Beginner film makers rarely realise the importance of sound in their productions Most filmmakers say 60% of a film is contained in it's audio quality. Without realizing it, viewers notice dodgy sound more than anything else. If your audience cannot hear easily what's happening in your movie, there are plenty of other Youtube videos to move onto - and they will.
Unless the speaker is right in front of the camera, you need to be thinking about recording your sound seperately and the recorders that have achieved iconic status in the world of lo budget indie film making are those made by Zoom.
Zoom have released three recorders in their H series.
The Zoom H1 is the smallest of these and is a fantastic little recording device, much beloved by Indy Filmmakers. For such a tiny unit it really can do some impressive recording and will definitely get the job done. but don't be fooled by its size. The Zoom H1 is a power-packed little recording unit that you can take with you anywhere. It is not as chunky as Zoom's H4n, but for half the price it is a really goo buy. As with all Zoom's H series it uses phased directional microphones which grab more information and produce a crystal clear stereo sound. It runs on a single AA battery which in my experience, lasts for AGES, and records the audio (WAV or MP3) to a standard MicroSD card
Tech SpecsRecording Media: microSD/SDHC card
Recording Bit Rate: WAV - 16 and 24 bit, MP3 - 48-320kbps
Included with Handy Recorder: AA Battery, 2GB microSD card
Connections: 3.5mm Mic/Line input, 3.5mm Headphone/Line output, USB 2.0 port
On the Zoom H1, audio files are saved to a microSD card; this is not the most ideal flash recording card but is still effective in capturing information. Since most card readers and computers don't come with a microSD reader there is an SD adapter included. You can also plug the H1 into your computer with the USB 2.0 slot. The H1 can be powered via bus power in the USB 2.0 slot as well. One of the other main features is the ability to switch from Mp3 to WAV formats, which will give you opposing bit rates as well as different formats to manipulate. Both files are compatible with different programs and will operate better in some applications.It is quite convenient to check back and listen to your recording to see how it sounds with a speaker located at the bottom of the H1. You can also listen to the playback with headphones. The AA battery will provide you with juice for up to 10 hours of recording time. Zoom also sells an AC adapter that allows you to record even longer.
When holding the H1 handy recorder in a quiet room, I found that the audiometers seemed to flutter quite a bit and really reacted to the movement of my hand. One of my favorite features about the device is the tripod mount on the back. This is perfect for attaching to the hot shoe on your HDSLR or onto a tripod. Mounting the unit gives you more control over the direction of your microphones plus reduces noise that would come from hand-held recording.
ComparisonThe bigger brother, Zoom's H4n, is not too different from the H1. The body is made of a thicker plastic and its size and weight is double that of the H1. But the cost is also twice as much. The H4n has two XLR inputs on the bottom of the unit, which is a huge selling point for anyone doing recordings from of a soundboard or at a live event. However, for how lightweight and portable it is, the zoom H1 is a great piece of equipment to add to your audio gear bag.
Tech SpecsRecording Media: microSD/SDHC card
Recording Bit Rate: WAV - 16 and 24 bit, MP3 - 48-320kbps
Included with Handy Recorder: AA Battery, 2GB microSD card
Connections: 3.5mm Mic/Line input, 3.5mm Headphone/Line output, USB 2.0 port
Strengths
Zoom Corporation.
4-4-3 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
www.zoom.co.jp/(link is external)
$99
Unless the speaker is right in front of the camera, you need to be thinking about recording your sound seperately and the recorders that have achieved iconic status in the world of lo budget indie film making are those made by Zoom.
Zoom have released three recorders in their H series.
The Zoom H1 is the smallest of these and is a fantastic little recording device, much beloved by Indy Filmmakers. For such a tiny unit it really can do some impressive recording and will definitely get the job done. but don't be fooled by its size. The Zoom H1 is a power-packed little recording unit that you can take with you anywhere. It is not as chunky as Zoom's H4n, but for half the price it is a really goo buy. As with all Zoom's H series it uses phased directional microphones which grab more information and produce a crystal clear stereo sound. It runs on a single AA battery which in my experience, lasts for AGES, and records the audio (WAV or MP3) to a standard MicroSD card
Tech SpecsRecording Media: microSD/SDHC card
Recording Bit Rate: WAV - 16 and 24 bit, MP3 - 48-320kbps
Included with Handy Recorder: AA Battery, 2GB microSD card
Connections: 3.5mm Mic/Line input, 3.5mm Headphone/Line output, USB 2.0 port
On the Zoom H1, audio files are saved to a microSD card; this is not the most ideal flash recording card but is still effective in capturing information. Since most card readers and computers don't come with a microSD reader there is an SD adapter included. You can also plug the H1 into your computer with the USB 2.0 slot. The H1 can be powered via bus power in the USB 2.0 slot as well. One of the other main features is the ability to switch from Mp3 to WAV formats, which will give you opposing bit rates as well as different formats to manipulate. Both files are compatible with different programs and will operate better in some applications.It is quite convenient to check back and listen to your recording to see how it sounds with a speaker located at the bottom of the H1. You can also listen to the playback with headphones. The AA battery will provide you with juice for up to 10 hours of recording time. Zoom also sells an AC adapter that allows you to record even longer.
When holding the H1 handy recorder in a quiet room, I found that the audiometers seemed to flutter quite a bit and really reacted to the movement of my hand. One of my favorite features about the device is the tripod mount on the back. This is perfect for attaching to the hot shoe on your HDSLR or onto a tripod. Mounting the unit gives you more control over the direction of your microphones plus reduces noise that would come from hand-held recording.
ComparisonThe bigger brother, Zoom's H4n, is not too different from the H1. The body is made of a thicker plastic and its size and weight is double that of the H1. But the cost is also twice as much. The H4n has two XLR inputs on the bottom of the unit, which is a huge selling point for anyone doing recordings from of a soundboard or at a live event. However, for how lightweight and portable it is, the zoom H1 is a great piece of equipment to add to your audio gear bag.
Tech SpecsRecording Media: microSD/SDHC card
Recording Bit Rate: WAV - 16 and 24 bit, MP3 - 48-320kbps
Included with Handy Recorder: AA Battery, 2GB microSD card
Connections: 3.5mm Mic/Line input, 3.5mm Headphone/Line output, USB 2.0 port
Strengths
- Lightweight build
- Phased X&Y directional microphones
- Large recording time
- No XLR inputs
- MicroSD Card
Zoom Corporation.
4-4-3 Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
www.zoom.co.jp/(link is external)
$99
