Modded iRig Pre + RØDE NTG1 vs Takstar SGC-598

Today I received and modified iRig Pre ($28) and decided to test it together with RØDE NTG1 ($200) against Takstar SGC-598 ($30).  Now, this is not entirely fair comparison if only because the latter should be always camera-mounted while the former can be mounted on a boom.

Nevertheless, give it a listen...

Both mics were sitting about 2 feet from my mouth.  Recording was done into Panasonic Lumix G7 with audio sensitivity at its lowest: -12dB.  In post I normalized audio and reduced audio channel level by 6dB.  No compression or equalization was added.  During normalization a gain of 9.2dB was applied to a clip with iRig Pre and a gain of 11.8dB was applied to a clip with Takstar.  But the result is a wash in my opinion.  Charming!  And yes, this is not a fair comparison.  But still....

ACM event at eBay

It all went smoothly.  I used G3 lav for speaker audio and Sony PCM-M10 to record ambient sound and questions.  HF G20 used to shoot slides, G7 with 12-35 f2.8 lens to film audience, GH4 with 35-100 f2.8 lens to film the speaker.
Here is my post workflow:

• Copy all the footage into editing workstation.
• Import the footage into Sony Vegas Pro.  Work around Sony bug of importing Panasonic footage.
• Sync all the tracks.  I do it by waveform.  HF G20 requires adding extra frame of silence between MTS files.  Sony PCM M10 is typically skewed tward faster clock so requries added silence (fraction of a sec) as well.
• Do multi-track editing.
• For all video tracks: add these filters: white balance, brightness and contrast, levels.  Set those using reference card footage I captured during production and color correction GUI.  Sometimes this does not work - e.g. G20 footage can look so different I use color match filter instead for just G20 track.
• For all audio tracks: add compression.
• Add credits, lower thirds, etc
• Render for YouTube

Now the footage is ready to be passed to customer!

Theater Production of Чиполлино

This was my first time work with this theater studio.  And the first time at this venue - Mountain View Center for The Performing Arts.  Both are fantastic!  Loved, loved, loved stage in the middle and the way lights are set up - no problems with shadows under the eyes.
I was shooting with 4 cameras.  I was positioned in the middle of the top row with G7 shooting wide (12-35 f2.8 lens used at f4.5, iso400) and GH4 shooting tele (35-100 f2.8 lens used at f2.8, iso400).  On the left I had G20 for a wide side view.  For the first time I use GoPro Hero trained at the band - piano payer to be exact.  Audio was recorded on a Sony PCM-M10 recorder suspended about 10ft above the stage.

ACM SFBAY Event at HP

I still can't avoid surprises! This time it was audio.  I use the same brand/model as the venue's PA system, so I did not need to provide my lav.  My receiver was "automagically" getting the signal.  Only in post I realized the quality was sub-par.  See, the venue provided two hand-helds and two lavs and all of them were on.  The good thing is you can easily hear the audience.  The bad thing is - you can easily hear the audience.  

Theater You Production of Две Дамочки

I am pleased to have an opportunity to work on another production of this theater.  Taking notes during the previous shoots paid off - I was totally ready and as a result color matching between GH4 and G7 is satisfactory.  Canon G20 camcorder looked way too different for its footage to be incorporated though.
This time the least polished is audio - unfortunately I am not in control of AC which is noticeable during the entire performance.  I should dig deeper to find a way to diminish the impact in post.  Simple high pass filter does not help - that I did try.

Wired vs Wireless Lav. Which Gives the Best Sound Quality and is Least Likely to Fail?

Client just asked this question.  And now I am thinking.  Where do I even begin...

I will start with a wired option.  No doubt it will give you the best bang for your budget buck.  I have and highly recommend Sony PCM-M10 recorder and use it with JK® MIC-J 044 lavalier.  For under $250 you can have an audio recording which may pass for a professional.

Pros:

• Budget friendly: Relatively affordable, much cheaper than wireless solution.
• Simplicity: you need to set one recording level and press one record button.  That's it!
• Ease of maintenance: ensure that just one set of batteries is fully charged.  Sony recorder is using 2xAA batteries and have a terrific running time.  I stick with Eneloop rechargeables since my photography days.  I have so many spares with me at all times I can switch those in under 10sec.  Practice makes perfect.

Cons:

• No realtime feedback.  Is that recording still on?  Is level ok?  You have no idea what's going on until too late.
• Usability: The recorders are not designed to be used while being carried in a pocket.  User can accidentally shift the recording level or even stop the recording completely.  And you will never know until too late.  To somewhat mitigate this, I used cell phone pouch/belt clip.
• Need to synchronize audio. Not a big deal in my opinion.  I learned to do it manually by just looking at waveform.  Also I hear Pluraleyes is really good.  Many NLEs have this capability built-in.  Not Sony Vegas though.

