Opinions on this test?

[ddixon]

I posted this in an older thread, and it seems to have gotten lost, so I'm trying again with a new thread:

I'd appreciate opinions on this little test I've done (<2 min.). Using an AT 4053b, it compares several recording options, two for in-camera use and two for voiceovers, etc.:

1. AT into Canon directly - xlr mic level
2. into the Canon via a MixPre - xlr line level
3. into GarageBand via the MixPre - tape out line level miniplug to MacBook line input
4. into GarageBand via a Mackie Onyx Blackjack usb interface ($149 on sale)

The Canon records 16-bit linear PCM and GarageBand is recording 24-bit and saved as .aif. The 4053b was about 12 inches above, and pointed directly at, my mouth. The low end rolloff was NOT engaged, either on the 4053b or on the MixPre. All I've done to the recordings is try to even out the volume levels as best I could.

My opinion? I'm underwhelmed by what the MixPre adds. Either this is not a setting that shows off its capabilities, or I have it set up wrong, or my ears are not discerning enough. Should I be getting more bang for the buck from the MixPre?

Recording something other than dialog might be a little different, but dialog is 90 percent of what I do. And Vimeo does flatten everything out, but it's slight enough that this is still useful, I think.

Thanks for any comments!

 

[henryqiu]

My opinion? I'm underwhelmed by what the MixPre adds. Either this is not a setting that shows off its capabilities, or I have it set up wrong, or my ears are not discerning enough. Should I be getting more bang for the buck from the MixPre?

What did you expect the MixPre to have done to your voice? Coloring it?

When a corporate network kept running smoothly day after day month after month, few thought the network admin was doing a good job, and some execs started to consider the network admin was not doing anything useful and should be on the let go list at the next layoff... I think a good mic preamp (you used MixPre solely as a preamp in the test) in an audio recording chain is just like that "useless" network admin.

 

[Rippie]

An audio chain can only be as good as it's weakest link.

If you start out with a not so great microphone nothing down the chain will suddenly make it sound like a microphone that cost $2000.
If you record to a recorder that isn't great, the $2000 microphone is no longer going to sound like $2000 microphone.
(I am not talking about your gear, I am talking in general to help you understand)

Also, as said 100x before in this forum using a mixer rather than direct into camera isn't just about the sonic quality difference.
It's about having better metering, better limiters, better knobs that aren't connected to the camera, getting the sound person away from the camera so both
people can do their jobs better, etc.

 

[ddixon]

OK, so the answer seems to be that sound-wise, I should NOT be getting more improvement than this test shows. I'm going to take this to mean that I am using the SD correctly, and it also seems to imply that the recording capability in the XF100 is actually pretty good, since even adding a MixPre gives practically no auditory advantage. It even has built-in limiters although I'm sure they are not as good as in the MixPre. (I don't really know how to test those)

Ripple-
Yes, I have read posts saying that a mixer's main advantage is better control and limiters, but I have also read posts saying that better preamps with hotter, quieter, line level output provide cleaner sound, less noise, etc. leading to improved audio. One post said that a good mixer would even make lower-end recorders "sound better." So, yes, I fully expected recordings to at least sound different with the MixPre than without it.

henryqiu-
I understand your analogy, but it's actually backward from my situation. It's like I already HAD a well-functioning network but was open to ways to make it better, then hired a highly-touted additional manager only to find the new guy couldn't really make it much better after all.

And, currently the bulk of what I do (that includes audio) consists of interior, seated interviews where the better controls and limiters are not really a factor. But, despite a touch of buyer's remorse, I'll keep the MixPre and experiment further with it.

Thanks so much for the input given.