www.instagram.com/p/CUXUaWolnyG/

It was a great show at Sin-e in NYC in early 2004. I have awesome memories from that night. Thanks Jasper!

The post A nice Instagram post about my old band playing in 2004 first appeared on Sam Mallery.

The post A nice Instagram post about my old band playing in 2004 appeared first on Sam Mallery.

What is the Tascam DR-10L?

The Tascam DR-10L looks like a wireless mic belt-pack transmitter, but that’s not what it is. It’s a small audio recorder. You attach the included clip-on lavalier microphone to your subject and hide the body of the recorder on their belt, in one of their pockets, or in a body belt. Instead of wirelessly transmitting audio to a separate receiver device, it just records the sound. Afterwards, you take the audio files off the DR-10L and sync them with your footage in video editing software.

Why record sound this way? You don’t need to worry about interference or audio dropouts that can happen with wireless mic systems. With a belt-pack recorder, sound is recorded directly off the microphone at a high-resolution. With a wireless system, the sound is digitized, then it’s usually processed and sometimes encoded, then it needs to be unencoded and processed again at the receiver, and then it finally gets recorded. The sound quality is degraded before it gets recorded. Another advantage is that belt-pack recorders are much more power-efficient than wireless systems. They get many hours of operation from small batteries.

The big disadvantage of using a belt-pack recorder is that you can’t listen to the sound as you record, unless you also use it in conjunction with a wireless mic system (I explain how to do this in another section of this review). The DR-10L has a headphone output jack, but when you put this recorder on your on-screen talent and they get in front of the camera, you’re not going to be able to have your headphones plugged into it any longer. It’s important to plug in your headphones before you start shooting to hear what the mic sounds like. You need to determine that it isn’t picking up unwanted rustling sounds, and that you can clearly hear the person when they speak.

Because it was designed to worn by the person that’s being recorded, the DR-10L doesn’t have traditional Record and Stop buttons. Why? You don’t want them to accidentally get pressed while you’re working. These functions are handled by a recessed switch on the side of the unit that needs to be intentionally held in place to start and stop recording. It works well. I’ve been testing the DR-10L for several months and have shot several videos with it, and it has never accidentally started or stopped itself.

What comes with the Tascam DR-10L?

The Tascam DR-10L needs a single AAA battery and a MicroSD card in order to be used, but it doesn’t come with either item. However, it does come with a nice selection of accessories. I appreciate how the box isn’t covered with cheesy graphics and glossy photos. It’s just raw, unadorned cardboard with some blue ink. It screams utility, and I like that.

In the box you get:

• The recorder itself
• A removable belt-clip
• A lightly padded travel pouch that zips shut
• A printed owner’s manual
• A short Micro-USB to USB-A cable that fits in the pouch
• A lav microphone with a wire and a locking connector
• A metal alligator clip for the mic
• A metal windscreen for the mic

My Tascam DR-10L also came with a free copy of iZotope RX 7 Elements software, which removes hum, distortion, pops and clicks from your audio. It’s almost a complete package. The only thing missing (besides the card and the battery) is a fluffy windscreen. If you plan on using the DR-10L outdoors, you should get a separately available fluffy windscreen, so the mic won’t pick-up distracting wind noise. The models that fit the included microphone are the Rycote 065514 and the Auray Fuzzy Windbuster.

A cool feature when turning on the DR-10L

Once you get used to sliding and holding the recessed switch on the Tascam DR-10L, you can turn it on and off with reasonable confidence. One of the things I prefer about the Tascam DR-40X over the competing Zoom H4n Pro is that the Tascam powers on and is ready to record much more quickly. The DR-10L also powers on rather quickly. It takes about 7 seconds to boot up. Not bad. The majority of those 7 seconds are consumed by the unit making sure that you intended to turn it on.

A clever feature is that it can be powered on in two different states. If you pull and hold the recessed switch downward, the DR-10L boots up normally. If you pull the switch upwards, it boots up and immediately starts recording a new file. This also takes about 7 seconds to do. It’s a pretty awesome little feature, because sometimes you need to start recording as quickly as possible.

Using the Tascam DR-10L

The first time I used the Tascam DR-10L I was struck by how easy it was. You need to insert and format a MicroSD card, install a single AAA battery, and then turn it on and start recording. This is standard procedure for most audio recorders. What makes the DR-10L remarkable are the thoughtfully chosen default settings, and the radically different audio-for-video workflow it makes possible.

If you just use the default settings, you’ll likely end up with good sounding recordings. It defaults to creating 24bit 48kHz WAV files, which is the preferred format for audio files used in video production. The gain level is set to Medium, which is the best choice for people who don’t bother to adjust the levels, which, unfortunately, is probably the majority of users. Low cut is turned on, which is good because it prevents the device from recording super-low bass sounds. Sometimes normal footsteps create boomy noises that you’ll only hear on a sound system with a subwoofer, and it will sound odd and distracting. The low-cut feature prevents this.