For wireless lavalier setup I use Sennheiser G3.  Check out this Wireless Mic Shootout and this Teardown.  That sealed it for me.

Pros:

• Built like a tank.  Works always.  
• No interference with RF/cellular.  Outstanding range.
• Good quality audio

Cons:

• Professional equipment comes with a high price tag.  
• Usability: You need to set the level of amplification in transceiver, then receiver, then recording equipment.  Workaround: do it once, do not change the components, retain settings.
• Usability: switching a channel is not intuitive.
• Usability: You need to keep an eye on two sets of 2xAA batteries.

Summary: Lack of the real time status for wired into the recorder solution kills it for me.  When on a budget it might be ok.  For payed jobs though a radio lav is a must-have.  It is expensive though.  Plus you need to know your equipment and its settings. And be able to change those if need be.

TheaterYou production of «Трудные Люди»

Happy to work on another production of this wonderful theater.

This is an intimate hall with spectators sitting on the bleachers very close to the stage. The last row of bleachers is only 19 feet away from the stage.   The bleachers are a bit shaky though and I decided to not attach camera to those.

I used three cameras.

On-camera Shotgun Mics - AudioTechnica AT8024 vs Takstar SGC-598

What's in My Video Event Bag

Here is an abbreviated summary of my video bag contents:

• I carry my cameras in Pro Photo Studio Padded Bag.  I spray painted over the labels - like to keep it low key. 
  External dimensions: 30" x 10" x 13" (76cm long x 26cm wide  32cm deep).
  Internal dimensions: 70cm long x 23cm wide x 29cm deep.
• Takstar SGC 598 is very much adequate.  Do not expect high quality audio because of the poor (on-camera) microphone placement.
• Sennheiser G3 lavalier microphone.  Expensive but must have!
• Sennheiser HD 280 PRO Headphones.  Very nice!
• Audio-Technica ATR-3350.  Cheap adequate wired lavalier mics
• JK® MIC-J 044.  Marginally better wired lavalier mic.
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH4KBODY. Love it!
• Fhugen Honu GH4 Cage. Love it!
• Fotasy FF4B Pro Follow Focus V4.  It works and is priced moderately.
• Panasonic DMC-G7KK.  Color profile compatible with GH4!  But lacks weatherproofing, recording duration limited to 30min.
• PhotoVision 14 Inch Pocket One Shot Digital Calibration Target. Must have!
• X-Rite MSCCPP ColorChecker Passport
• Sony PCM-M10 Recorder. Love it! 
• Tiffen 58mm Variable ND Filter
• Canon Mini Hot to Universal Shoe Adapter
• Case for Small Accessories
• Memory Card Case

Panasonic GH4 and G7 Video Settings

Here are newly-found must-reads for any GH4 shooter:

The three most misunderstood GH4 settings – PART 1: Luminance Levels
The three most misunderstood GH4 settings – PART 2: Master Pedestal
The three most misunderstood GH4 settings – PART 3: Highlight & Shadow
Why Cine-D Sucks

This, especially master pedestal finding, contradicts Andrew Reid, but it does make sense.  Thus here are my new settings for both GH4 and G7:

Profile: Natural
Contrast: -5
Sharpness: 0
Noise Reduction: -5
Saturation: -5

Shadow: +1
Highlight: -1
Master Pedestal: 0

I like it!

Closing Bescor MP-101 Head

This is a follow up to the post where I opened up the Bescor PT head with intent of modifying it for operation with an external DIY controller.  And here is the development of this effort in pictures!
I used the components:  RJ45 breakout board and double-sided prototype PCB to replace the board electronics.  In short, I just connected PAN and TILT motors (see the referenced post on how to identify those) to RJ45 pins 4/5 and 3/6.  With a little encouragement from Mr.Dremmel the RJ45 connector is now protruding through the faceplate.

GoPro Hero4 Black as an Event Camera

My latest toy tool is GoPro Hero4 Black.  I plan to use it for capturing ambiance and the event audience.  Unfortunately out of the box the camera is not particularly suitable for this task.  Main culprit is a short battery life.  I need at least 2 hours of uninterruptible operation.  I think by now I have a package which should deliver on my requirements:

• Regular battery - no changes.
• Border frame housing.  Better yet the one with a hood!
• Tripod mount.
• Power supply cable.  This pretty much precludes use of waterproof housing.  Even some open frame housings may require modification.  Here is why you would want to pay $20 for this cable instead of using the miniUSB charge cable you already have..... When fully charged the camera will stop drawing power from the power supply.  If an external battery is used (like I do) this will force the external battery to electronically disconnect.  Hence charge cable is not good enough.
• 4x Sanyo 3.7V 2600MAH UR18650ZY 18650 rechargeable batteries.
• 18650 Battery Case with charger circuitry. 
• 64GB Micro SDXC card.  UHS-1.  I will try this one. 

