Fujifilm X-T2 and microphones Pt.3

The final part of my video microphone and sound recoding test series isn't actually directly to do with the Fujifilm X-T2 camera. It is, however, about something which can have a big impact on the quality of your video production's sound and greatly improve the professionalism of your set-up...The digital audio recorder.

A lot of experienced DSLR/mirrorless camera videographers prefer to separate the audio recording part of their video production from the actual filming process. The main reason for this is the generally feeble sound recording abilities of these cameras (which were really never designed with high-fidelity audio in mind). Specialized external recorders, on the other hand, have a host of features which allow you to get a much-improved audio recording, equipped - as they are - with far more capable inputs (XLR) and sensitive circuitry.

The DR 100 has a selection of microphone inputs,as well as its own integral mics.
It has stereo XLR inputs, so you can connect professional studio mics for 2x mono
interviews or for stereo recording of events or performances.

The other advantage to using a separate primary audio recorder is that - if you still use your camera's inbuilt audio recording facility - you will have the security of having a back-up of your sound recording, just in case (I've had a couple of occasions in my professional career where - through technical issues or equipment failure - this form of back-up has saved my skin).

The Tascam's integral stereo mics are very handy for off-the-cuff reporting-style
interviews (if you don't have time to set-up an external mic). They are of reasonable
quality and a nice option to have at hand.

When I decided to buy a digital recorder I originally wanted the same one that I used to use at my former place of work - a Marantz PMD 600. But these solid pieces of kit are out of production, so I had to look elsewhere, and I came across the Tascam DR 100 Mk II on eBay. It was the older model and has been superseded now, but at half the price of the DR 100 Mk. III (£350 new) I felt that I had a bargain.

The separate audio recording device offers you a unique logistical advantage in that it can be located at a great distance from your camera. Say, for example, you are filming a lecture or other stage presentation, it's likely your camera will be set up some distance from the subject and running a cable to them will not be practical. So, you can set-up your recorder on the podium, have your camera in the wings or on the floor of the hall for a wide shot and  still be safe in the knowledge that you will still get good quality sound! (Another advantage of the digital recorder - in the above sort of scenario  - is that you can hand the recorder over to a stage manager/AV Technician and they can plug it into their mixing desk, for the best possible quality audio signal.)

The DR 100 takes SD memory cards and can record to a variety of file formats
and file sizes/quality. The resultant file can then be taken into your preferred
editing software and synced with your video footage.

Finally, recorders like the Tascam can allow you to record a voice-over or commentary separately from your film shoot, or allow a talent to record a piece for you.                    

The TASCAM DR 100 audio recorder
Here I illustrate the X-T2 camera's internal sound recording capabilities, or - rather - the lack of them. I recorded this test piece with the camera's internal mic settings at '10' (50%), just so you can get a feel for the weediness of it's pick-up. Then, in the second half of this clip, I amplified the volume and applied noise reduction in Audacity, before syncing the resultant .wav file...

Not great (you can hardly hear the dialogue in the first section)! I could have dialed the camera's pickup level to 75% or even 100%, but then you run the risk of the soundtrack being very noisy. But as it is, when I boosted the volume with Audacity - for the second half of the clip - that produced a little bit of distortion.

Just for comparison sake, here's a short movie illustrating various levels of the X-T2's audio level settings (from 50% to 100% pickup levels)...

To me, 4 feet between the camera and the interviewee seems a reasonable distance, though, obviously, the closer you go the greater the audio volume. But, there again, you don't really want to be so close that you are sticking your lens right in the face of your subject (hence, four feet). The camera's built-in audio pick-up struggles, and also, the more you increase the pick-up level the more you suffer from incidental 'hiss'.

And, finally, here is the original sequence with the TASCAM DR 100's audio applied...

This audio was edited using Audacity (to amplify the volume a tad and reduce some hiss). Even though my test samples weren't rigorous or scientific, I think it's clear that the TASCAM produces a better quality recording which is richer and has less distortion than the recording made by the camera.

