The best consumer video production products of 2005, selected by the editors of Videomaker. The Year of HD and Tapeless Workflow Few could argue that this was in fact the year of HD, with new developments from all of the big players in both the camera and the editing world. We would also contend th

Mix It Around, It’s All Good! Alesis is at it again with a FireWire update to the compact MultiMix 8 audio mixer. The new MultiMix 8 FireWire retains features from the USB model, and ups the ante by allowing users to mix simultaneous tracks at 24-bit quality. The USB model only allows for 16-b

You know that it takes busloads of people to get a Hollywood film production into the can. But what if you don’t have access to busloads of people? John Lennon and Yoko Ono photographed themselves nude for the cover of their first album, the lamentably awful Two Virgins, because they were too

In the broadcast world, they call it "dead air" — that awkward silence between content where you wonder if the engineer took an extended coffee break or the station went off the air. In video production, we use bumper music, segues and other audio trickery to eliminate that uncomfor

While there are a wide range of companies that have built solid reputations making quality audio mixers, for the past decade or so few have had a better reputation for both value and dependable quality than the Mackie brand. Much of the reason for Mackie’s success has been its reputation for b

Interesting sounds are all around us. From the clatter of a train crossing to the clamor of an auction, mountains of unique sounds await a featured spot in your next video. Of course, if you didn't mean to record it, the sound is just noise. Sorting the desirable audio from the unwanted is a b

Microphone Review Testing…1… 2…3 The VideoMic from Rode is a unique solution for intermediate and advanced shooters looking to add more audio control and power over their existing on-camera mic. It’s surprising that there aren’t more mics like this one, offering an all

There are many techniques to creating proper surround sound projects, but you don't have to invest your mortgage on a full-blown sound system to achieve them. As home theater equipment gets better and cheaper, more and more viewers expect their video soundtracks to jump from multiple speakers.

Last month, we made the pitch for upgrading to surround sound. This month, we'll take raw materials and craft them into a complete DVD sound environment. 5.1-channel sound is a brave audio new world for the video producer, but the results can take your projects to a whole new level. Gear Up! S

Perhaps one of the most important accessories a professional videographer can buy is a good wireless microphone system, the kind that will deliver clean, true sound with no interference or dropouts in a wide variety of environments. For mission-critical applications that will not allow for long micr

The black clad ninja sneaks into the compound unseen and is about to rescue the emperor’s daughter when a band of thugs appears in his path. One by one, he handily defeats each with a variety of weapons and even his bare hands. He completes his mission and slips mysteriously into the night. It

$895 body pack $950 plug-on Audio-Technica U.S., Inc. 1221 Commerce Dr. Stow, OH 44224 (330) 686-2600 www.audiotechnica.com Perhaps one of the most important accessories a professional videographer can buy is a good wireless microphone system, the kind that will deliver clean, true sound with no i

$499 Smart Sound Software Inc. 8550 Balboa Blvd, Ste. 180 Northridge, CA 91325 (800) 454-1900 www.smartsound.com Finding quality music for professional and broadcast productions can be a challenge. If you don’t have the talent to create your own from scratch, the time to build songs in a loop

With Stephen Muratore, Jennifer O’Rourke and Charles Fulton 2004 was a year of exciting innovations and improvements in consumer video technology. This is great news for videographers, of course, but a difficult proposition for the editors of Videomaker, now that it’s time to hand out a

So, you’re ready to buy a new audio mixer. Good for you! An audio mixer is a powerful tool in the video producer’s bag of tricks. Not only will it allow you to combine multiple audio sources, depending on the model, you can also adjust tone, volume and interface between a wide variety of

My first experience in video involved producing audio for a one-hour, live, multi-camera television program. Many times, there were dozens of microphones, both wired and wireless. And don’t forget audio playback, from both cassette tape and reel-to-reel. Don’t laugh; it was a really lon

Raise your right hand and repeat after me: "I promise to always keep headphones in my camera bag and to use them on every shoot." You’d think everyone would know this by now, but there are diehards and new shooters who simply haven’t learned this lesson yet. Here’s the s

Azden, a long-recognized name in the low-budget wireless microphone market, offers the 100LT UHF Wireless Lapel Microphone System, a basic kit that includes a lapel microphone, a transmitter and a very small receiver. Aimed at videographers who want to incorporate wireless microphones in their produ

Recording a good voice over is one of the most basic skills in the world of video. We’re talking about the ability to make good, clean recordings of the spoken word. You may have some of the best camera work, special effects, titles and graphics in your videos, but if your viewers can’t

Remember records? Maybe I’m giving away my age, but I spent countless hours as a teenager dropping a tiny diamond stylus into those marvelous vinyl grooves to hear my favorite artists and songs again and again. As much as I enjoyed the sound, half of the fun was reading the backs of the album