With the above setup I expect to be able to perform 2 hours uninterrupted video recording!
Not to forget!  This gadget proved to be a must-have while troubleshooting the setup. It just shows USB power voltage and current.  And, finally, do not forget to set your camera with a Protune flat color profile. I use it in 4K 24fps mode.

PS: To remove barrel distortion so prominent in 4K I successfully used Sony Vegas deform filter.  Does the job!

Event: Vit Gutkin Concert @Samovar

Let me make sure I get it right.  A fantastic musician who grew up in Moscow, Russia, and now lives in Jerusalem, Israel, signs samba in Portuguese to a mostly Russian audience in the heart of Silicon Valley, California.  God, I love this country!  The developed clips after jump....

Event: Happy Birthday ACM

ACMSFBAY: future of connected car

Panel of experts talking about this fast moving subject!

And here is a published clip:

Opening up Bescor MP-101 Head

MP-101 Pan/Tilt Head patent makes for an interesting read.  Schematics in the patent depicts two H-bridges built from bipolar transistors.  And RF500T motors!  Are these Mabuchi RF-500TB?  Looks about right.  I now seriously think about opening the head and see whether I can discard all the electronics except the motors and have them wired to an existing DIN7 connector.  So that I could drive them both using a single TB6612FNG driver controlled by Arduino.  Hope to get more predictable results - love simplicity.

So, here is a perfectly working MP-101 head which I am about to disembowel...

After removing 6 screws you gain access to the electronics compartment.

The very first thing I noticed are those two ICs which look like LB1930 motor drivers.  This is fantastic because I now know which wires lead to the motors. It appears that yellow/orange wires lead to tilt motor and green/blue to pan motor.  Should I power the head up and see what voltage is used?  Never bothered to do that!

Here is a closer view with motor wires already unsoldered.


Few more screws and the PCB is released. I can see ST LM317T voltage regulator.

And the rest is just discreet elements.  Now, should I do something about those 45°, 90° and 340° end-switches?  Well, I tried.  But failed.

First note that there are no wires leading to +60 and +30 contacts.  Here are my notes on endswitch wire colors (note that in the photo colors are shifted because of the blue microscope light):
+60 - n/a
+90 - bluish-white
+30 - n/a
+0  - yellow
-0  - orange
-30 - green
-60 - brown ?
-90 - red

All these are neatly routed through a white tube:

Not only the +60 and +30 wires are missing, but I failed to discover how endswitches work.  It does look like my Bescor head was tampered - note other contacts missing - there are soldered points with no wires coming.  Despite being frustrated with time lost I do not mind it too much - I have now dirrect access to pan/tilt motors.  And after selling the remote with cable for $20 my cost is just $50 - I do not think I could remotely approach it with a DIY solution.

So my plan of action is to expose motors contacts via an RJ45 jack and to use regular CAT3 cable to connect the head to the controller!  Piece of cake!

Automated Video Slider with Pan/Tilt Head - User Interface Demo

Here is a short demonstration of the user interface. See previous posts for requirements and hardware details.

Automated Video Slider with Pan/Tilt Head - Hardware Design

In my approach to hardware design I will rely on the affordable off-the-shelf components.  Some of those components (slider or head) I already own.
Disclaimer 1: I am neither electrical nor mechanical engineer and I learn as I go.  And I love it!  I make mistakes and some of my statements could be wrong.  Feel free to correct me!
Disclaimer 2: This is a work in progress.  I think it should work.  But it might be proven to be otherwise.

Pan/Tilt Head

Instead of building a pant/tilt head from scratch (which is totally an option, given that I do not need tilt that much! well, maybe later), I will use Bescor MP-101.  It is almost affordable (I've got a used one for $80), adequately silent, and can be controlled externally, using Arduino's PWM outputs.  The head can be powered by 4xAA batteries, but external power connector is also available.  I intend to use the latter.
Parts:

• Connect head to the controller using 7-pin DIN cable.
• Power connector?? 5.5mm x 2.1mm?

