The $300 Recorder Question, Part II.
The $300 Recorder Question, Part II.
Continued from above.
BAG RECORDERS
Here we enter the standard and, honestly, preferred form factor for location sound recording. Bag recorders come in different shapes and sizes, but they all share the same design principles: a face panel that features a clear display screen, tactile transport and menu navigation controls, and rotary level controls for input sources; flexible inputs and outputs on the left and right side panels; and (ideally) external powering options. This is also the category that has the biggest range of prices and features.
The term “bag recorder” comes from the design fitting easily into a traditional sound bag that places the display and controls facing up toward the operator, keeping the I/O connections down inside the bag for clean cable management. Sound bags allow for storage and organization of mixer/recorder, power supply, wireless receivers, and more that can be easily work with a shoulder strap or harness. For the one-person-band sound department that is booming while also managing everything else, the bag is a standard accessory.
Because there are so many options, from quite inexpensive to top-of-the-line, which recorder to buy comes down to budget, needed number of inputs and outputs, and specialty needs like time code or 32-bit float. Let’s first address the specialty needs: do you need time code, or 32-bit float? Honestly, probably not.
Time code can be helpful, but unless you’re working on a production where post has specifically requested it, it’s not necessarily... necessary. Especially if you’re creating your own content, many NLEs now automatically link separate audio and video files based on the sound. A good, ol’-fashioned dumb slate (clapper) is a great way to keep track of your takes and to be able to locate clear sync marks. Full use of time code requires a smart slate that is jammed to the sound recorder (or to the same TC source that the recorder is using), as well as a camera that can jam to external TC. Additionally, time code sync boxes are an extra expense that are crucial to a stable time-code-based workflow.
32-bit float is also something that isn’t likely needed. It can be helpful, but proper gain staging and level control are still important skills to develop. Managing 32-bit audio is something most post houses aren’t built for, and professional film and TV productions still require 24-bit/48kHz audio. If you’re doing sound design and recording custom sound effects, 32-bit float can be extremely useful. For traditional location sound (dialog), it may be more trouble than it’s worth.
For the $300 price point, there are non-time-code options like the DR-60DmkII and DR-70D from Tascam, and the Marantz PMD-706. These recorders are also designed to be able to mount under a camera, but they do all enjoy physical designs that can drop easily into a small bag.
Above $300 and under $1000 opens up some semi-professional options that are more suited to location sound bag work. Sound Devices offer the MixPre-3 II and the MixPre-6 II, both equipped with time code and 32-bit float options. Their Kashmir pre-amps come with true analog input limiting to prevent clipping without damaging the signal in the process. They offer 3 and 4 XLR inputs, respectively. The Zoom F6 offers 6 XLR inputs, time code, and 32-bit float. The Zoom F8n offers time code and 8 XLR inputs (plus two with a proprietary add-on module), but does not have 32-bit float. Input limiters for both the F6 and F8n are analog/digital hybrid.
An honorable mention goes to the Tascam DR-701D. This is basically the DR-70D, but with time code capabilities. However, it is well-known that the internal time code on this device drifts terribly, so it requires being fed with a constant, external source like a Tentacle Sync or a Betso.
Around the $1500 mark is the MixPre-10 II from Sound Devices. All the features of the MixPre-6 II, but with an additional 4 XLR inputs and more flexible output options. It also adds BNC connectors for time code/word clock in and out. Just up at the $2000 are the Roland R-88 and the Tascam HS-P82, both with time code and 8 XLR inputs. Neither with 32-bit float.
From there, we jump quite a bit in price to get into the high-end multitrack mixer/recorders used on professional sets. Starting around $3000 and going up toward $10,000, these recorders offer much more durable construction, flexible input and output routing, and more redundancy for both power and recording media. Sound Devices launched their 8-series a couple years ago, introducing the 833 successor to the beloved 633, as well as the 888 and the Scorpio. As a side note, there are deals to be found on used 6-series recorders (633, 644, 688) that fall below this price point. Also on the top-end are offerings from Zaxcom, Sonosax, and Nagra. What these recorders don’t have: 32-bit float. It’s just not something that’s used on high-end sets.
