shure fp33 mixer record to ?

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burning holmes films

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what would u record your audio dialogue to going thru a shure fp33...using a boom mic and a wireless mic for soft dramatic dialogue on an independent film...and remeber the key word here is independent which means hardly no money...what should i use for my recording device h4-h4n-????? thanks
 
burning holmes films said:
what would u record your audio dialogue to going thru a shure fp33...using a boom mic and a wireless mic for soft dramatic dialogue on an independent film...and remeber the key word here is independent which means hardly no money...what should i use for my recording device h4-h4n-????? thanks
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Though they're popular, I'm not a fan of the pocket-sixed recorders like the Zooms you mention. Kick it up a notch or two to something more solid like a Tascam DR-680, Edirol R-44, Tasam HD-P2, or better.
 
burning holmes films said:
what would u record your audio dialogue to going thru a shure fp33...using a boom mic and a wireless mic for soft dramatic dialogue on an independent film...and remeber the key word here is independent which means hardly no money...what should i use for my recording device h4-h4n-????? thanks
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You should be just fine with the H4n or H4. Those recorders are fine for small indie shoots. Although Steve has a point you may want to choose a better recorder for the long run.

In order to make your choice clear you have to decide what is most important to you, BUDGET or FEATURES. If all you have is enough for a small recorder then the choice is simple. But if you have the cash and you need various features, time code or multiple channels, 4 or more, then you should look into investing your money in a better recorder like the Tascam HD-P2, DR-680, Fostex, etc.

Why do you need a mixer?
You should be able to manage with two channels.
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As far as the need for a mixer you may need to use more than 1 or 2 mic inputs. I recently had a shoot for 1 scene that required 7 mics, 2 boom mics, 2 plant mics 3 wireless mics, as well as time code. Therefore I needed a mixer that would accomodate all of the mics. I used an Alesis Multimix8 that was hooked up to my Macbook and a program called Boomrecorder.
 
Therefore I needed a mixer that would accomodate all of the mics. I used an Alesis Multimix8 that was hooked up to my Macbook and a program called Boomrecorder
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Very cool, so each mic was recorded down to individual channels? It's just that I got the impression that op was working on a more modest production.
 
HueyNRolf said:
Very cool, so each mic was recorded down to individual channels? It's just that I got the impression that op was working on a more modest production.
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The production I was working on was an extremely low budget project. I was the producer and I had the audio equipment and a friend had the camera. And we both had lights and other basic grip gear. The only cahs that was spent was on food for the crew.
 
HueyNRolf said:
Why do you need a mixer?
You should be able to manage with two channels.
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Actually if you're recording dialog you only need ONE channel (per character speaking) depending on the complexity of the scene. Dialog is virtually always recorded in mono, ending up in the screen center in the final production. Routing of the various audio elements into the stereo channels is done in post rather than at the time of the original field recording. But mixers provide better mic preamps than many cameras do, better limiters, and most importantly allows one to ride levels during the take, something virtually impossible to do without one. One isn't going to be twiddling with dials on the camera during a take and the little pocket recorders don't fair much better when using their on-board mics.
 
But mixers provide better mic preamps than many cameras do, better limiters, and most importantly allows one to ride levels during the take, something virtually impossible to do without one. One isn't going to be twiddling with dials on the camera during a take and the little pocket recorders don't fair much better when using their on-board mics.
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Hell Yeah.
I've been reading up on mixers today and I can see the benefit now. Actually, I'd love that Sound Devices 305, but it's a bit pricy.
 
Steve House said:
Actually if you're recording dialog you only need ONE channel (per character speaking) depending on the complexity of the scene. Dialog is virtually always recorded in mono, ending up in the screen center in the final production. Routing of the various audio elements into the stereo channels is done in post rather than at the time of the original field recording. But mixers provide better mic preamps than many cameras do, better limiters, and most importantly allows one to ride levels during the take, something virtually impossible to do without one. One isn't going to be twiddling with dials on the camera during a take and the little pocket recorders don't fair much better when using their on-board mics.
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But don't forget, the benefit of a mixing utility when running a single mic is the safety channel. Having a second channel recording the same mic a few dB lower can be a lifesaver.
 
HueyNRolf said:
Hell Yeah.
I've been reading up on mixers today and I can see the benefit now. Actually, I'd love that Sound Devices 305, but it's a bit pricy.
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There is no 305. There's the MixPre, 302, the now discontinued 442, and the 442's replacement, the 552. All of them are worth every penny.
 
Alex H. said:
But don't forget, the benefit of a mixing utility when running a single mic is the safety channel. Having a second channel recording the same mic a few dB lower can be a lifesaver.
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Can you clarify what a mixing utility is and how to get a second channel recordin the same mic? Sorry noob here, just studying old posts.
 
When using, say the FP33, you have 3 channels in, and 2 "stereo" out. You pan the individual channel wherever you want it in the stereo field. Hard R, Hard L, Center, or anywhere in between.) That is one way to achieve a High/Low output. Another way is to just knock the output level on one of "outs" down a bit. But with only one channel in, you can treat the outputs as 2 "mono" channels. That's just one way to mix. There are others, some at the request of the director/client, and others because it makes sense.

If I am just one channel in and stereo out, I usually just tweak the panning to achieve this on the individual channel. It's just quicker for me. But one thing needs to be mentioned. You need to makes sure your recorder either records as two channel in, or you have a program that can split stereo into 2 mono tracks, otherwise doing a high/low could make things complicated in the editing phase (Having to use automation on panning in your NLE)
 
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