Tascam DSLR mixer/recorder
Tascam dr-60d DSLR audio recorder and mixer.
Tascam has a new DR-60d recorder and mixer that will do four channels of audio while attached to the bottom of your DSLR.
This thing looks great. High quality recording and a mixer in a nice small $350 unit. Supposed to have high-quality preamps and it has a safety track feature to record a duplicate channel at -6 or -12db down. It will record four channels so you can have a small shotgun in the hot shoe and still have two lav mics for your subjects.
B&H has an overview here:
A list of features from Tascam:
- Record to SD/SDHC card(Up to 32GB)
- Simultaneously record up to 4 tracks
- Record Mode：MONO, STEREO, DUAL MONO, DUAL ST, 4CH
- Recording format：16/24bit、44.1/48/96kHz (WAV/BWF)
- TASCAM original HDDA microphone preamps
- Recording levels can be adjusted independently for the 1/L, 2/R and 3-4 inputs
- Two XLR/TRS inputs support +4dBu line level input and phantom power supply (24/48V)
- Plug-in power supply and high-output mic input supported on input 3-4
- CAMERA OUT connector for output from the DR-60D’s mixer
- CAMERA IN connector for sound monitoring from the Camera
- Independent LINE OUT connector and HEADPHONE output for high-quality sound output
- 50mW/ch headphone output
- Tripod mounting threads (bottom) and DSLR screw attachment (top)
- Handles protect the screen and can be used to attach a shoulder strap
- Soft-Touch Rubber Keys for silent operation
- HOLD switch to prevent accidental operation
- A QUICK button is available for easy access to various functions
- 128×64 pixel LCD with backlight
- USB 2.0 connection for high-speed transferring
- Mini USB cable included
- Operates on 4 AA batteries, an AC adapter (sold separately) or USB bus power
- Can extend battery life with BP-6AA battery pack (sold separately)
- Dedicated remote control jack for the wired RC-10 remote control or RC-3F footswitch (both sold separately)
- Internal mixer: PAN and LEVEL controls
- Low cut filter(40/80/120Hz)
- Limiter (1/L and 2/R can be selected for link-operation)
- Delay function for distance of microphones adjustments (+/-150ms)
- M-S decode function
- Slate tone generator (AUTO/MANUAL)
- Selectable duration of slate tone from four positions (0.5/1/2/3 sec, when Auto generate)
- Selectable slate tone generate position. 3 positions: OFF/HEAD/HEAD+TAIL, when Auto generate
- File name format can be set to use a user-defined word or date
- Dual recording function allows two files to be recorded simultaneously at different levels
- Auto-record function can automatically start and stop recording at set level
- Pre-recording function allows the unit to record a 2 second sound buffer before recording is activated
- Self timer function for solo recording
- New file starts recording automatically without interruption when maximum file size is reached
- Track incrementing function allows a recording to be split by creating a new file when desired
- Jump back and play function
- Equalizers function for playback, and level alignment function to enhance the perceived overall sound pressure
- Resume function to memorize the playback position before the unit is turned off
- MARK function up to 99 points per audio track
- DIVIDE function
Tales of woe from my iPad
1st Video from Vericorder
(Updated, see bottom)
I’ve spent the last couple of months occasionally trying to do my job with an iPhone and my new iPad mini.
Had to cover opening night of the fair last night for the 20-somethingth time, so decided to do it mobile. What a disaster.
Got my eyefi card talking to my ipad? Check.
Got a bunch of video editing apps? Check
Got a story? Check
So I shoot the story, get some pr flak voice and sit down in a quiet place to edit.
I’ve shot tons of 30-second iphone videos with clips butted together and emailed in. That works fine.
This time I thought I’d try to put flak audio under b-roll and try to make it a real video. Whoa. Blew up in my face.
Vericorder 1st Video is the only app I know that will layer audio from a video clip so that’s what I used. It’s the most user-hostile video app you can imagine. Ok, hours later I’ve got a bad video put together. On the iPad Mini, there’s no way to tell if a clip is in focus, there’s no way to skim clips for good bites, and frame-accurate editing is an exercise in frustration that makes you want to cut your thumbs off. But I’ve got a one-minute-twenty video.
Export it. Oops, too big to email. Try to FTP it with FTP Client Pro app. Hangs up half way through. Repeatedly. (Of course, there’s no way to use our video upload form from an iPad, so gotta send it in.)
Ok, recut it to a minute. Pull it into other video apps to compress it. Finally get it small enough to email. If I had shot it on my regular camera and edited on my laptop, it would have been done three hours ago.
Oops the desk says it won’t transcode through our video provider, VMIX. Crap. VMIX doesn’t like modern quicktime codecs.
After midnight, I finally give up and pull everything into my laptop, edit a much better piece with stuff I know is in focus, and post it myself. Consider slitting my wrists but decide to do a ‘will it blend’ video of my iPad.
Anyone else out there on the bleeding edge of mobile video production?
Got any app suggestions that will layer audio and video like Vericorder’s? Quick to use apps that don’t constantly crash like Splice? Anything with a ftp client built in? Anyone figured out how to get sound from an audio recorder into a video editing app?
Why does something so simple become so hard with just a little extra thrown in the mix?
Ok, I’m resigned to a laptop from now on.
Update from Glen Mulcahy, who runs the excellent mobile journalism blog VJ Technology, who tells me Pinnacle video editing app WILL split audio from video if you drag clip to audio line instead of video! D’oh!