One of the options in the DR-10L is a feature called DUAL RECORD. When you turn it on, the DR-10L will create two copies of the audio, one at the normal audio level, and the other at a lower level, either -6 or -12 dB lower. This way, if there’s a sudden increase in volume in the sound you’re recording, the lower copy of the audio won’t overload and distort.

I put a SanDisk Ultra UHS-I 16GB microSD card in my DR-10L when I got it, which is a comfortable amount of storage for an audio recorder. I turned DUAL REC on and chose the -12 dB option. I never came close to filling all the storage on the card, and I recorded two copies of everything. I highly recommend using this feature.

You can start and stop recording with the DR-10L as often as you want, but if you don’t bother to stop it and let the device continue recording, an interesting new workflow paradigm opens up. If you just let it roll, you can shoot your video without thinking about sound much at all. At the end of the shoot or during a break, you can stop the unit from recording.

This was a totally different approach to capturing sound for video shoots for me. You end up with larger and longer audio files that have many different takes on them. This creates a little more work in post, because you need to go through the lengthy files and figure out where the sound is that you need to sync, but this process is easier than it sounds.

To be fair, this workflow has been around a lot longer than the Tascam DR-10L. A decade ago the compact Zoom H1 audio recorder was released. A couple years later some inventive wedding videographers realized that they could plug a lav mic into it and hide the H1 in the groom’s jacket. This allowed them to capture perfect ceremony audio without needing to worry about dropouts and interference with wireless systems, which is a common problem during the ceremony and vows. Recorders like the DR-10L were created as a ready-made solution for this kind of task.

Much of the complexity of recording sound during a video shoot is removed when you use the “just let it roll” method with belt-pack recorders. This workflow requires that you put complete faith in the reliability of your gear. The audio recorder cannot let you down. The performance must be bullet-proof. That’s what is needed, and this is what the Tascam DR-10L delivers.

Build quality of the Tascam DR-10L

The body of the Tascam DR-10L is made out of plastic, but to me, it doesn’t feel cheap. The DR-10L feels solidly built. It’s lightweight and ultracompact. The Sennheiser EW100 wireless system is generally considered to be small in size, and as you can see in the first photo in this blog post, the DR-10L is considerably smaller.

With a single AAA battery, MicroSD card, and belt-clip installed, and with the included lav mic with its clip and windscreen attached, the DR-10L weighs 85 grams. If you prefer other weight units, here’s what it weighs:

• 0.085 kg
• 3.05 oz
• 0.19 lbs

For comparison, a Sennheiser EW100 transmitter with batteries and an ME 2 lav mic weighs 168 grams, 0.169 kg, 5.95 oz, or 0.37 lbs.

The DR-10L has a rather small but effective OLED display. The screen is very tiny, but it looks great and it gets the job done. It’s easy to read in various kinds of lighting. Like the Tascam DR-40X, the information that’s displayed on the DR-10L is logically organized and easy to understand. This is hugely important to me.

The battery door on the DR-10L is on a hinge. When you open it to change the battery, you cannot accidentally drop the battery door and lose it, or waste valuable time stooping down to retrieve it. Every aspect of this device seems like it was carefully considered for use in video production. In this regard, the DR-10L is a near triumph.

Battery life of the Tascam DR-10L

As mentioned earlier, the DR-10L runs on a single AAA battery. If you compare this recorder to competing models from other brands, running on a single small battery might seem like a downside, but in my experience the battery life has been outstanding.

When I first unboxed my DR-10L months ago, I installed a new Amazon Basics AAA battery. Since then I’ve shot three complete videos where I used the DR-10L as my primary audio capture device. Some of these shoots were extensive, spanning several days. I would often let the DR-10L record for a half hour or longer. The same battery I started out with is still in my DR-10L, and it seems to have a decent amount of life left in it.

One of the reasons why the battery is lasting so long is that I have the Power Save feature turned on. I explain what settings and features to use in a separate post called The Settings I Recommend for the Tascam DR-10L. All told, I am greatly impressed with the battery life of the Tascam DR-10L. It performs excellently with a basic alkaline battery. It would last for an absurdly long time with an Energizer Lithium AAA. I would even feel confident using a freshly charged Eneloop AAA on an important shoot.

If you end up in a situation where the battery of the DR-10L dies and you don’t have any AAA replacements with you, you can still power the unit with an external MicroUSB portable charger. Yet another thoughtful feature of the DR-10L.

The quality of the included lavalier microphone

When you buy an audio product that includes a microphone, the sound quality of the microphone is incredibly important. I used to work at a store that sold professional audio-for-video equipment and camera-mountable wireless mic systems were incredibly popular at the time. The models most people were interested in were the Sennheiser EW100 G2 and the Sony UWP-V1. I must have set both of these systems up hundreds of times so the customer could do a comparative sound test. Guess what? The Sennheiser won EVERY time because the included ME 2 lavalier sounded better than the mic that came with the Sony.

I’m still completely baffled today when companies release audio-for-video products that come with microphones that don’t sound as good as a Sennheiser ME 2. If this is the case, your product is either dead on arrival, or it has a serious $100 drawback that every prospective customer needs to strongly consider. I’m happy to report that the mic that comes with the DR-10L sounds just as good as a Sennheiser ME 2.

