Documentary Audio Gear

[@marklholloway]

Nice gear rundown ❤ I started with a DPA 2017 shotgun mic, then expanded my setup with DPA 6060 lav mics which I love using. I’ve been using Rode Wireless Pro which has worked really well, better than I expected for 2.4Ghz. I recently added a Sound Devices 833 to my setup and moving to the A20 TX/RX system. Not cheap 😅 but I love the versatility and reliability for larger jobs.

[@austinno.1]

This is not a video for me and I realized that pretty quickly. But it is good to know what the industry standards are and what to expect with more growth and success. Cheers!

[@scotey]

This is the best KZbin video on audio gear, bar none. I particularly appreciate that you talked about your preferred pro-caliber gear and didn't focus on all the affordable options (which are well covered elsewhere on KZbin). If I can't afford pro gear, that's OK. But I always want to know what a successful working filmmaker uses. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Matt. It's a generous contribution to up-and-coming filmmakers.

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you so much! I think it’s important to hear what gear professionals use, from the cheapest to the most expensive, so you can make up your own mind about what works for you. I hope you continue to follow my other videos as well!

[@scotey]

@@matt-porwollOh, I'm watching them all, one after another! I found you through @LucForsyth and am so psyched to find another working documentarian sharing their insights. There aren't many folks like you on KZbin. I hope you'll keep making more content. Would love to hear you talk more about single-camera coverage, which is the heart and soul of a good doc film.

[@matt-porwoll]

@straymatterfilms awesome!! I will absolutely be doing a video on shooting coverage, so stay tuned!

[@manusevillaphoto9349]

Bank breaker for the average KZbin one man band “filmmaker”, awesome for the dedicated audio masters.

[@matt-porwoll]

Audio gear certainly adds up. These are the items I use for the work I do, but they may not be right for everyone. My goal is to show the options to let people make up their own minds as to what they might need. And remember, you don’t need it all at once! I took many years building up the gear I use.

[@danielmueller5284]

Awesome Video! Loved the format of it. Telling you the price of the gear on screen and being straight forward with what you use and then what you think is the best out there! Supper helpful. Thank you

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you! I’ve got nothing to hide on the pricing, and think it’s important to know what it all amounts to when deciding how you want to build out your kit. You can certainly get sticker-shock on certain items, but when you need the products to deliver in important situations, you most often get what you pay for!

[@ClarkeLSmith]

This is definitely the best sound equipment tutorial for the type of work that Matt does and pretty much most one man band ENG situations. It should be a required viewing in film school. It’s not all about the gear, but how Matt shows very clearly why and how the choices he makes (made) will save his audio on a multitude of situations! Awesome video Matt! Thanks so much.

[@IdeaStudioBKK]

amazing breakdown of great info! thank you for putting this out here.

[@matt-porwoll]

You’re welcome!

[@DaveKnowlesFilmmaker]

Great video and great information. Please keep the videos coming as they are very helpful to us documentary programme makers to see what others are using. I have watched many documentary filmmakers channels on KZbin and I really think if you continue making informative programmes like this your channel will be the one people will go to for professional advice.

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you so much! I have plenty more videos on the way, but I’m also open to suggestions of topics people feel are lacking elsewhere on KZbin. Feel free to share any thoughts!

[@DaveKnowlesFilmmaker]

​@@matt-porwoll Hi Matt I would love to see your camera equipment you take on a documentary shoot and would love an in depth of shooting including things such as how you deal with exposer, ND’s, white balancing in a fast changing situation such as there seemed to be often in “Cartel Land”. So really an in depth look at documentary filming. The reason I say this is I make documentaries and find it very hard to remember things such as white balancing in changing light as my thoughts tend to be much more on the story and how things that are happening around me will fit in. When this happens the technical side can at times get overlooked.

[@nicolasfieldsoundservices]

Nice overview. I would encourage folks to check out the Sanken CS-M1 for on camera mic -nice wide pickup pattern, (relatively) inexpensive and small form factor!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@itamareyal9356]

I would love to see how you pack the audio gear so it's compact and functional as a cinematographer. I upgraded my kit now and its no longer as compact and I wonder what to do.

[@J_HNP]

Great advice for someone looking to take audio serious. I too love my COS 11D, but actually find that my MKE-2 gold pairs better with my MKH-50. All the tools you’ve listed will assist your audience with capturing great audio.

[@matt-porwoll]

Love it! It’s nice when you find the sweet spot for the gear that you use :)

[@UrDomb]

I would recommend the Sanken CS-M1 as another excellent on-camera mic option. It is tiny and very light. I use it on all my gimbal builds now.

[@matt-porwoll]

Awesome, thanks for the comment!

[@itbeard]

Realy nice, thx!

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad you like it!

[@timdanyo898]

Very useful pro advice. Thank you!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you! And you’re welcome!

[@aram.v]

Matt, your video was fantastic! After acquiring the Sennheiser MKH 50, I've been absolutely enamored with its performance. From conducting sit-down interviews indoors to braving the elements outdoors (equipped with a reliable windshield), its versatility has truly impressed me. I've been contemplating the Sennheiser 8060, which I've heard boasts a similar stellar sound quality. However, I'm curious about your thoughts on whether it might be prudent to explore using the MKH 50 as a camera microphone option as well. Your insights would be greatly appreciated!