(I had the DR100's pickup volume setting set at '5' - 50% - so I have plenty of room for boosting the recording levels if I want.)

I'm not competent in my use of the DR100 yet (by a long chalk), there are lots of recording options and variables that I haven't figured out yet. It's pretty certain that I could improve on the quality of my recording with a bit more experience.

Fujifilm X-T2 and microphones Pt.2

Rode VideoMic Pro and Stereo VideoMic Pro
Moving on from setting up and using a lapel microphone - which is great for set-piece interview situations - I now want to look at a couple of microphones that are ideal for fast-moving and minimal kit shoots (or 'run and gun' situations, as they are known).

An area of videography that interests me is the documenting of events, like conventions and festivals. These can be very challenging for the lone filmmaker as you have to minimise the amount of equipment that you are carrying so that you are mobile and responsive to the events around you - and bear in mind that you will likely working in the midst of crowds of people - but, at the same time, you have to carry the right equipment to capture what you need. A tricky juggling act.

Event and convention work can incorporate two quite different formats of filming, the capture of general ambience and the more focused interview. Trying to do this with, more or less the same kit (as you don't want to be continually unpacking and setting up new kit), is possible thanks to excellent quality compact gear like the Rode VideoMic series of microphones.

These mics are camera mounted - via the hotshoe - and are light-weight but have become something of an industry standard among DSLR/mirroless camera videographers.

The Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro
The stereo mic, as you can imagine, is (to quote Rode themselves) 'ideal for recording music, and the atmospheric ambience essential in building a realistic audio scene.' In other words, the SVMP is good at sucking in the atmosphere of a scene, giving your audience a sense of the excitement of a dynamic event.

This is very well illustrated by this video review of the SVMP which was done by Fenchel & Janisch...

The Rode VideoMic Pro
While the SVMP is all about the general audio scene-setting, the VideoMic Pro is a more focused 'shotgun' type of microphone designed to capture a specific sound from a specific spot (like interview dialogue). While you can - as the above video illustrates - 'do' interviews with the SVMP (thus getting away with just the one mic) you have to be really close to your subject to get good quality dialogue, but you still pick up lots of incidental sound as well. The VMP is designed to cut out (or, at least, minimise) this incidental sound.

He's a little review of the VMP, along with an

As with the setup of the Lavalier mic & iRig Pre-Amp - which I covered in my previous post - there is a trick to getting the best quality sound and that is to minimise the in-camera recording volume while, at the same time, turning up the mic's 'boost' to enhance the signal. In effect, the VMP's built-in +20db 'boost' setting is doing the same job as the iRig Pre-Amp did with the Rode Lavalier microphone.

Here's an example of my set-up for the VMP, showing the quality of the sound in it's 'raw' format (straight from the mic and camera) and also an example of the same setup but with the audio further enhanced in 'post' (using Audacity software)...

Notes on audio test video
The above video sample was made under the following conditions and with these settings:

• Distance from camera/mic to subject: 5 feet
• Rode VMP boost setting: +20db
• Fuji X-T2 internal audio level setting: 5

I find that 5 feet - or less - is roughly the optimal distance from camera to subject when using the Rode VMP. Also, for the best result in combination with your DSLR/mirrorless, you have to apply the +20db boost if you want an acceptable volume level to play with in your edit.

The quality of the recording via the VMP is, in my opinion, a tiny bit 'tinny' and even with the cameras audio levels reduced down to 5 (25%), there is some noticeable hiss - as you can hear in the first half of the sample. (I have knocked out the hiss in the second half, using Audacity.)

I undertook some very rudimentary sound editing in Audacity. I am told that
the ideal audio level from a recording should top out at about -6 to -3db top.
You can see the db level top right of this screen, and my max recording level
is just going into this range (yellow/orange).

I prefer a 'warmer' or slightly more bassy audio dialogue, but I guess I could rectify this were I a bit more experienced in audio editing in post. Still, I have heard worse (on some YouTube 'video experts' channels even)!