Not only does this mic sound great, it’s also built ruggedly. It has a locking 3.5mm connector so it won’t get unplugged. The housing of the mic capsule, the clip, and the windscreen are all made of metal. It’s professional and it sounds great. This microphone costs $90 USD on its own. The official model name is the Tascam TM-10LB.

Not only does the Tascam lav look and sound like the Sennheiser ME 2, the windscreen and mic clip are identical, and they fit both mics interchangeably. Are they the same mic? I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the included mic is excellent. The Tascam DR-10L is compatible with locking 3.5mm mics made for Sennheiser systems, and if you want a truly noticeable improvement in sound quality, you need to spend an extra $379 for this specific Sanken COS-11 D.

How to wirelessly monitor the sound of the Tascam DR-10L

If you have a wireless system like the Sennheiser EW100, you can monitor the sound of the Tascam DR-10L as you shoot. Why would you do this? It lets you to remotely listen to the audio as you’re recording it, so you can be confident it sounds good. Because the DR-10L captures audio without processing it like a wireless system does, you will have a better sounding recording on the DR-10L to sync with your footage in post. Lastly, this creates redundancy. You can record a high-quality copy of the audio in your camera, into a separate audio recorder, and in the DR-10L. This way, if one of them has a failure during the shoot, you will have other copies of the sound to use.

Here’s how to set this up:

1. Put the DR-10L and its included mic on your subject
2. In the menu of the DR-10L, adjust the MIC GAIN when your subject is speaking (if you don’t know how to set audio levels, you can learn how here)
3. Turn the headphone volume of the DR-10L all the way up
4. Connect the headphone output of the DR-10L to the MIC/LINE input on the Sennheiser transmitter with a short stereo male 3.5mm cable
5. In the menu of the Sennheiser transmitter, adjust the “Sensitivity” until the audio meter on the transmitter’s display is bouncing 3 1/4’s of the way up
6. In the menu of the Sennheiser receiver, adjust the “AF Out” until the audio meter on the receiver’s display is bouncing 3 1/4’s of the way up
7. Plug the Sennheiser receiver into either the Mic input of a camera, or into an audio recorder, and adjust the input of that device to a proper level

When I set this up and tested it, I found that I needed to go back re-adjust to the AF Out setting on the Sennheiser receiver in order to get a clean audio signal in the last device, which was a DSLR. If you’re using two DR-10L recorders in a shoot, you’re going to need a separate wireless system for each one. If you’re planning on plugging two wireless receivers into a camera that only has a single 3.5 Mic input, you’re going to need to use a Camcorder XLR Adapter box.

An obvious downside is that you need to put two devices on your subject. You’re also going to be using more batteries. If you don’t want to fuss with connecting the headphone output of the DR-10L to the input of a transmitter, you can just put two lav mics on your subject, one plugged into the wireless transmitter and the other plugged into the DR-10L. You can put both lav mics on a single clip if you use the separately available WindTech TC-12 Dual Lavalier tie clip.

What about the Zoom F2 and the Tentacle Sync TRACK E?

There are other belt-pack audio recorders available that were designed to compete directly with the Tascam DR-10L. The Zoom F2 is similar in size and it’s capable of 32-bit float recording. This means you never need to set the audio levels. No matter how loudly or quietly someone speaks when you’re recording, you can adjust it to the perfect level in post, and the audio will not clip or distort.

32-bit float recording is an extremely compelling feature, but it does come with some drawbacks. The main issue is that the audio files need to be converted to regular .WAV files in post before they can be used in video editing software. This adds an extra step of work. It also complicates the process of sharing audio files with other video editors or production people. 32-bit float files are also larger than regular audio files, but this isn’t a major concern.

The main issue you need to confront with the Zoom F2 is the quality of the included microphone. Simply put, the included mic does not sound as good as the TM-10LB that comes with the DR-10L. Also, the mic clip that comes with the Zoom is made of plastic. Lavalier clips need to withstand a lot of abuse, and they must not fail when in use. Plastic is not that material you want in this role.

In my opinion, to take full advantage of the Zoom F2, you need to upgrade the microphone. Somewhat ironically, a great choice for the upgrade is the Tascam TM-10LB, but that will cost you an extra $90 USD. So if you get the non-Bluetooth version of the Zoom F2 and the TM-10LB, you’ve spent $240 before tax. If you get the Bluetooth version, you’re at $290. In my opinion, this makes the Tascam DR-10L not only the best budget-friendly option, but an excellent choice outright.

The Tentacle Sync TRACK E is another compelling belt-pack recorder that also does 32-bit float recording. This company appears to have done the proper research, because this recorder comes with a lav mic that sounds as good as the ME 2. This model is priced at $350, so it’s significantly more expensive than the other options.

