http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/426138-REG/Tapco_By_Mackie_MIX220FX_MIX220_FX_8_Channel_Audio.html

And would the audio run through it then into the camera? I have a Canon A1. Would I get good sound that way if the mics are good?

Hi Nathan,

What do you expect to get out of a mixer?

What is your budget?

Does it matter to you if the mixer is battery powered?


- Guy

I`m not sure what to expect to be honest? I`m not well versed in audio, but I`m doing about everything to get this film ready. I figured having a mixer was better than running mics directly into the camera. I was thinking to use lav mics for conversation, then boom later for ambient room tone. It will all be outdoors. There are only 2 jacks on the camera so I figured its one or the other. Battery powered versus?

Battery powered versus?

The mixer you posted the link for needs to be plugged into a 110/220 volt AC socket to run. So unless you plan on bringing a generator along for your outdoor shoots, you won't have any power to run it.

Most ENG/EFP mixers are quite small, quite expensive ( compared to an AC powered equivalent mixer ), and normally run on batteries.

What sort of budget do you have to spend on a mixer?


- Guy

Hi Nathan,

Will you be recording to your camera from the mixer or sending to some other source? What other type of mic's and how many will you be using? Which camera(s) are you using.

Using the Canon A1. 2 Lavs and a boom mic. Pretty cimple dialogue scenes but I don`t want to sacrifice the audio just because. I`ve put alot of time and effort into this and want the best I can get. I have I`d say...$1,200 for all the audio stuff...thats a months pay so thats as much as I can sacrifice. I guess battery powered would have been better since we won`t have a generator. If all else fails I could scrap the mixer, and hope who ever I find for sound knows what they are doing.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/426138-REG/Tapco_By_Mackie_MIX220FX_MIX220_FX_8_Channel_Audio.html

And would the audio run through it then into the camera? I have a Canon A1. Would I get good sound that way if the mics are good?

TAPCO is Mackie's budget line and should be decent enough as far as overall sound quality goes, maybe not fully professional grade but acceptable. As previously mentioned, this mixer does require AC mains power so it's not going to very practical in the field. Likewise, it's a bit large to be considered portable. You'll notice it has a FX processor on-board which is going to be totally useless for film/video work so that part of it is a waste of your money. Recording the original is NOT the place to add in reverbs etc. Equalization, etc, perhaps, but FX should be left for post if they're going to be used at all. The original should be recorded dry.

If you need a portable mixer I suggest you look at these:

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/302master.htm
http://www.sounddevices.com/products/mx2master.htm

The smaller MixPre only has two input channels, but it costs less than 700 bucks. The 3-channel 302 is around 1300 bucks.

Sound devices are the eng mixers of choice these days, they offer better quality than SQN and are more cost effective.

Nathan,

There are quite a range of ENG/EFP mixers available, and like anything you buy, get what you pay for. The Sound Devices mixers are considered to be the standard for anyone working professionally.

LOW END ENG/EFP MIXERS

- Noisier pre-amps
- More fragile
- Less features

PSC DV PROMIX 3 : 3 channel mixer
Rolls MX422 mixer : 4 channel mixer
Sign Video ENG-44 mixer : 4 channel mixer


MID RANGE ENG/EFP MIXERS

- Quietier pre-amps
- Robust construction
- More features

Sound Devices Mixpre : 2 channel mixer
Sound Devices 302 : 3 channel mixer
PSC DV PROMIX 6 : 6 channel mixer
Wendt X3 : 3 channel mixer


HIGH END ENG/EFP MIXERS

- Ultra quiet pre-amps
- Built for abuse
- Tons of features

Cooper Sound Systems CS 104 : 4 channel mixer
Sound Devices 442 : 4 channel mixer
Wendt X5 : 5 channel mixer


...If you can, try to rent a good mixer before you spend your hard earned cash on one. The experience will give you much better insight into what works best for your shoots.

( Oh, and ask for opinions here before you buy <g> )


- Guy

Of course having the mixer is one thing, understanding its various features and knowing how to use it on a shoot is another thing entirely.

You might be better off consulting some information on film/video sound mixing (http://www.filmsound.org/) and thinking carefully about what you want to accomplish.

Nathan ...

If you want a battery powered mike mixer that won't break the bank try this one -

http://www.behringer.com/UBB1002/index.cfm?lang=eng

Not sure if they are available in the States but they sell for the equivalent of about $180 in the UK. If you want to know how good it is I'll be able to tell you in a couple of days - I've just ordered one to record a play in the courtyard of a Medieval Castle next week. I'll be using 4 or 5 mikes to cover the performance area & I don't want to run long power cables just to power a mixer.

Tony

If you want a battery powered mike mixer that won't break the bank try this one

B&H in NY sells this unit for just $99 US

Behringer UBB1002 Eurorack
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/414501-REG/Behringer_EURORACK_UBB1002_UBB1002_Eurorack_Battery_Powered.html

hmm i like not breaking the bank, but what would be better? A $100 mixer? Or running the mics straight into the camera?

You could look at the Beachtek line - sort of more of a mic adapter than a real serious mixer, but might be a step up from just running the mics into the camera. Some models have a "VU" meter (LED's). Not very big as VU meters go, but probably better than nothing.

If you have mains power, another way to go might be something like a Mackie 400F firewire unit into a notebook PC. Probably transportable vs truly portable, but not terribly expensive and can handle quite a number of inputs.

hmm i like not breaking the bank, but what would be better? A $100 mixer? Or running the mics straight into the camera?

Nathan,

I think you might want to do some research before buying any new gear. Take a look at Jay Rose's excellent book:

Producing Great Sound for Digital Video
http://www.dplay.com/book/pgs2e/index.html


- Guy

hmm i like not breaking the bank, but what would be better? A $100 mixer? Or running the mics straight into the camera?

Hello Nathan,

Can you afford to buy cheap? Most people can't if their work is important.

I do not reccommend the mixers mentioned here. The cheapest one (for students) that I suggest is the ENG-44 from SignVideo.

It is not anywhere as good as my Sound Devices 442, but I have used it to get good results. Good audio is NOT trivial.

If you plan to be doing video for a while, plan on investing on good tools. Buying right once is much better than buying wrong and then having to buy again; not to mention that the audio you record with the nastier/cheaper pieces of gear will be your legacy.

Regards,

Ty Ford

I'd also say better rent something professional before you buy a cheap mixer. Renting a Sound Devices for a day or two will probably be less expensive than the 180$ you want to spend for a cheap mixer (that won't be very practical in the field...)

http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHUBB1002 is probably better than nothing for short-term, but the rigors of the road will show how B*hringer product is generally considered disposable, and you're lucky to get a year out of it.

Hey, can anyone tell me what in the world ever happened to the Shure FP field mixers? They used to be the right item.

They were replaced by Sound Devices, who now make one of thier mixers for Shure.

Regards,

Ty Ford