Regarding outputs, many bag recorders (especially the higher-end models) offer more than just a stereo output. Flexible outputs with menu-based routing come into play when you need more than just a feed to a camera. Client IFB really needs to have its own custom output mix. If you’re working with a boom op, a monitor return channel needs its own output mix. These typically come in routable auxiliary outputs, often labeled as “Aux” or “X” outputs. Consider these as well when choosing the recorder that’s right for you.
This brings us to the last category, though some of the bag-friendly recorders can also cross into this realm:
CART-BASED RECORDERS
For larger scale productions, we move to the most expensive builds for production sound systems. Cart-based sound work is typically found on narrative sets where a sound mixer is able to sit and focus on the mix while a boom op covers on-set and serves as the location mixer’s eyes and ears close to the camera. Cart-based recorders are built into rolling sound carts that range from simple and slim to elegant and complex with both shore-power and battery distribution, video monitoring, and more.
There are bag-friendly recorders that can be just as much at home when part of a sound cart, simply by adding a mixing control surface. The 833, 888, and Scorpio are compatible with some third-party control surfaces, and Sound Devices also offer their own native mix control surfaces. For budget-friendly solutions, Zoom offer a mixing control surface for the F8n and Sound Devices MixPre series recorders are compatible with several off-the-shelf, USB-based mixing controllers.
Recorders that are suited for cart work, but aren’t bag-friendly, include the Sound Devices 970 and the Aaton Cantar X3. I’d also argue that the Scorpio is much more suited to cart work; yes, it is certainly bag-friendly, but it makes for a very heavy/bulky bag, especially the more wireless receivers are added. Likewise, there is a bag solution for the Cantar X3 but it’s big and, personally, I find it a bit clumsy that way.
There are also carts that are made for sound bags, allowing the user to move quickly between mixing from a cart and run-and-gun bag work. This may or may not include a control surface. But that’s another conversation for another thread.
A NOTE ABOUT DRIFT, SAMPLE RATE, AND TIME CODE
When dealing with double-system sound and non-sync recorders, there is a chance that the sound will drift when put up against the video in post-production. Why? Well, it has to do with each device's internal clock.
Put two devices together that don't share a master clock (this is what "non-sync" means) and set them both to record at 48kHz. One might actually be recording at 47,998Hz (47.998kHz) and the other at 48,024Hz (48.024kHz). When these audio files are placed in the time line of an NLE or a DAW, where they play at an actual 48kHz, one will be playing slightly faster than the other. This can cause problems.
Drift isn't usually a huge deal if each shot or clip is fairly short, so most narrative work isn’t a concern. Longer clips may have noticeable drift over time, impacting documentary interviews and reality TV where sound recording can go uninterrupted for hours. The audio and video will start in sync, but after a few minutes the audio may either lead or fall behind the video. Technology has improved and different clocks seem to be a bit more stable, but for non-sync sound this can still pop up.
Audio depends on sample rate to determine its playback speed, but that doesn’t mean that time code settings cannot have an adverse effect. If your sound recorder has time code and allows setting a time base (frame rate), make absolutely sure that you set it to the same frame rate as the camera. Mismatched frame rates between sound and video files, in many NLEs, can actually cause otherwise stable audio to drift.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
There's quite a bit to consider if you're looking for a good sound recorder. As always, do your research and read reviews. Are the pre-amps clean? Are the limiters transparent? Is the operating system known to be buggy? After all, this is the device that will be recording literally half of the content of any production you work on.
I'm also a big fan of the idea of "own small and rent big". If you're just starting out, there's absolutely no need to go into crippling debt to build your first sound kit. Freelance work isn't one of those "if you build it, they will come" things. The kit does not get you the work: your networking and self-marketing do. Get a basic kit that you can afford and that covers the little stuff that you may be able to get right off the bat. Indie films, hobby/amateur-level productions, and other non-paying work can be covered with a very basic kit... a boom, maybe a couple of wireless (though not necessary), and a small recorder. Corporate, documentary, and commercial work can often be covered with 4 tracks: a boom and up to three wireless. If the opportunity comes along to take on a bigger project with bigger needs, rent what you need to get the job done. Rental costs are passed on to the client, so it's a win-win.
Once you have regular work coming in that requires a bigger kit, justifies the expense, and will pay it off in a reasonably short amount of time, then it's time to consider upgrading what you have.