Tentacle Sync makes an excellent timecode product called the SYNC E for multi-camera shoots. The TRACK E belt-pack recorder has a built-in timecode generator, and you can sync the timecode from its mic input. If you have a master timecode generator, such as a SYNC E device, you can sync the TRACK E to it. If you have multiple TRACK E recorders, they all can be synced to the same timecode master. Doing this can extremely speed-up the post-production workflow of multi-camera shoots, because all of the audio and video can be synced in just a few seconds.

The TRACK E isn’t perfect. It’s dependent on a built-in rechargeable battery. It also only has a single control: a switch. You use it to turn it on, start and stop recording, and so on. It’s minimalism as a statement. The switch isn’t recessed, so it’s more likely to accidentally get activated. But, for anyone who needs timecode, especially people who are already invested in the Tentacle Sync workflow, the TRACK E is a compelling product.

What would I change about the Tascam DR-10L?

There are many features and details that impress me about the Tascam DR-10L, but there are a few things I would change. My main gripe is about feedback from the device when I start and stop recording, and when I turn it off.

When the DR-10L starts recording, the display slowly shows you some scrolling text, which is the name of the new file. Then it goes to a screen that shows a round dot and a running timer, which is its way of telling you it is recording. For such an important function, I want the device to be completely unambiguous. In my opinion, the moment it starts recording, I want to immediately see the word “RECORDING” on the screen. Then show me the file name and timer.

When you stop the DR-10L from recording, the display is again ambiguous. Instead of seeing the reassuring word “STOP” appear, it instead shows you the number of files it has on its memory card, which is a bit maddening. This is an important function. Please Tascam, put the user at ease. Tell them they just successfully did the thing they were trying to do.

The same ambiguous feedback occurs when you turn the DR-10L off. Holding the sliding switch downward for 7 seconds powers down the DR-10L, but the display doesn’t provide the information you need to see. What do you need to see? You need the display to show you the word “OFF.” Instead, the display shifts to half brightness, and when you release the sliding switch it goes dark. An ambiguous, unspoken goodbye.

My only other bone to pick is that sometimes when I try to slide the sliding switch, my finger will accidentally catch on something else, and the task I was trying to do will not happen. I suppose my finger is accidentally tugging on the volume Up and Down buttons instead of the sliding switch. It would be better if Tascam could figure out a way to make the sliding switch the only control on that side of the device. Ultimately, these are just small nitpicks. The DR-10L gets almost everything right.

If you record a bunch of long takes with a DR-10L, it can take quite a while to transfer the files to a computer if you use the included USB cable plugged into the port on the device. The port on the DR-10L is USB 2.0. I can transfer files much faster when I take the MicroSD card out of the DR-10L and use my external Transcend USB 3.0 card reader.

Sound recording examples of the Tascam DR-10L

I used the Tascam DR-10L as my primary audio recording device in this recent YouTube video:

Conclusion: What do I think of the Tascam DR-10L?

If you’ve read this blog post, you already know I’m deeply impressed with the Tascam DR-10L. It’s a well thought-out device that delivers great sound quality. Compared to all the other ways I’ve captured sound for video production, using the DR-10L is by far the easiest — as long as you’re comfortable with syncing external audio files with footage in video editing software, that is.

If you’re tempted by the ease of the 32-bit float recorders, that’s understandable, but you should know that using the Tascam DR-10L is pretty darn easy. There is no extra step of work in post to convert 32-bit files into normal audio files. Setting audio levels on the DR-10L is easy, and I assume most of the users of this recorder never bother to do so because the default settings sound so good. If you use the DUAL RECORD feature, you never have to worry about distorted audio, and if you need to clean something up in post, the DR-10L comes with the iZotope RX software bundle which costs $129 on its own.

I welcome competition and I’m excited there are more good belt-pack recorders to choose from, but I think the Tascam DR-10L is in a strong position. It’s just a great little recorder that comes with a great mic. It has a complete feature set, and it’s rediculuosly obvious that the people who made it completely understand the needs of video makers. I love this little thing, and I’m excited to make more videos with it.

Hey there! If this was helpful, you can help me at no cost to yourself. Just click on the following links before you buy something at Amazon, B&H Photo, or eBay, and I’ll get a tiny commission if you make a purchase, even if you’re just getting a weird face strap. You could clip the DR-10L to it, I guess.

Buy the Tascam DR-10L here…

Tascam DR-10L – Amazon, B&H Photo, eBay

Zoom F2 – Amazon, B&H Photo

Tentacle Sync TRACK E – Amazon, B&H Photo

The post Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder In-Depth Review first appeared on Sam Mallery.

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Changing the settings on the DR-10L is logical and straight-forward. With the unit turned on, you simply press the Menu button, then scroll up or down and select 1 of the 20 menu options by pressing the Enter button. Here are the settings I recommend:

Thanks for checking this out! If this was helpful, you can help me at no cost to yourself. Just click on the following links before you buy something at Amazon, B&H Photo, or eBay, and I’ll get a tiny commission if you make a purchase, even if you’re just buying some settings, which is a weird thing to do, but you do you.

The post The settings I recommend for the Tascam DR-10L first appeared on Sam Mallery.