[@matt-porwoll]

Both mics are very good. For my needs, the 8060 is what I went with, but the 50 is also a good choice! All comes down to what you need out of the mic.

[@jimhestermanphotography]

Great info! Very thorough! Loving the content. Thank you!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you!

[@jesustrias8437]

the sound of your recording is excellent, knowing what a professional recording is very helpful, but I am very interested to know how you equalize, how you use your compressor and what effects you use in your voice to give it presence and character. thank you!. 👋🍷

[@MarkHughes_SpellboundPictures]

Thanks for the breakdown Matt, very insightful and professional! Quick question - what do you use to attach your MKH8060 to the C500? I can't seem to find a good option.

[@matt-porwoll]

In my current setup, I use the mic holder that comes with the camera and just screw it into the 1/4-20 thread on the side of my Wooden Camera top plate. But I've also used the Wooden Camera Offset Bracket to get a better placement if needed.

[@Maros_Mari]

Great stuff as always Matt. Thanks for sharing the gear you use. There is new Rode wireless Pro system from rode just released with internal 32 float recording and timecode options, sounds like a good option for small budget - one man crew setup..

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks for watching! I saw they released that as well. I haven’t had any experience with the Rode wireless packs before, so with anything, give it a test and see if it works for your setup!

[@kikevigp]

Thank you very much for this video, it helps a lot ❤ I'd like to know if you have an opinion about the tentacle track-e recorder. Is it the same as the tascam dr10?

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you! Since I was doing a video on the gear I personally own and generally don’t like to mention items I haven’t used, the Tentacle e-recorder didn’t come to mind. But-I have no reason to think it wouldn’t be an amazing choice. And it has TC! I don’t know how controllable the headphone output is if you want to loop through to a wireless transmitter. That would be the main thing I’d test before committing, but otherwise I bet it’s a solid choice!

[@kikevigp]

@@matt-porwoll thank you for the answer Matt, and again thank you for this great video and the knowledge you are sharing in your channel 👏👏👏

[@gb4639]

Very informative, thank you Matt.

[@matt-porwoll]

My pleasure!

[@akcine]

Thank you for the great content !

[@phillipbootsma]

With your G2 receiver functioning as comtek/IFB does it work simply by plugging in headphones into the output jack? Or do you usually have to route it through something like a recorder or mixer first? Thanks for all the great content by the way!

[@matt-porwoll]

You just plug the headphones into the output. You can adjust the output volume from the up and down buttons on the front. Super easy! But this will only give you the feed from the one Tx on the same frequency. If you want a full mix, then you’d have to either route through a mixer or send out from the camera’s headphone jack.

[@Badersaaj]

Great ❤

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks!

[@rdstudios-production]

For your Tascam 10L what are you using to transmit back to camera? 13:30

[@matt-porwoll]

The Tascam doesn’t transmit, only records. My work-around is sending the Tascam output through a Sennheiser G3/4 transmitter/receiver to camera. It works, but is a little bulky…

[@rdstudios-production]

@@matt-porwoll yes I’ve got the same set up for the 10 L and I knew there was a mini plug out. I just didn’t didn’t know if it was enough to push out a signal to something like a G3. I thought maybe you’re using something smaller like a Rode wireless go to transmit

[@V1ZNS.]

so helpful, another banger, thank you

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks!

[@rdstudios-production]

11:37 so you can use another/spare Senn G3 as an additional RX like a comtek by just dialing in the matching frequency? never thought of this.

[@matt-porwoll]

Yup! Its pretty useful in these kind of setups for sure

[@billem16]

when you mention the zoom h6, is there a way to send the audio from your wireless mic packs into the H6 AND the camera, like with some kind of splitter cable? or does it have to be one or the other?

[@matt-porwoll]

You can always send a wireless feed to two places (H6 & camera) by having two receivers on the same frequency as the transmitter. Maybe to set a safety level on one? Otherwise, you could also send the headphone output of the Zoom H6 into a wireless transmitter and send the mix to camera. This could be a good way of monitoring & syncing the Zoom record onto the camera with an available input.

[@marioaarredondo4624]

This is amazing. Thank you

[@matt-porwoll]

You're very welcome!

[@GurmeetSingh-fr8uo]

Do you recommend sound devices mixpre 6 ii ?

[@matt-porwoll]

I haven’t worked with it, but on paper it looks pretty great! Personally, I don’t need anything that big, but I certainly like it’s features!

[@scotey]

Matt, can the 8060 double capably as an overhead boom mic for interviews?

[@matt-porwoll]

Absolutely! Whenever I’m shooting an interview, I just take it off the camera and stick it on the boom pole. Perfect for both applications. There are a few other options, like the Sanken CS-M1 or Sennheiser MKH-8050 that would have a rounder sound for interviews, but not direct enough for what I need on the camera. All depends on the situations you find yourself in most often to determine the right fit. Always a good idea to rent the options and take ‘em for a spin before committing to a purchase!

