sync sound vs camera sound (Z1U)

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filmmakermicah

New member
I'm shooting a short this week, and can either record audio directly to our Sony Z1U or to a Fostex FR-2LE (no timecode). Is there any advantage to using the Fostex?
It has several audio formats (BWF 44/16, 44/24, 96/24, etc). The mic setup (A boomed Sennheiser) will be the same regardless. Thoughts?
 
I looked at the Fostex FR-2LE about 6-7 months ago and read some reviews that stated that there was an audio hiss while recording. Although some users stated that it did not effect the actual recording, it was apparent that it drove a few users nuts.

The main advantage to syncing audio with a seperate recorder(for me anyway), is the freedom of shooting without extended XLR running into the cam and a seperate audio operator (as long as they are competent).

You are no longer tied down with a ball & chain so to speak, which has several major advantages. Syncing without timecode can be a little tedious but not to bad as long as your shots are slated properly.
 
Thanks for the thoughts. I like my 2LE so far (using it for foley, etc). Any suggestions for audio file type? (I think most cameras are 44/16-- would other options improve quality?)
 
Steve2012 said:
I looked at the Fostex FR-2LE about 6-7 months ago and read some reviews that stated that there was an audio hiss while recording. Although some users stated that it did not effect the actual recording, it was apparent that it drove a few users nuts.
Click to expand...

I believe the noise that you are talking about came from the headphone outputs of the Fostex unit. It doesn't affect the recording, but it's hard to tell if the ringing sound is from production, the Fostex, or Tinnitus.

You should look at your timeline for post. If the audio is recorded separately, you're going to have to sync up the sound to the picture. Without timecode, you're going to have to use sync claps to line up sound and picture, which can be time consuming. If you've got the time, double system sound will most likely sound better (I don't have any experience with that camera so I couldn't say for sure). You could take the line outs of the Fostex and go to the line in of the camera.
 
I usually work at 48/24 but it depends on where that audio is going. If it's going into a NLE that doesn't support 24bit then go with 48/16. If your handing post audio duties off to a sound editor then I would go with 48/24 as they will have a bit more to work with and I personally think it sounds better. But don't go there if the first step will be to do some dodgy down-convert to 16 bit.
 
Noiz2 is right on the money regarding the advantages and disadvantages of 24-bit recording.

Broadcast video has typically been recorded and mixed at 16-bit 48kHz, although some dramas are now shooting 24-bit. Most video cameras also shoot 16-bit 48kHz, while 16-bit 44.1 kHz is typically only used for music. Film production is now predominantly 24-bit 48kHz, although 96 kHz is used by a few recordists.

Since most post-production environments are geared towards 48 kHz audio, shooting at 44.1 kHz could complicate things down the line.

As for the headphone output noise on the FR-2LE, I have a similar problem with my FR-2. My solution is to just run the FR-2's line output into my mixer's headphone return.
 
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