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Step 1 – Import both your video footage and audio recordings into Final Cut Pro.

Step 2 – In the “Browser” section of Final Cut Pro, locate the video clip and audio recording that you want to sync.

Step 3 – Click on either the video or audio clip to highlight it. Then scroll down to the other clip and press and hold down the Command key on your keyboard, then click on the other clip. This allows you to highlight both clips.

Step 4 – Press and hold down the Control key on your keyboard, then click on one of the clips. This opens up a little pop-up menu next to where you clicked. Select “Synchronize Clips” from this menu.

Step 5 – A window will then open that allows you to give the new synchronized clip a name. I recommend taking a moment to change the name a bit, so you can find it in Final Cut Pro’s browser more easily. Also, make sure the two check boxes are checked, then click the OK button.

Step 6 – Your new synced video clip with then appear in Final Cut Pro’s browser. This step isn’t really a step, because you’re finished! Go ahead and play the new clip to make sure it worked properly.

Thanks for checking out this post! I hope it was helpful!

The post How to Sync Sound from Audio Recorders in Final Cut Pro first appeared on Sam Mallery.

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Last year at this time I bought a new iPhone 11 with 128GB of storage. The price was $749 before tax. Today a new iPhone 12 with 128GB of storage will cost you $849.

This matter is slightly confused by the new iPhone 12 Mini model, which isn’t available to purchase yet, but will be soon. The price of a 64GB Mini will be $699. However, this is a device with a significantly smaller screen and shorter battery life. It’s a different class. The new iPhone 12 Mini is $100 cheaper than the larger iPhone 12. If an iPhone 11 Mini had existed, using Apple’s pricing structure it would have started $100 less than the iPhone 11 at $599.

Now, it needs to be clearly stated that the iPhone 12 is a better product than the 11. It has a much higher-quality OLED screen (the screen on the 11 is LCD). It’s waterproof up to 6 meters instead of 2 (that’s right, iPhone 12 can swim in the adult pool). It has the 5G radio and that magnetic charging business. Plus, it’s a different design. It has flat sides and is slightly smaller, 30 grams lighter, yet it has the same 6.1″ sized screen. The smaller size and lighter weight on their own are huge benefits and worth money.

But, at the end of the day it’s a $100 price increase no matter how you slice it, and that hurts. In our current devastating global economy Apple raised the price of the iPhone by 13.4% and it doesn’t even have a face-mask-friendly Touch ID sensor. In fact, it doesn’t come with a charging brick or headphones any more. You now may need to buy an Apple 20-Watt USB-C Power Adapter separately for $19 and Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector separately for another $19.

The introduction of the iPhone 12 also marks the end of the awkward category of Apple phones that were both larger and less expensive than other options. It started with the iPhone XR in 2018 and ended with the iPhone 11. These phones were too big and heavy, but everyone bought them anyway because they were less expensive.

I don’t regret it getting the 11. It’s been great. The lengthy battery life alone makes me love the thing. In fact, I truly don’t regret it because the replacement shot up in price! You can still buy the iPhone 11 from Apple, and the price has come down $100, which is great (but Apple doesn’t include a power adapter or headphones now, either). If I were to buy a new phone today, I’d cough up an extra $200 and get the 12. But gee whiz, if the battery life was even slightly worse, I bet I would often wish I had my heavy, cumbersome, and wonderfully non-dead iPhone 11 instead.

The post Surprise! iPhone 12 costs $100 more than iPhone 11 first appeared on Sam Mallery.

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There are certain portable audio recorders, headphones, and other equipment have a special kind of external plastic that “feels rubbery” to the touch. The advantage was that it made the gear easier to grip when you held it, reducing the likelihood that you would accidentally drop it. It was made out of plastic, but it felt like it was made out of hard rubber. Awesome, right?

The problem is that some of this rubbery plastic didn’t age well. After a while instead of being grippy, it became sticky. There’s a scientific term for this called “rubber reversion.” I think it happens when certain environmental conditions are a factor, but I’m not sure. I just know that some of my equipment became sticky, and that it was super gross.

How to make sticky plastic not sticky

I found a few different methods for removing this stickiness, and I tried a couple of them. One person YouTube recommended rubbing Armor All on your gear with a flannel cloth. I bought a little bottle and tried it out, but it was too time consuming. The guy in the video recommended rubbing it for “a couple of hours.” No thanks. I’ll squirt the Armor All on my dashboard next time I wash my car, though.

The faster way to do it is to use rubbing alcohol. I used 70% Isopropyl Alcohol on my sticky gear and it worked fine. Just apply some to a cloth and rub it on the equipment. Be careful not to get liquid inside of your gear. Be mindful of openings around buttons and such. This is why you need to use the cloth.

Also be aware that the alcohol may remove the print on your equipment. This can be bad, especially if you won’t be able to tell the difference between a Power button and a Record button. You should test this out on a non-important area of the equipment first. If the alcohol removes the print and/or paint, you should pursue another solution.