Still, while the result was not as good as the recording that I got from the Rode Lavalier mic, it is adequate - especially when you consider the convenience of having an all in one camera/mic package. This is ideal for a run and gun video shoot as you have no detached mics or wires (or wireless packs) to worry about or set up. You just frame your subject and go!

I'd also say that it is very much an improvement over the cameras feeble built-in microphone. It's also a terrific way to get a reasonable quality audio recording backup even if you are using a separate mic/sound recorder setup.

Which brings us to the subject of my next posting in this series - setting up and testing an external audio recorder (which is thpreferreded choise of many videographers).

Fujifilm X-T2 and microphones Pt.1

[Preface: The majority of videographers prefer to use an external sound recorder to capture audio as they are generally better quality than the DSLR/mirrorless cameras audio capabilities. But I like to capture on both the camera and external recorder so that I have a back-up of the audio - just in case! Also, if you prefer minimal kit and like to 'run and gun', then having good quality sound from a camera mounted mic is essential.]

Today's project is all about getting good sound to go with my video. So I'm testing a variety of microphones with my X-T2, including a few lavalier mics and (in part 2 of this test) two Rode VideoMic Pros.

As I am particularly interested in interviewing, I have a couple of lavalier microphones (or lapel mics) I'd like to get working with my Fuji camera. Now, this isn't quite as simple as just plugging them into the camera's 3.5mm as you shall see...

The RØDE Lavalier Microphone
If you are into video making using DSLR/mirrorless cameras, it's not long before you hear about RØDE and its products. Thier VideoMic Pro camera-mountable mini shotgun mic is damn near 'industry standard' (and, in fact, I will be setting one up in my next post). Thier products are generally held in high regard and are considered very high quality and innovative.

Because I am very interested in interviewing I bought some lavalier microphones - or 'lapel mics' as they are also known - as, for the greatest clarity, it's best to get the microphone as close to your subject as you can. Chief among my purchases was the Rode Lavalier kit...

This is a superb kit that comes in its own sturdy box which contains the wired lavalier mic itself, plus a mini 'dead kitten' (for windy days), 3.5mm jack adapter and spanner for connecting the adapter, and a lapel clip.

Now, I would have preferred a wireless lav mic set but I couldn't afford one (like Rode's Filmmaker Kit) as a wired system tethers you to your subject and can get a little limiting and frustrating to set up (plus you have to remember to get your interviewee to remove the mic before they walk off otherwise they end up dragging your camera away with them)! But the wired system is a lot cheaper and there is technically less to go wrong with it (so it should be part of your kit even if you go to wireless as a reliable back-up).

However, wired lavalier mic do have one very big drawback and that is that they are - generally speaking - unpowered. This can seriously limit the amount of volume you can expect from them.

The Pre-Amp solution
While you can get hold of a few lav mics that come with a mini power pack, to help add some volume to their capture ability (usually driven by an AA battery), it's more usual that you will end up using a unpowered lav in combination with a more sophisticated pre-amp.

Essentially, a pre-amp is - again - a battery-driven power pack that allows you to increase the level of the input (or 'gain'), but it usually has more sophisticated controls, mic inputs, and options with which you can maximise the volume levels and capture ability. A budget pre-amp solution is the IK Multimedia iRig...

While the iRig is a fairly cost effective pre-amp solution it does have a couple of slight drawbacks - as it's name suggests it is actually intended to work with Apple's iPod or iPhone gadgets. This means that it's 3.5mm jack input is specifically designed to work with these products and will not work with any other standard 3.5mm-based recording, so you have to buy a special adapter...

3.5mm trrs (iPod/iPhone) to trs (standard 3.5 input) adaptor for smartlav

Also, the iRig is actually intended to allow you to use big professional-quality XLR mic inputs. So, once again, you need an adapter gadget to convert the big XLR input into a standard 3.5mm input so you can attach the lavalier microphone!

Right: The Rode VXLR Stereo 3.5MM Min Jack to XLR converter.