[@scotey]

@@matt-porwoll Thanks, Matt. I have a MKH-50 that I use for interior interviews and have wanted to find a great all-around mic for on-camera, outdoors, and general run and gun. Looking hard at the 8060 now. Thanks again!

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

The scheops cmc1 with mk41 capsule puts the Mkh50 to bed . 😂😢

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

@@matt-porwollmkh8050 is more for interiors right ? It’s a solid mic indeed

[@scotey]

@@creativegreatsvisuals How would you describe the difference between the two?

[@lukasjuhitzer1550]

Why no use of 32 Bit Float Audio? Seems perfect for me for documentary work, especially if you are doing all by yourself.

[@matt-porwoll]

32 bit float is great and a solid consideration for this work. But the trade-off is you can't record it to camera. This means you can't monitor your audio while shooting, thus making it impossible to follow the story. I have certainly toyed with the idea of getting a Sound Devices Mix Pre 3ii or 6ii, but having a larger recorder to record all tracks means my kit gets a lot bigger. These are the trade-offs and decisions you have to make as you do it all yourself. This will make me sound old and stuck in my ways, but I've been doing it this way for a long time with great success - so for me, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[@scotey]

@@matt-porwollHave you evaluated the Tentacle Track E? Monitoring is a challenge, but it's 32-bit, incredibly svelte, and can be controlled easily with the Tentacle iPhone app.

[@lukasjuhitzer1550]

I can understand that fully, maybe in the near future there are some solutions coming your way in regard of 32 Bit Float. I personally love it and it gives me a peace of mind not being possible to clip anything during an interview. But as you said, everybody has his way :)@@matt-porwoll

[@matt-porwoll]

@lukasjuhitzer1550 I will say Sennheiser’s announcement of their XLR transmitter with 32 bit float on-board recording could be the start of something great. If that comes into the “G5’s” for lavs we could be close. Record 32 bit on the transmitter and record 24 to camera for “reference”. Still doesn’t solve the TC issue, but could be really great in non-controlled situations.

[@matt-porwoll]

And there’s the Zaxcom option that will do all of this, but not worth the price for daily use.

[@mtmccornack]

One of these days, I'd like to have a pro photographer show me their junk drawer with all the little nato rails, ring adapters for lenses we don't own, and the like.... in my studio, I call it my "Lego box!" I figure everyone has one... I just never see it. What's up with that?

[@matt-porwoll]

Ha! Yeah, I definitely have a “Lego Box” :)

[@mtmccornack]

@@matt-porwoll "video, or it didn't happen!" 😆!

[@DANAMIONLINE]

What's your case for all this gear?

[@matt-porwoll]

I don’t normally run a sound-specific case, but rather pack things away as needed. Cam mic and lav in the camera bag, boom pole with the tripod, etc. I’m not taking everything out at once, but rather just what’s needed. I’m such a fan of minimal cases that basically nothing has its own case :)

[@DANAMIONLINE]

@@matt-porwoll Gotcha.

[@charliehinde3653]

Why am I not surprised that on a Cinematography YT Channel the thumbnail shows the Mic facing the wrong way on the pistol grip xD

[@matt-porwoll]

You got me! That’s why I say out of the gate to hire a sound recordist whenever possible :)

[@charliehinde3653]

@@matt-porwoll , y'know what mate, to be fair, I gotta hand it to you, this is a very good video regardless. Did you consult with Sound people to come to this kit and knowledge, or is it all self-taught?, because there's some very good stuff here (speaking as a Sound Recordist)

[@matt-porwoll]

@charliehinde3653 🙏 I have been doing verite cinematography for 10 years and assisted for 10 years before that, so I got to learn from the best doc sound recordists in the business, on top of the DPs. So definitely built my knowledge up over many years and a lot of on-the-job experience :)

[@tonytony87]

The AI software you used to clean up your audio sounds awful man, been editing hours of that stuff so now i can instantly pick it up anywhere i hear it ugh -.-

[@anneboyer6359]

Nice channel for those already doing this for many years and making a living doing this already. Not so much for someone starting out, where even a camera isn't something they can easily throw $1500 into and often have to start with a used one.

[@silasgotsch4458]

Take what camera you have, get a cheap mic (like the Rode Videomicro for around 50.-) and get a Lavalier you can use with a Smartphone (Rode Smartlav+ for around 80.-). Your sound won't be the best, but good enough to start. You'll have to find some workarounds for a few scenarios, but that's what we all do.

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks for checking out my channel! My main goal with it is to give people the necessary skills to be a successful documentary cinematographer, regardless of gear. The audio gear video might be too much for what you need, but check out my other videos where I focus on the non-technical skills as well. Start with what you can and build from there!

[@scotey]

There are already a raft of KZbin channels that focus on cheaper gear and beginning skills. I'm grateful Matt is focused on filmmakers who are focused on refining or extending their existing skills. If you want content curated for early-stage filmmaking, I'd recommend someone like Sam Holland.