There are some popular pieces of equipment suffer from this reversion problem. The Zoom H5 and Zoom H4n Pro audio recorders are two notable models that can get sticky. I’ve owned the Zoom H4n Pro for several years, and my unit is fine. But, I know it happened to other people. This did happen to my Edirol R-09-HR audio recorder, and thankfully I’ve been able to remedy it.

The post How to remove stickiness from audio recorders and other gear first appeared on Sam Mallery.

The post How to remove stickiness from audio recorders and other gear appeared first on Sam Mallery.

Okay… So Shannon and I spend a nice chunk of time jauntily jibber jabbering about non-Apple Watch things as well. To this, I say thank goodness.

Big feature #1: Blood oxygen monitoring

The new Apple Watch Series 6 has a blood oxygen monitor. I already own a watch that has one of these, the Garmin Forerunner 245. I explain why they’re useful in the podcast. Give it a listen, my friend. In short, most people likely will never, ever use the blood oxygen monitor in the new Apple Watch. But, I could be wrong.

Big feature #2: New, faster S6 processor

The new Apple Watch has an updated S6 processor, which is supposed to be 20% faster. Faster is always a good and welcome thing. The new Series 6 gets the same 18 hours of battery life as the old and now discontinued Series 5. Apparently it can recharge faster, too, completing a full charge in just an hour and a half.

Big feature #3: Always-on display is 2.5 times brighter

The always-on display will be brighter. It is a bit dim on the Series 5, but it was never a problem. Now it will be 2.5x brighter. Okay. If you go to a bonfire party in 2021 wearing the Series 6, you will be noticed.

Big feature #4: It has an Altimeter

Apple Watch Series 6 has an always-on altimeter that provides elevation information in real time. It’s supposed to be accurate down to 12-inches (30.5 cm), which is pretty cool.

Big feature #5: Red and blue aluminum cases!

The aluminum Apple Watch has been available in gray, silver, gold, and rose gold so far, but now it’s available in blue or red! I know this is the last big feature in this list, but it’s the most important, by far.

Apple also released the Apple Watch SE. It’s an interesting product because it’s kind of like the Series 4, but not as good in some ways, but better in others. It’s not as good because it cannot do ECG heart scans, but it’s better in that it has the always-on altimeter.

Also new from Apple today: iPad Air, iPad 8th generation, Fitness+, and Apple One bundles. All of this stuff is covered in the podcast, but here’s a bit of detail about the Apple One bundles, which is Apple’s version of the Amazon Prime bundle:

Apple One bundles

Individual = $15/mo for 50GB, Music, Arcade, TV+

Family = $20 for same but 200GB for 5 people

Premier = $30 for same but 2TB and News+ and Fitness+ for 5 people

Call me a naysayer, but I’m not into any of these options. For example, the “Premier” option is $348 a year. For $60 a year I back up 12 terabytes of data with a service called Back Blaze. $348 a year for 2 terabytes? No thanks!

But… Thank you for checking out this post and for listing to the Mallercast podcast! We’ll be back with a sparkly, fresh new episode in October. See you then!!!

The post Apple Watch Series 6 and SE: All you need to know [episode 45] first appeared on Sam Mallery.

The post Apple Watch Series 6 and SE: All you need to know [episode 45] appeared first on Sam Mallery.

The recently named “Maller Binge” portion of the show covers our free year of HBO Max, and our recent encounter with Peacock. We chat about a movie with James Spader and Robert Downey Jr. which is actually called Tuff Turf. You can learn more about it here, and watch the trailer below. This movie is a must-see.

Here’s a link to the British TV show Escape to the Chateau DIY that we talk about: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/escape-to-the-chateau-diy

This episode has a micro-review of the Apple Airpods Pro. These headphones are spectacular. You must buy them, and you can buy them here.

In the “gear nerdery” portion of the show, I explain how I used a shotgun microphone on Shannon for this episode. The exact model I used is the Rode NTG-3.

And finally, we do our Apple Watch Series 5 one-year review. I forgot to mention in the show that the IonX glass scratches too easily. I do cover that in my hands-on review article, though.

Thanks for listening to our show! We’ll be back in September with another episode. See you then!

The post Apple Watch Series 5 report card [episode 44] first appeared on Sam Mallery.

The post Apple Watch Series 5 report card [episode 44] appeared first on Sam Mallery.

Before I get into the iPhone 11, I’d just like to formally welcome back our podcast! It’s been 2 years and 10 months since our last episode. 34 months! Yikes. We’re back now. We will publish a new episode every month going forward. Yay!

In March of this year I published a post titled What it’s like to switch from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 11. In the ensuing 4 months, none of my opinions have changed. In general I find the phone to be a bit too large, heavy, and slightly too thick. However, it isn’t too big for my hands. I wish it were smaller and more lightweight, but having said that, I don’t want to downgrade to a phone that has a smaller screen. The shortcomings of the iPhone 11 are not deal killers for me. My wife, on the other hand, truly despises the faults of the iPhone 11.

