build-in Stereo-Microphone for Epic/Scarlet

[Thomas Pohl]

Probably this request does not sound too cool for the "professional red world", but would be very practical for serveral reasons:

- no additional cables and external equipment needed when you just want to record some soundatmospheres for stills e.g.
- easily recording your own voice for comments
- back up audio track if the sound-engineer felt asleep
- easy audio-synchronisation in post if we record with an external device

Greetings from Frankfurt

Thomas.

[Tom Visser]

some people might make the same argument for on-board lights or special effects. there's nothing wrong nor really that difficult doing it the existing professional way. the whole RED concept is based upon modularity so I wouldn't expect them the eschew this core fundamental concept to place built in mics (and why stereo? most sound should be captured in mono, especially in visual productions, as you don't want room sounds, phase or balance problems that are typically issues with most stereo microphones).

[Thomas Pohl]

Stereo mics could be easily switched via a menue function to mono. I would prefer stereo for field-recordings (nature, city, passing car,...)
I see mono-recordings more for external mics.

[Tom Visser]

An on board LED light can be switched off too, but I don't think you'll find too many people here who would be a proponent of such a built in feature, why?.... well obviously because lights are really important and it would be simply impossible for an on-board LED to be flexible enough or of high enough quality to be useful in day to day professional use. Would it be useful for shooting frat parties as you go from room to room illuminating chicks? Of course, but this is simply not THAT camera. Sound too requires specific mics for specific instances, even if that instance happens to be trash mics that are $10 an really just used for sync purposes. Stereo mics, do you want M-S (highly recommended for good on-axis response and friendly broadcast mono fold-down), X-Y, AB, ORTF? Lock the camera into 1 type of stereo and you'll make a third of the people happy but the other 2/3 unhappy. So why would RED do that and not just keep the beauty of modularity at the forefront?

An aside, all of these video mics you see that are stereo, most are X-Y pattern. That means that it is really two mics built into one body. Each of those mics is a cardioid pattern (heart shape lobe with strongest pickup from the "front" of the mic). Each of the mics is pointed at a 45 degree angle off to the left and right sides. The camera is pointed usually at the subject you are shooting, which means the mics are always pointed away from the subject you are shooting. For exteriors, you'll get a whole lot of background noise and the speaker's voice level will be attenuated. For interiors, in addition to background noise, you'll mostly be picking up room reverberations and first reflections, rather than direct sound from the subject. IF RED, against my own and I hope others' wishes, decided to utilize and on board mic, I would highly recommend that it is a front facing cardioid mic and side firing figure 8 in traditional M-S configuration.

[Joseph S.]

- easy audio-synchronisation in post if we record with an external device

Maybe Element Technica can make a snap-in device like the "Video Break Out Box" that
snaps into the mic inputs for picking up room or ambient sounds for those types of needs.

[Steven Caesare]

For at least some of the Scarlet mockups, it appears there IS an onboard stereo mic.

Check out the area on either side of the RED logo on the front of the brain:


http://www.derylgroup.com/downloads/REDONE/REDUSER09/RED_Scarlet_Fixed_02.jpg

http://www.derylgroup.com/downloads/REDONE/REDUSER09/RED_Scarlet_Fixed_09.jpg


I also seem to recall seeing a shot where there was a small space dividing the left and right side "mesh" hole patterns on one mockup, implying two mics in a stereo configuration, but I can't find it at the moment.

-Steve

[Tom Visser]

interesting theory, but I think a lot of us thought that it was for ventilation. modern in-body mics would probably need only 3 holes or so, maybe a little more, to work properly, not a whole large surface area like that. as crazy as it seems, I'm sure there are some people who are going to go handheld, and might be grabbing the camera down there occasionally (probably the same people who will be using the internal mics).

[Steven Caesare]

Hmm, perhaps you are right.

Jim did say this "as found with a Google search of this site, as the local search seems to be a no-starter since the forum stroke):



Originally Posted by Jannard http://www.reduser.net/forum/images/blood/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?p=383862#post383862)
You are reading it wrong. The Fixed has audio. The others have audio. (You were only talking about the fixed in your post). Advanced audio in the modules. Hope that makes it more clear.

Jim


In aonther post, Jarred refers to at least having 3.5mm plugs... so now I dunno.

The Fixed Scarlet is supposed to be ready to shoot "out of the box", so I wonder if that means an external mic to use, or internal mics built in?

-Steve