Anyone use the Apogee Duet for recording sound for Film?

umuima

umuima

Active member
http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/duet.php

My friend recently got the Rode NTG-3 and an Apogee Duet, and I'm wondering if anyone has used the Duet for recording audio for a short film, etc. The only issue I can think of is that we've have to have a laptop with us at all times, since the Duet goes straight into a laptop.

Just wondering if anyone else has had experience with this.
 
I don't have experience with this audio interface empirically, but I know the Apogee stuff sounds great. But it's designed to be a diminutive audio interface for desktop music production. Sound quality is not the issue, but rather the hassle of dragging a laptop into the mix. It seems that you would have been much better off getting gear designed for video work. The Sound Devices MixPre (665.00) has much more functionality, 2 stage limiting for unclipable sound, 2 stage bass roll-off, battery powered, headphone monitoring either of the mixer, or routed back from the camera/recorder.

Then rather than a lap top, either the camera itself, or a field recorder such as the Sony D-50. Both together coming in cheaper than a laptop/duet, and being more robust, functional, and with no compromise of quality. Another rout is to spend 1,000.00 on an Oade Brothers modded Edirol R-44. It's a 4 channel field recorder with very nice mic preamps (the mod makes it very quiet and very clean) AND everything is in one small battery operated box. With 4 channels of 24 bit recording on SD cards - no moving parts.

Yes you'll have good audio wit the laptop setup, but you have hobbled your portability, and you are lacking life savers like input limiters, bass-cut switches, good bright metering, and a design centered for the field - not a desk. A laptop is delicate, as is the Duet.
 
The Apogee will provide very clean preamps (most reviews agree), interface with your CPU, and drive your studio monitors from your audio software. A field mixer only does one of those tasks. The Apogee wouldn't take the place of a field mixer, but would serve a useful purpose.

No doubt it would be superior for direct to CPU voice work.

I looked at the Apogee real hard recently, but ended up with a Motu Traveler, mostly since it has 4 phantom pres. The Apogee is probably a better sounding product overall, but has only two channels.

FWIW, I am pleased with the Traveler. It has greatly improved the sound of my monitors.

Regards,
Grant
 
ggrantly said:
The Apogee will provide very clean preamps (most reviews agree), interface with your CPU, and drive your studio monitors from your audio software. A field mixer only does one of those tasks. The Apogee wouldn't take the place of a field mixer, but would serve a useful purpose.

No doubt it would be superior for direct to CPU voice work.

I looked at the Apogee real hard recently, but ended up with a Motu Traveler, mostly since it has 4 phantom pres. The Apogee is probably a better sounding product overall, but has only two channels.

FWIW, I am pleased with the Traveler. It has greatly improved the sound of my monitors.

Regards,
Grant
Click to expand...


I too have the MOTU Traveler. It's a stand alone mixer if it needs to be, but it'a also a bus powered audio interface suitable for portable recording. Still I don't use it for video work. The traveler, or the Duet would both be more of a cart based system, rather than something truly mobile.
 
It can be used but if you will be doing a lot of moving might want to go with something more portable. But if it will be sit down type stuff not many shots it will get the job done. Will need a boom operator though since he won't be able to boom and operate this. Cool little machine. Could also look into a Zoom H4 or H4N or the suggestions from Chadfish.

Nicole
 
Chadfish,

Besides the edit suite features of the Traveler, the primary reason I purchased it was so that I could do multiple tracks and be untethered. Think outdoor music venue. Four is not a lot, but is much more than two from a PDR and the integration with a laptop is pretty good. As you are aware, it has midi also.

Do you like the Traveler?

Grant
 
ggrantly said:
Chadfish,

Besides the edit suite features of the Traveler, the primary reason I purchased it was so that I could do multiple tracks and be untethered. Think outdoor music venue. Four is not a lot, but is much more than two from a PDR and the integration with a laptop is pretty good. As you are aware, it has midi also.

Do you like the Traveler?

Grant
Click to expand...

Hi Grant. Yes I love my Traveler! I use it every day as my audio interface on my MacPro. There are 4 mic inuts, but also 4 line inputs, and ADAT optical to fly in more tracks. I use the midi as well. My point is that for the work I do it would be a big drag (literally) to be thethered to a laptop through an audio interface. The fire wire could come lose, and it's just a tenuous setup if you plan on moving around at all. When I go out I am built for speed. I either have my G3 wireless receiver on my hot shoe of my EX1, or I have a guy on boom with an XLR going into my camera. If there was an audio interface and a laptop, I would need a 2nd or 3rd person to carry that, while I & the boom guy does their job. Mobility is a major factor in video, and that's why laptops are mostly used to capture footage off cards in the field, and not tethered to the camera.

Mobility is important. If one invests in a delicate audio interface designed for desk top production, then they have no real mobile option. Why not invest in equipment designed for video production from the start? It sounds just as good, and is the right toll for the job.

Camera / Mixer / Field Recorder. And if you have a decent camera you can skip the field recorder.
 
Agree, 98%. I wouldn't suggest a firewire interface w/ laptop for run&gun, that would be silly. If you need to be untethered, and need more than two tracks, or more quality than a lav can produce, or more recording control that a PDR delivers, the Traveler hits a spot. Everything has a compromise built in, including a Traveler or Apogee.

Grant
 
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