Let’s blast through these topics with a bulleted list:

• I love having an iPhone with that doesn’t have a home button, my wife prefers having a home button, but is managing to live without one without much trouble
• I prefer Face ID most of the time over Touch ID (which is what Apple called the fingerprint reader in their old home button). Making contactless payments at the grocery store is even easier with Face ID. Also, I highly recommend getting and using an Apple Card.
• The camera system in the iPhone 11 is great. One of the best things about the phone. My only complaint is that photos taken with the wide-angle lens are not very sharp.
• Some of the annoying bugs in iOS 13 are still there 9 months later.

What grade does the iPhone 11 receive on its report card? I give it a B-. It’s vastly better than the battery-destroying iPhone 6S I used before it. The iPhone 11 kind of seems like an iPhone with a chunky USB power-pack fused into its large body. I normally go two days between charges, sometimes longer (and sometimes shorter when my 7 year old daughter has epically long FaceTime chats with her grandmothers).

Thanks for checking out this post, visiting my blog, and listening to our podcast! The fact that you’re reading this blue box means that you did at least one of those things! You are simply great.

The post iPhone 11 report card: 9-month review [episode 43] first appeared on Sam Mallery.

The post iPhone 11 report card: 9-month review [episode 43] appeared first on Sam Mallery.

When is this needed? Here are common scenarios:

• A single shotgun microphone is often used in video production
• It’s common to use a single mic when recording voice-overs
• When overdubbing vocals in music production, a single large-diaphragm condenser microphone is often used
• Solo podcasters only use one mic

These recorders ship with default settings for recording stereo sources, not mono sources. In other words, they are set to record two channels (stereo), not a single channel from a single microphone (mono).

Quick note: People who aren’t audio nerds think the word “stereo” means good, and “mono” means bad. This is not the case. Stereo simply means two audio channels, mono means one audio channel.

The best settings for the Zoom H4n Pro

The factory settings for the Zoom H4n Pro have its 1/2 Link setting turned On. If you’re only recording with a single microphone, this is not what you want.

Here’s how to set optimal settings for a single mic:

1) After turning on the H4n Pro, press the 1 button on the front panel to tell the recorder you want to use the inputs, not the built-in mics:

2) Next, press the Menu button on the side of the H4n Pro, and use the dial on the side to scroll down to INPUT, then press the dial to select it.

3) On the next screen, use the dial to scroll down to 1/2 Link, press the dial to select it, then scroll to OFF and press the dial to select it. If you have the Mono Mix setting turned on, you will need to turn it off first. That setting is 2 options below 1/2 Link, turn off Mono Mix, then turn off 1/2 Link.

4) Press the Menu button twice to go back to the main screen. Plug your microphone into XLR input 1. If your microphone needs phantom power, make sure to turn it on.

5) Press the 1 button on the front panel, the same way we did in step 1. When you do this, the screen of the H4n Pro will shortly display INPUT 1 LEVEL: 80 (the number 80 may be different depending on what your REC LEVEL is set to).

6) Set a proper level for your microphone, using the REC LEVEL buttons on the right side of the H4n Pro. If you’re not 100% confident how to set microphone levels, read my How to Set Audio Levels post.

7) Press the 2 button on the front panel, similar to what you did in step 5. This time use the REC LEVEL buttons to turn input 2 down to its lowest possible setting, which is 0.1. Doing this turns the preamp for input 2 all the way down, which reduces the noise floor and makes for a cleaner sounding recording.

You’re done! But, there’s one big problem: you will only hear sound in the left side of your headphones. This is annoying, distracting, and a poor way to monitor audio as you work. This highlights a great feature on the Tascam DR-40X; that recorder has a setting that splits a mono signal to both sides of your headphones so you can monitor confidently.

There are adapters you can buy to help with this shortcoming on the H4n Pro. Monoprice makes a 3.5mm male to female 3.5mm mono adapter that corrects this problem. Monoprice is finally living up to its name — selling you a mono product.

If you use this adapter, make sure you plug your mic into Input 1 on the H4n Pro. That’s the Left side, and this adapter only takes sound from the Left and sums it to both earpieces on your headphones.

When an adapter like the Monoprice is plugged in, it makes the headphone jack stick out a bit, which isn’t ideal, but being able to hear in both sides of your headphones makes this compromise worth it. If the Monoprice adapter isn’t available, there’s another one called the C2G 03174 3.5mm Stereo Female to Mono Male Adapter.

So, what difference do these settings make in sound quality? It will make your recordings subtly less noisy. The difference isn’t huge. Getting the best possible sound quality is all about marginal gains.

I used a Rode NTG-2 shotgun microphone for the sound test below. I chose this mic because it’s a popular and affordable shotgun mic for video production, but also because it requires lots of gain to get a good level.

First you’ll hear the Zoom set with 1/2 Link on, Mono Mix on, and the REC LEVEL set to 100. The audio levels for all of the tests were peaking around -12dB, and my mouth was 12 inches (30.5 cm) away from the mic capsule. Next you’ll hear how it sounds with 1/2 Link off, Mono Mix off, channel 1 REC LEVEL at 100 and channel 2 REC LEVEL at 0.1.