The $300 Recorder Question, Part II.
Continued from above.
BAG RECORDERS
Here we enter the standard and, honestly, preferred form factor for location sound recording. Bag recorders come in different shapes and sizes, but they all share the same design principles: a face panel that features a clear display screen, tactile transport and menu navigation controls, and rotary level controls for input sources; flexible inputs and outputs on the left and right side panels; and (ideally) external powering options. This is also the category that has the biggest range of prices and features.
The term “bag recorder” comes from the design fitting easily into a traditional sound bag that places the display and controls facing up toward the operator, keeping the I/O connections down inside the bag for clean cable management. Sound bags allow for storage and organization of mixer/recorder, power supply, wireless receivers, and more that can be easily work with a shoulder strap or harness. For the one-person-band sound department that is booming while also managing everything else, the bag is a standard accessory.
Because there are so many options, from quite inexpensive to top-of-the-line, which recorder to buy comes down to budget, needed number of inputs and outputs, and specialty needs like time code or 32-bit float. Let’s first address the specialty needs: do you need time code, or 32-bit float? Honestly, probably not.
Time code can be helpful, but unless you’re working on a production where post has specifically requested it, it’s not necessarily... necessary. Especially if you’re creating your own content, many NLEs now automatically link separate audio and video files based on the sound. A good, ol’-fashioned dumb slate (clapper) is a great way to keep track of your takes and to be able to locate clear sync marks. Full use of time code requires a smart slate that is jammed to the sound recorder (or to the same TC source that the recorder is using), as well as a camera that can jam to external TC. Additionally, time code sync boxes are an extra expense that are crucial to a stable time-code-based workflow.
32-bit float is also something that isn’t likely needed. It can be helpful, but proper gain staging and level control are still important skills to develop. Managing 32-bit audio is something most post houses aren’t built for, and professional film and TV productions still require 24-bit/48kHz audio. If you’re doing sound design and recording custom sound effects, 32-bit float can be extremely useful. For traditional location sound (dialog), it may be more trouble than it’s worth.
For the $300 price point, there are non-time-code options like the DR-60DmkII and DR-70D from Tascam, and the Marantz PMD-706. These recorders are also designed to be able to mount under a camera, but they do all enjoy physical designs that can drop easily into a small bag.
Above $300 and under $1000 opens up some semi-professional options that are more suited to location sound bag work. Sound Devices offer the MixPre-3 II and the MixPre-6 II, both equipped with time code and 32-bit float options. Their Kashmir pre-amps come with true analog input limiting to prevent clipping without damaging the signal in the process. They offer 3 and 4 XLR inputs, respectively. The Zoom F6 offers 6 XLR inputs, time code, and 32-bit float. The Zoom F8n offers time code and 8 XLR inputs (plus two with a proprietary add-on module), but does not have 32-bit float. Input limiters for both the F6 and F8n are analog/digital hybrid.
An honorable mention goes to the Tascam DR-701D. This is basically the DR-70D, but with time code capabilities. However, it is well-known that the internal time code on this device drifts terribly, so it requires being fed with a constant, external source like a Tentacle Sync or a Betso.
Around the $1500 mark is the MixPre-10 II from Sound Devices. All the features of the MixPre-6 II, but with an additional 4 XLR inputs and more flexible output options. It also adds BNC connectors for time code/word clock in and out. Just up at the $2000 are the Roland R-88 and the Tascam HS-P82, both with time code and 8 XLR inputs. Neither with 32-bit float.
From there, we jump quite a bit in price to get into the high-end multitrack mixer/recorders used on professional sets. Starting around $3000 and going up toward $10,000, these recorders offer much more durable construction, flexible input and output routing, and more redundancy for both power and recording media. Sound Devices launched their 8-series a couple years ago, introducing the 833 successor to the beloved 633, as well as the 888 and the Scorpio. As a side note, there are deals to be found on used 6-series recorders (633, 644, 688) that fall below this price point. Also on the top-end are offerings from Zaxcom, Sonosax, and Nagra. What these recorders don’t have: 32-bit float. It’s just not something that’s used on high-end sets.
