In my last blog I talked about the equipment I am using for multimedia. Sound is such a critical part of multimedia production that I would like to elaborate on the sound equipment I use.
In multimedia you can get away with mediocre images much easier than poor sound. To get good sound you need to go to an external DAT recorder like the Marantz 661 ($600) or the popular Zoom H4N ($350). Both have internal mics but to get good sound you need to get some good external mics. I use the Sennheiser MKH 416 or a wireless lavalier for interviews and the Audio Technica 825 stereo mic for ambient sounds.
The Automatic Gain Control on the 5D Mark II makes it impossible to record a decent sound track. When recording sound you want your input volume control to be at a steady level. The AGC raises the volume setting any time there is a period of silence resulting in weird volume fluctuations through out the recording. Unfortunately this is not a setting that can be turned off. If you want to get away from carrying a DAT recorder and the extra hassle of syncing sound in post production Beach Tek has a solution to get around the AGC, but it still does not deliver the sound quality of the Marantz 661 (24bit/ 96kHz). I decided to beef up the 661 a little further by getting it through Doug Oade who replaces the stock 661 mic pre amps for an extra $160 to increase the signal to noise ratio. His site is a good source for info on field recording.
And finally it is necessary to listen to your sound throughout your entire recording. A good pair of headphones is a must. The industry standard is the Sony MDR 7506 ($100). You wouldn’t take a picture without looking through the view finder, so why would you record sound without monitoring it.
I recently watched Sound for Film and Television, which I recommend for a good and entertaining tutorial. If you have any resources you recommend please share!












I hope you will write a blog upon return about how simplifying your equipment is working for you. Have a remarkable journey!
Thanks for the tip Phil
Thanks Cheryl and Christine – I’ll let you know how it worked.
thanks phil hope you teach us how you do it!!!
Thanks for all the useful information in this.
I’m wondering if you’ve also used the Canon Mark IV– my son is a sports photographer and he’s thinking of moving to the Mark III or Mark IV. He’d be grateful for any information from those who have used them both about whether it’s worth it to go the extra $$$ for the Mark III. He shoots primarily mixed martial arts and indoor sports right now. Perhaps you could help or point us in another direction. The specs of course are clear but there’s nothing like stories from the field.
Thank you Phil and best of luck on the Mexico trip. Such important work.
will you be at SPE National in
If he is interested in shooting sports and especially martial arts which could be indoor, low light situations, he will most likely want to look at the new Cannon Mark IV 1ds which has an ISO range of 100 to 12,800 and a top ISO rating of 102,400. This will offer a combination of speed, accuracy and image quality.