I recommend using the best quality headphones or studio monitor speakers for listening, because the difference is subtle, but you can hear it with good equipment. I also recommend using a decent audio interface instead of the built-in headphone jack on your computer or mobile device, if possible.

To hear how the Zoom H4n Pro sounded compared to the Tascam DR-40X with a single microphone, go to the end of this blog post. It’s worth a .

The best settings for the Tascam DR-40X

As I mentioned earlier in this post, the DR-40X is better equipped to handle a single microphone than the H4n Pro, because when it’s put into one of its mono modes, it sends that single mono audio signal to both sides of the headphones you plug into it.

Here’s how to set optimal settings for a single mic:

1) Press the REC MODE button on the front panel of the DR-40X.

2) In the REC MODE screen, press the Right direction button and press the + or – buttons to scroll the options. There are two options you can use: MONO or DUAL. I recommend using Dual, as it will record a second copy of your audio at a lower level, in the event the main copy gets too loud and distorts.

3) Whether you decided to use MONO or DUAL, you need to change the SOURCE. Press the Left direction button then the – button to scroll down to SOURCE, then press the Right direction button, then press the + button until you get to EXT IN L.

4) Press the Stop button to go back to the home screen. Plug your microphone into the Left XLR input, remember to turn on phantom power with the EXT IN switch on the left side of the unit if your microphone needs it.

5) Press the Record button once to put the DR-40X into record/pause mode. Speak into the mic and set a proper level using the INPUT LEVEL buttons on the left side. If you’re not 100% confident how to set microphone levels, read my How to Set Audio Levels post.

You’re done!

I ended up doing 3 separate audio tests with the DR-40X because I wasn’t hearing a noticeable difference in sound quality. The main reason to use these settings is so you can hear sound in both sides of your headphones as you record.

There is a SOURCE option on the DR-40X called EXT INDEP which lets you set the external inputs at different levels. This is required when you’re setting the mic levels of people or other sounds that have different volumes. For example, if you’re recording two people who are speaking, it’s likely that their voices will have different loudnesses, and require different level settings.

In my testing, I found there was a slightly noticeable difference in sound quality when the REC MODE was set to STEREO and SOURCE was set to EXT INDEP, and the channel the mic was plugged into was set to 72 (where it needed to be to record my voice at -12 dB on the meter) and the other channel was set to 90, which was the highest setting.

The test below was recorded with the same Rode NTG-2 mic in the same room as the Zoom H4n Pro test. Again, my mouth was 12 inches (30.5 cm) away from the mic capsule. I used MONO REC MODE on the DR-40X, but again, I recommend using DUAL with EXT IN L set as the SOURCE.

One of my takeaways from these tests is that if you don’t bother to do any of this stuff, your recordings won’t sound that different. The improvements in sound quality were only slight with both recorders. Again, the main reason to follow the tips in this post are to be able to monitor your sound in both sides of your headphones as you record.

But… Making small improvements in sound quality are worth the effort. Why? Because they add up. When you stack several sound-quality adjustments, the overall recording will improve dramatically. Where you place and position the mic is important, properly setting the gain level is important, reducing environmental noise is important (wind noise, air conditioner noise, vehicle noise, room echo noise, clothing noise, etc.). When you take care of all of those things and add this improvement on top of them, you get better audio.

Which audio recorder sounded better?

Since I was testing both audio recorders back-to-back with a single microphone, I got to hear their sound quality performance over and over. The Zoom H4n Pro always seemed to sound cleaner than the DR-40X. You can hear it for yourself in the test below. I took the best sounding recordings from both units and put them together:

To my ears, the Zoom H4n Pro is the winner, without a doubt. If you don’t mind dealing with that pesky 3.5mm mono adapter, it does a good job with a single microphone. I used the Rode NTG-2 in the tests I shared with you, but I also did these tests with an Audio-Technica 4053B hypercardiod condenser mic (a great mic for recording people speaking indoors, you can see it in the featured image at the top of this post) and an Audix OM-2 dynamic microphone. The Zoom H4n Pro sounded better than the DR-40X with all of the different mics.

Thanks for checking this out! If it was helpful, you can easily help me at no cost to you. Just click on these links before you buy something at Amazon, eBay, or B&H Photo. I get a tiny commission when you do, even if you’re just buying a pair of bunny rabbit headphones.

Credits: I’d like to thank Marcin Krzanicki for bringing this topic to my attention with his comment on my Zoom H4n vs. DR-40X post. See how great comments can be? If you have something to say, I always want to hear it. Also, thanks to a YouTuber named Laclan, who wasn’t directly involved, but I happened to stumble upon his H4n Pro noise issue video a couple days later and it made me think, hey, that’s the thing Marcin commented about! Small , eh?

The post How to use one microphone with the Zoom H4n Pro and Tascam DR-40X first appeared on Sam Mallery.

The post How to use one microphone with the Zoom H4n Pro and Tascam DR-40X appeared first on Sam Mallery.