Single System Sound
I am now set up to provide double-system or single-system sound recording, depending on the client's preference, camera, and editing capabilities.
Double-system sound, the standard for film projects, uses an external audio recorder to capture sound separately from the camera. This typically results in better sound capture, particularly when using DSLR or consumer-grade video cameras. However, there is a higher post-production workload, because the film editor must combine and synchronize the sound and video.
Single-system sound uses a field mixer to optimize the audio signals, which are then fed to the camera's audio inputs for recording. This simplifies the post-production editing, but it tends to result in poorer sound capture because of the lower-quality audio inputs built into cameras. This is not recommended for cameras without XLR inputs.
For projects requiring single-system sound, we will need to have a conversation in advance to discuss the type of camera being used. Cameras with non-standard audio inputs (including all of the Red cameras and the Blackmagic Cinema) will require me to order adapter cables, which will take some time. Currently, I am able to accommodate cameras with the following types of audio inputs:
- XLR - line or mic level
- Unbalanced 3.5mm stereo mic (most consumer and DSLR cameras)