Posted by carlmart on 10/28/06 14:16

I think the MPEG audio choice in HDV has raisen hot discussions in this
fourms. Far from me to generate another one. So please those who think
that MPEG is good enough try to restrain yourselves!

My proposal is to create a good compromise between HDV's MPEG audio
recording and double-system audio. Let's call it "1 + 1/2-system
audio".

My idea is to use PCM 2-track small portable recorders to record audio
in HDV projects. Likely contendents can be Sony's Hi-MD recorders,
M-Audio MT 24/96 recorder, Roland Edirol R-09 and Samson Zoom H4. But
others may come by, as that seems to have become an interesting niche.

By doing so you will obtain a more linear, uncompressed audio
recording. At the same time, you will also correct any audio gap that
may happen in the HDV recording due to tape dropouts.

My proposal also includes downloading the CF cards, if that's the media
you used, to PCM Hi-MD or to a laptop, then making CD or DVD copies
from those audio recordings for storing.

Now the next question. How to implement that recording? My suggestions:

1) The recorder should be fixed somehow to the HDV camera. Velcro,
Bracket1, etc. This would still allow not using a separate soundman and
do higher quality audio.

2) Three options for the audio connections:

a) Mics are plugged on a small mixer, like Sound Devices Mixpre, that
you can pack with recorder on option 1.

b) Mics are plugged on CF recorders, as they have balanced mic inputs
which supply some kind of phantom power. Sony Hi-MD recorder is not an
option for that.

c) Mics are plugged on camera, using camera's headphone output to feed
CF or Hi-MD recorder. This option I will have to try for quality. But
my guess is the resulting recording will still be an improvement on the
MPEG audio tracks. Haedphone monitoring from recorder.

Before someone raises the question: of course he audio won't have any
time-code to identify it. If it was I would call it a full
double-system, instead of "one and a half". ;)

What do you think?

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