Recommendation on audio recording software for my MixPre-D

X

xknight

Active member
I just purchased a MixPre-D for use with my DSLR and other cameras, and since it is a feature, I am thinking about trying out the USB interface to record the audio. I am thinking this may produce better quality than using the unbalance mic out from the MixPre into my DSLR camera.

So my question is regarding software. I've never done recording on a computer for audio. Can someone recommend a software that will give me great quality and a stable recording? I am not really looking for something as highend as protools, just something nice quality that records audio from inputs on a computer.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Anything will work. Audacity is free and the audio it records will be exactly the same quality as any other application you use. The sound quality depends on your A/D conversion aside from the preamps, not the software.
 
Will Turner said:
Anything will work. Audacity is free and the audio it records will be exactly the same quality as any other application you use. The sound quality depends on your A/D conversion aside from the preamps, not the software.
Click to expand...

+1.

Audacity is a great tool once you learn how to use it.
 
In terms of audio quality, all software see/receive the same digital signals from the same USB audio interface. Different software for audio recording only differ in their feature sets and costs to you.

All this makes Audacity a greatest choice to those who don't feel like having to go with something like protools.

Here is good news from Audacity team (received a day ago on 3/16/2012 - I had been waiting for its official full support for Windows 7 for a long time, and finally it's here!):

The Audacity Team is elated to announce the release of Audacity 2.0 for Windows, Mac, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.

Downloads: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download

Audacity 2.0 replaces all previous versions. It is derived from version 1.3.14, but is no longer a Beta version, and has major improvements over 1.2.6.

See http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/features-2.0 for detailed information of New Features and http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Release_Notes_2.0.0 for Release Notes. See http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Release_Notes_2.0.0#known for known remaining issues.

Advanced users are encouraged to test our subsequent changes as we make them by downloading our Nightly Builds from:
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Nightly_Builds .

Please subscribe to receive news of all our future releases at:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/#announce .


Thanks for using and supporting Audacity!


Audacity Team

................................................................
You're receiving this email because you entered your email address on the Audacity website, http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

......
Click to expand...
 
Thanks everyone! I was thinking about audacity before, but just wanted to see what people thought about stability and the products themselves. I am glad to see everyone recommending the same thing. I also have Windows 7 so that is good news about this. In addition to being able to record on a computer I also am set to record on my Ipad which I think I'll probably be doing more often since it is so much smaller. I found a great app called "Fire 2 Field Recorder" that is fairly robust and sounds great. It is only 16bit/48, but most of my stuff is voice and interviews so it should work great.

Thanks your your help guys!
 
Do you have an audio interface for the ipad then? I have an apogee one which is compatible.. it makes for a compelling argument to buy an ipad!
 
Will Turner said:
Do you have an audio interface for the ipad then? I have an apogee one which is compatible.. it makes for a compelling argument to buy an ipad!
Click to expand...


The interface is what Apple calls the "Camera Connection Kit". It is about $30 and it turns the port on the ipad into a USB slot. This allows you to plug in the MixPre-D directly into it. I was trying to figure out a way to have the great mic preamps of Sound Devices with a digital recording since I do a bunch of HDSLR shooting. The MixPre-D also has a mic level output that you can go directly into a DSLR camera, but I think the digial recording is better. The Sound Devices 552 is probably the simplest way to get what I want, but it is also $3K. However, the MixPre-D is only $750 (actually it was more like $640 for me since I got the ONLY MixPre-D to ever hit ebay...I have had a daily ebay search since the it released, so I know). So even if I didn't own an Ipad (which I did), you can purchase an Ipad for $500 (or more if you want more memory). And the little camera connection kit add on.

So essentially you could purchase all that for less than $1300 and have a digital recording and great Sound Devices gear.

Now, of course this is nowhere near the same thing as buying a Sound Devices 552, since the 552 will give you 5 channels and way higher end digital recording, plus it is all in one unit. The Ipad will give you a max of 16bit/48 audio and then you have to have an ipad that you lug around and connect to everything (which would not be fun if you are doing run and gun....but if you get a decent audio case, you can just throw the ipad into that case.)

I now have 30 hours of recording time on my ipad along with all my music and apps. Add that to the Sound Devices MixPre-D and I have a great package that only cost me about $700 when it was all done. And after testing it, I love it...I think the only thing I'm not that happy with is the possibility that the cables could be pulled out of the ipad while recording which is remedied with some gaff tape.
 
With my MixPre D, I use an iPad with the AudioTools app from Studio Six Digital. I connect it using the Apple Camera Connection Kit. I don't recommend the cheap generic connection kits because it wouldn't work. As a backup, I use the Mic Out from my MixPre D to feed a Zoom H2. I've shot several interviews this way with great results.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top