What model is best for secondary audio capture for video production

[Perkyrhino]

I would like to capture secondary audio as a backup source when recording video with miniDV format. I would use this secondary capture for editing in post-production on Final Cut Pro. My idea is using a MiniDisc with a remote wireless mic system strategically placed near the sound source. I would then have a clean audio track for the final edit. Is this possible with MiniDisc, and if so, what would be the best configuration? How would I get the audio into my G5 Mac for editing? Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

[bobt]

hi there,

reading the forums would be a start, but any of the M serires of recorders would work for you as well as the RH1.

They all have Mac capabi;ity, but again browse the forum, there are many answers to your questions buried within.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.

Welcome

Bob

[Perkyrhino]

hi there,

reading the forums would be a start, but any of the M serires of recorders would work for you as well as the RH1.

They all have Mac capabi;ity, but again browse the forum, there are many answers to your questions buried within.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.

Welcome

Bob

Thank you Bob! I appreciate your feedback. In further researching my questions, I have stumbled upon the Sony DAT format. Are there any drawbacks/advantages of this format over MiniDisc?

[bobt]

The biggest drawback is that they aren't made anymore, although media etc should not be a problem. They are a little bigger and more complex than MD, but have a proven track record. With the RH1 and M series you can digitaly upload to your puter but with DAT it would have to be realtime, or very slightly faster and unless you have an optical input it would have to be uploaded analog versus digital. There may be some bargains out there relatively speaking as DAT was high priced to begin with, so dollar for dollar I would still go MD, but if a reasonably priced DAT deck came my way I wouldn't turn it down.

Happy Hunting

Bob

[Perkyrhino]

The biggest drawback is that they aren't made anymore, although media etc should not be a problem. They are a little bigger and more complex than MD, but have a proven track record. With the RH1 and M series you can digitaly upload to your puter but with DAT it would have to be realtime, or very slightly faster and unless you have an optical input it would have to be uploaded analog versus digital. There may be some bargains out there relatively speaking as DAT was high priced to begin with, so dollar for dollar I would still go MD, but if a reasonably priced DAT deck came my way I wouldn't turn it down.

Happy Hunting

Bob

Thank you once again, Bob! You have been most helpful. I will keep my eye open for the best deal. Best wishes!

[A440]

For audiophiles, DAT used to be the best portable recording device, but at this point you would be buying used equipment, (Digital Audio) Tape is not the most durable storage medium, and you can't quickly upload your recordings.

DAT may give you numerically better sound quality over minidisc--a slightly higher sampling rate--to begin with, but that virtually imperceptible advantage disappears when you try to get the material off the digital audio tape and have to re-record it in real time.

You want something that will give you a file to open with Final Cut, so you are much better off with a medium that allows quick uploading to your computer.

Hi-MD gets 90 minutes of CD-quality PCM recording on a 1GB disc or nearly 8 hours of perfectly acceptable Hi-SP quality on the same disc. The discs are very reliable.

You could also consider a hard-drive recorder that can record .wav files, like Iriver's H120/H140 or Cowon's IAudio or the Archos Gmini, or a flash-memory recorder like the Edirol R09. Their advantage over minidisc is that the transfer is drag-and-drop; uploading from minidisc is through Sony's proprietary software. The Sony software for Mac is relatively new, but nobody seems to be complaining here about bugs, which is a very good sign.

For PC owners, minidisc is still the cheapest portable recording medium. But Mac owners are looking at $300-$350 for a unit, and at that price you might want to consider the Edirol or a hard-disc recorder.

[King Ghidora]

The biggest thing here is that DAT wasn't around when audio gear really started to be updated for computers. If DAT had been we might have some reason to suggest it was better than HIMD but even then it would be a toss up IMO. There are advantages to both even taking away the computer angle.

But for a secondary audio device for video there's no doubt about it HIMD rocks. DAT isn't even a distant second. Other new devices make it not even a contender. It's too bad really since DAT was once a great medium. Maybe someday some hacker will come up with a way to upload DAT material but unless that happens it's a dead platform for computer work.