Recording audio to MBP

B

Bronsonsaurus

Member
Good day to ya' all. :bath:

What I'd like to know is this: Can I record audio with a Röde NTG-3 mic straight to Macbook Pro and how exactly could it be done? Plus, what are the possible downsides if this is
in fact possible?
I'm asking this because my camera, Canon XH a1, which I would otherwise record the audio to, isn't all that great in the audio controlling/quality department.

Plus, I don't think I can afford an external recorder. Well, if you know a good affordable one, you are free to mention it.
 
You're going to spend as much on an interface for your Mac as you would on a basic recorder.

Recording to laptop can be done, but it requires the right hardware (USB or FireWire interface) and the right software (usually comes with the hardware). But even at that, laptop recording makes you less portable. Batteries die, you risk a crash which will lose everything, and it won;t fit in a bag.

Look at the Fostex FR2-LE. Affordable, and has surprisingly good pre-amps. The headphone amp is terrible, but that noise is only in the headphones and is not recorded.

Some folks also swear by the Zoom H4n when using it with a mic straight into it. I'm not a fan of using Zoom recorders for their preamps, but the H4n is supposed to be much improved over the H4.

Anyway, you can easily spend $500-600 on an interface for your laptop (and lose your portability), or spend the same on a decent recorder (and maintain stability and portability).
 
Last edited:
you'd need a usb/firewire mic interface that also had phantom power. much cheaper to get a zoom h4n. not to mention a helluva lot easier for field work.
 
Well, super low-budget really. We use what we have and then do some scavenging.
And boy am I glad to see that Zoom H4n was suggested here - twice!
It happens to be so that my art school has that recorder, so I can just easily borrow it. I just foolishly assumed it's a toy. But what I've now read, it seems very capable. I'm such a lucky b#stard! :happy:
Surely a "proper" recorder would be better, but I suppose money could be better spent.

What I've gathered from Zoom H4n is that its XLR-imputs are not in fact line-level. Not exactly sure how that would affect our work...? But yes, I think I've made my decision! Thanks a bunch!
 
The NTG-3 straight into the H4n will be fine. The line level issue is only a concern if you're trying to connect a mixer to the H4n.

Don't forget to monitor your audio with good phones while you're shooting. Sony MDR-7506 / Sennheiser HD280 are both about $100 a pair.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top