Regarding outputs, many bag recorders (especially the higher-end models) offer more than just a stereo output. Flexible outputs with menu-based routing come into play when you need more than just a feed to a camera. Client IFB really needs to have its own custom output mix. If you’re working with a boom op, a monitor return channel needs its own output mix. These typically come in routable auxiliary outputs, often labeled as “Aux” or “X” outputs. Consider these as well when choosing the recorder that’s right for you.
This brings us to the last category, though some of the bag-friendly recorders can also cross into this realm:
CART-BASED RECORDERS
For larger scale productions, we move to the most expensive builds for production sound systems. Cart-based sound work is typically found on narrative sets where a sound mixer is able to sit and focus on the mix while a boom op covers on-set and serves as the location mixer’s eyes and ears close to the camera. Cart-based recorders are built into rolling sound carts that range from simple and slim to elegant and complex with both shore-power and battery distribution, video monitoring, and more.
There are bag-friendly recorders that can be just as much at home when part of a sound cart, simply by adding a mixing control surface. The 833, 888, and Scorpio are compatible with some third-party control surfaces, and Sound Devices also offer their own native mix control surfaces. For budget-friendly solutions, Zoom offer a mixing control surface for the F8n and Sound Devices MixPre series recorders are compatible with several off-the-shelf, USB-based mixing controllers.
Recorders that are suited for cart work, but aren’t bag-friendly, include the Sound Devices 970 and the Aaton Cantar X3. I’d also argue that the Scorpio is much more suited to cart work; yes, it is certainly bag-friendly, but it makes for a very heavy/bulky bag, especially the more wireless receivers are added. Likewise, there is a bag solution for the Cantar X3 but it’s big and, personally, I find it a bit clumsy that way.
There are also carts that are made for sound bags, allowing the user to move quickly between mixing from a cart and run-and-gun bag work. This may or may not include a control surface. But that’s another conversation for another thread.
A NOTE ABOUT DRIFT, SAMPLE RATE, AND TIME CODE
When dealing with double-system sound and non-sync recorders, there is a chance that the sound will drift when put up against the video in post-production. Why? Well, it has to do with each device's internal clock.
Put two devices together that don't share a master clock (this is what "non-sync" means) and set them both to record at 48kHz. One might actually be recording at 47,998Hz (47.998kHz) and the other at 48,024Hz (48.024kHz). When these audio files are placed in the time line of an NLE or a DAW, where they play at an actual 48kHz, one will be playing slightly faster than the other. This can cause problems.
Drift isn't usually a huge deal if each shot or clip is fairly short, so most narrative work isn’t a concern. Longer clips may have noticeable drift over time, impacting documentary interviews and reality TV where sound recording can go uninterrupted for hours. The audio and video will start in sync, but after a few minutes the audio may either lead or fall behind the video. Technology has improved and different clocks seem to be a bit more stable, but for non-sync sound this can still pop up.
Audio depends on sample rate to determine its playback speed, but that doesn’t mean that time code settings cannot have an adverse effect. If your sound recorder has time code and allows setting a time base (frame rate), make absolutely sure that you set it to the same frame rate as the camera. Mismatched frame rates between sound and video files, in many NLEs, can actually cause otherwise stable audio to drift.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
There's quite a bit to consider if you're looking for a good sound recorder. As always, do your research and read reviews. Are the pre-amps clean? Are the limiters transparent? Is the operating system known to be buggy? After all, this is the device that will be recording literally half of the content of any production you work on.
I'm also a big fan of the idea of "own small and rent big". If you're just starting out, there's absolutely no need to go into crippling debt to build your first sound kit. Freelance work isn't one of those "if you build it, they will come" things. The kit does not get you the work: your networking and self-marketing do. Get a basic kit that you can afford and that covers the little stuff that you may be able to get right off the bat. Indie films, hobby/amateur-level productions, and other non-paying work can be covered with a very basic kit... a boom, maybe a couple of wireless (though not necessary), and a small recorder. Corporate, documentary, and commercial work can often be covered with 4 tracks: a boom and up to three wireless. If the opportunity comes along to take on a bigger project with bigger needs, rent what you need to get the job done. Rental costs are passed on to the client, so it's a win-win.
Once you have regular work coming in that requires a bigger kit, justifies the expense, and will pay it off in a reasonably short amount of time, then it's time to consider upgrading what you have.
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