for the new Tascam DR-05 recording bitrate is similar to the Zoom H1, also includes stereo microphones, powered Mic 3.5 line input, headphones out, built in speaker, accepts MicroSD Card media, powered by (2) AA batteries or optional AC adapter.

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find-price-button Tascam DR-05 Portable Audio Recorder

There's no doubt that Zoom had cornered the market for $99 dollar portable recorders, but there was comments about the Zoom H1 plastic body and battery drain issues. Previously Tascam failed in providing a cost effective portable recorder to follow, as even the DR-03 was pricier than the Zoom H1. The DR-03 was thinner, but lacked mounting options and could only support a limited sized MicroSD card. With the release of this DR-05, this one could take the $99 dollar portable recorder crown. Oh and yes, this new Tascam DR-05 also has a threaded 1/4 x 20 mount (finally).

The Zoom H1 was a sell out for many weeks on it's first release, and from everything i'm seeing, this new Tascam is clearly a Charlie Sheen Winner. Once it arrives, i'll make the decision to move to all Tascam's and sell all Zoom H1's. Check out all the specs through the link below.

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find-price-button Tascam DR-05 Portable Audio Recorder

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The Zoom H4n Portable Audio Recorder is a trusty little tool that almost every DSLR team has on hand. If you're looking for the cheapest deal, right now you can pocket a good 20% off on the factory refurbs + Free Shipping. Hard to find normally but a popular store front on eBay (which I purchased a few Zoom H1's from) has a few kits available which includes all the accessories from Wind Screen, mic stand, AC adapter, USB cable, 1GB Card, and Protective travel case. Cheaper than even used Zoom H4n's on eBay..

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find-price-button Zoom (Factory Refurbished) H4n Portable Audio Recorder

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2011-03-02 15.09.57

One of the new features in the Canon T3i lets you select full Manual Audio, dial down the in-camera pre-amps, and go all JuicedLink DS214 with headphone monitoring. Damn this is so much easier than all the other random ways to control, monitor, and route incoming audio into DSLR's. If you still liked running a Dual Audio system, you can run a Zoom H1 or H4n on the output between the camera and DS214.

You can see the relative size of JL's DS214 next to the Canon T3i and Rode VideoMic Pro, all mounted on a (gratuitous product shot) of the Juicedlink Accessory bracket. It's such a simple looking setup, but you've got control over the Rode VideoMic with -10db, 0db, and +20db, and then you have a Low / High Gain features in the JuicedLink DS214, along with incoming Right and Left Levels adjustment, and finally piping that into the T3i Manual Audio controls...

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You never know when you might need to whip out a Portable Audio Recorder, so in that situation Vimeo member Alex Campbell introduces some very inexpensive (or free version) iPhone software that allows for some pretty neat audio recording tricks. Of course you'd need an iPhone for this to work. A few cool features are the built in Gain Controls and Hiss Reduction filter. Alex also links over to a company that sells adapters to input other microphones to your iPhone such as the Rode VM. Very cool if you're in a bind and already have an iPhone, just make sure you don't receive a call.... [Thanks Alex]

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JuicedLink-DS214

Doesn't look like it in photos, but this thing is small. The DS214 is really a great little device to professionally (and simply) add headphone monitoring and level adjustments for microphone inputs to DSLR's. The DS214 even includes AGC Defeat so this little black box can literally work magic for all DSLR audio shortcomings. Love the starting price point too. I'll mount it up next to a camera and show what that would look like.

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visit-button JuicedLink DS214 Low Noise PreAmp with Headphone Monitoring Audio Meters

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Screen shot 2011-02-24 at 11.10.26 PM
find-price-button Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Monitor Headphones

Comment came in asking about what people think might be a good set of Headphones for Monitoring Audio. I thought it would be interesting to hear the different options out there, so phone lines web lines are open, if you've got a favorite pair, leave your comments about Who, Why, and Where can we find them...

[Update] We got some great feedback in the comments about some great Headphones that are used in the industry.

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DS214-JuiceLink

Ok, so you got your DSLR and fancy new Rode VideoMic Pro with +20db feature. If you've got AGC on the T2i (without ML) or Canon 7D, then you need a way to disable AGC. Or maybe you don't? Maybe you've got a Canon 5D Mark II or 60D with Manual audio levels - no AGC to worry about. You're still short of a way to monitor the audio levels via headphones.

There's been different ways of trying to get clean audio into your camera, but it normally came at a hefty price. Here's where this new JuicedLink DS214 comes in. Just recently announced as available for purchase for under $145 bucks, this little black box provides all the missing features of running a stereo jacked microphone into your camera. The DS214 provides you with Audio meters, a Low-Noise Preamp, Headphone monitoring, and even AGC Disable if needed (everything that sucks for a DSLR). Ok, yes you can use an MP3 player with constant tone to 'tame' the AGC, but still no way to adjust levels from the Mic, or give a little low-noise preamp boost to the signal. Any way you cut it, this thing was thought out to include all the different 'workarounds'. For the price and convenience, it can't be beat.

This version doesn't have inputs to support XLR Microphones, but there's a swamping new audience using the Rode VideoMic Pro that sure could use something like this. For XLR phantom power you'll want to check out the DT454. Only 1 stereo input? The DS214 also has seperate L/R potentiometers which makes it possible to run a splitter to two different mics and capture mono on each channel.

As of now the new JuicedLink DS214 is only available on the JL site with a bunch of information which I suggest you checkout to see if this will work for you. There's also some different Audio Samples from a variety of possible Audio setups with the Rode Mic + Zoom H4n you can listen to.

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visit-button JuicedLink DS214 Low Noise PreAmp with Headphone Monitoring Audio Meters

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If you've been following the long wait for the Atomos Ninja HDMI recorder, then you'll know it should start shipping this week (hopefully). It's a sexy little unit that acts like a low res monitor, but is really a portable recorder to capture uncompressed Video goodness. Many times this is done by connecting a Video camera to a computer of some sort and a capture card. Above is a nice little example from Vimeo member UrbanFox.TV or what the Ninja is all about. It's already been delayed for several days and i'm waiting to see some examples.

DSLR shooters probably aren't going nuts for something like this because it's pretty rare to get clean HDMI out for recording. Sure the 7D outputs in 1080, but there's something not quite all there.. Other non DSLR camera shooters who use higher end Canon's, the fancy Sony's, and Panasonic are literally drooling for a portable solution to capture uncompressed HD output signals. Sony camera like the EX1 will need SDI input on a recorder, so soon another version 'the Samurai' will meet those requirements. [Note: Though your camera may output uncompressed signals, the Ninja saves the incoming signal to Apple ProRes]. Rumor mill is that only 250 units will touch US ground on this first shipment and who knows when the next batch arrives. If you weren't on the pre-order list and didn't get confirmation to receive one soon, it looks like someone is making one available via eBay.


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find-price-button Atomos Ninja Portable HDMI Recorder