However, despite these added extras the complete iRig package still represents a relatively inexpensive entry-level pre-amp solution for your camera. (A more expensive Saramonic SmartRig2 option, which already has the appropriate 3.5mm jacks built in, is £99.)

Budget Pre-amp Component list:
• IK iRig Pre Universal Microphone Interface for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad: £34.99
• RØDE VXLR 3.5mm Minijack to Male XLR Adapter: £9.00
• RØDE SC3 (3.5mm jack converter) iPhone Accessory: £10.98
Total cost: £54.97

(Alternatively, you could substitute the iRig with a Saramonic SmartRig, which will save you £10.99.)

This video explains the budget pre-amp solution, using the £24 Saramonic SmartRig (a knock-off of the IK iRig)...

Testing the lavalier mic on the Fujifilm X-T2 camera
Having assembled all the various components I needed to get my iRig to work with my X-T2, it was time to test the microphone and determine the most efficient settings for it.

This is a sort of methodical 'trial and error' experiment, involving lots of quick movie sound tests. The goal is to vary the pre-amp 'gain' and camera sound input volume in order to minimise 'hiss' in the final recording. Now, for starters, the usual trick for minimising hiss is to set the audio input levels in your camera quite low...

The X-T2's Mic Level Adjustment screen. I have lowered the mic level all the
way down to '1' (left) and I can monitor the effect this has when I plug in the mic
via the stereo level bars (right).

And then, on the pre-amp, set the gain levels somewhere from 50 to 75% to boost the signal (here's where you have to experiment, adjusting either setting until you achieve an acceptable audio recording with the minimum of background hiss). I *believe* this is because the camera's inbuilt audio capability is only so-so and generally quite 'noisy', so you have to compensate with the help of the pre-amp (which boosts the signal at the source)...Or that's my theory anyway!

The iRig's 'gain' dial (on the side). This is one of the flaws in this device, not
only is it hard to use - being as recessed as it is - but there is no visual clue as
to the exact level settings. No 'Min' or 'Max' and no increments denoting the
level of gain at which you have the dial set! Not helpful.

Here's a quick'n'dirty test video example, using the above formula...

It's an acceptable result. But I think I have to practice a bit more with some different subjects to get a variety of voice volumes to be sure. I also have to get a bit more experience with the audio editing software I am using (but more on that another time).

I used a permanent marker to write on some make-shift volume indicators!

For now, I have a sort of baseline setup for my lavalier microphones, I am sure I will refine my settings as I go along. But, now I have tested my lavalier microphones, it's onto my Rode camera-mounted VideoMic Pros - but I'm hoping they won't be as fiddly to set up.

Rode VideoMic Pro arrives!

Just a quick post because the posty brought me a rather exciting parcel this morning...

The Rode VideoMic Pro is practically 'industry standard'. I did a lot of searching around and reading of reviews and all roads seemed to lead to Rode! For DSLR 'on camera' audio opinions were pretty much unanimous that this product was worth spending the extra money on (for once I didn't try and cut corners and buy a cheap Chinese knock-of)!

This rectifies my inadequate sound recording facilities, the Canon 700D's built-in microphones being so feeble (basically it'll pick up your breathing fine but you'll hardly hear anyone you are interviewing)!

I splashed out (this is all my monthly pocket money gone in one go) and bought the Rode 'Dead Cat' (windshield) and their hand-grip as well. I already own a 3.5mm jack extension cable so have the option to have the VideoMic on the grip as a handheld interview mic or mount it on a boom pole.

But, mostly, I hope to use this mounted on the camera as a run-and-gun interview mic.

I'll write more about this once I've had time to experiment.

(Incidentally, the XLR audio cable came as a free bonus with the Rode mic, even though the Rode is a 3.5mm jack appliance! However, this is quite useful as I have an adapter that converts 3.5 to XLR and this means I can use my VideoMic Pro with an XLR recorder, such as my Tascam 100 Mk. II.)