Here are few sources related to use of this PT-head as a platform for application development:

• Chocolate Factory Pan Tilt USB Hack
• Bescor MP-101 Hack
• Bescor MP-101 Wireless Bluetooth Controller
• CamRanger PT Hub
• StackShot and CamRanger
• USB Pan Tilt Controller with Sony LANC (S-Link) interface

Slider

I already own a cheapo slider from Craigslist, which looks something like this.  EDIT: Found it!  This is Glide Gear DEV 1000.  For now this should do it.  I intend to motorize it.  I suspect a (cheap) stepper motor will be too jerky and/or loud which is not good for video shooting.  Therefore I decided to go with a DC motor. This also means that the position of the carriage will be unknown and its movement speed will be hard(er) to control.
Parts:

• 12V DC gearmotor 12RPM. Shaft 4mm
• Motor mount - to be designed.
• GT2 timing belt (6mm wide) with pulleys (20-tooth, 5mm bore).
• 15-tooth, 5mm bore pulley for GT2 timing belt
• TB6612FNG motor driver, datasheet, sample.
• 2x Endstop Switch.

Controller With Display and Keyboard

Parts:

• Arduino Mega2560 R3.  I decided to go with Mega as opposed to Uno because price difference is negligible and I do not mind extra size.  Room for growth is always nice!  However if all you want is to control the Bescor head alone, Arduino Uno should suffice.
• Proto Shield.  I plan to use this space for slider motor driver.  Maybe other parts.
• I strongly believe in the need for appliances to have GUI. This seem like a no-brainier:  Keypad LCD 1602 shield.  I wish the keys were arranged better and the reset button was less prominent.  Alternatively maybe 20x4 LCD display paired with Nunchuck with WiiChuck adapter would be a better option?  For now I will stick with the 16x2 LCD/keypad shield and will just rip the reset button and the power LED - it is way too distracting for my comfort.
• Connect to WiFi via ESP8266.  For now let's just leave it at that.

Power

I need 12V to drive slider motor - adjust the voltage to make sure sliding is slow enough.  6V to drive the Bescor PT head - adjust the voltage to make sure the panning is slow enough.  7V to drive Arduino and 3.3V to drive WiFi board.  I think 12V, 5A DC should be more than adequate and 5.5mm x 2.5mm power connector will do the job.  This remains to be proven though.
Parts:

• 12V 5A AC power supply connected to controller via
• 5.5mm X 2.5mm DC power supply socket.
• For powering the PT head or even Arduino I might use this DC-DC step-down module.
• Battery power.  I can go with a cheap 12V battery pack.  Alternatively Sony NP-Fxxx compatible batteries are readily available and, most importantly, I already own a few to power LED lights.  In this case I will also need a plate and DC-DC voltage booster.

That's it folks!

Automated Video Slider with Pan/Tilt Head - Requirements

Being a one-man shop I often wish I had an extra pair of hands to control the second camera.  Usually I set such a camera with a wide-angle lens trained at the event audience.  To add life into the footage some panning and sliding are highly desirable.  I am thinking most of the time this task can be fully automated!
Let's call this automated slider with pan/tilt (possibly zoom) head a camera control system.  Or the system for short.

High Level Requirements

• Once setup, the system should be capable of operating fully autonomously, with no operator involvement for at least 2 hours.
• Operator will be able to program the system. The program/script will reside in a separate file which can loaded/saved or created on the fly.
• The script will contain instructions like these:
• Rest 5 secs
• Pan left 20°
• Rest 15 secs
• Slowly pan left and slide left for 5 secs
• Camera control script requirements will be spelled out separately. Including:
• Operations supported include pan/tilt/slide/zoom/rest.  
• It should be possible to run operations in parallel or in sequence or in a loop.
• Operation arguments will be in time units or angle or distance units.  
• Operation with no argument may have qualifier, e.g. fast or slowly.
• Exceptions such as a slider reaching a limit or boundary should be supported.
• System should be scalable in terms of its capabilities.  E.g. it should be possible to use automated slider without automated Pan/Tilt/Zoom head.  And it should be possible to use the automated PTZ head without the slider.  Similarly the script created for a long slider should be usable on a smaller slider.
• System should tolerate power interrupts.  Ideally, once the power is restored, system should continue execution of the script where it was interrupted.
• Power supply should be modular, so that both battery and AC power are supported.

Constraints

• System power supply should be modular, so that both battery and AC power are supported.
• System will be built from the readily available of-the-shelf components.  Integration level of such components should be as high as possible.

ACM SFBAY Event!

Fantastic topic!
Shoot notes: manual focus works well - I use it with grey-scale viewfinder and focus peaking.  G3 lavalier works well.  I should be more upfront with speakers about the need to face audience and not the screen.
Post production notes: audio requires de-essing.   Free VST plugin which works in Sony Vegas is SpitFish.  And it works!
Here is the finished clip:

YouTube Live Streaming Proposal - Minimalistic Scenario

Here is a proposal on how a non-profit can start putting their events on YouTube with no recurring costs.  I start with a simple talking slide show, which can be rolled out by a single volunteer producer.  When and if the production team grows, production values can be improved upon dramatically.  Consult this post for introduction and terminology.

Panasonic GH4 HDMI Timings

During my last event video streaming test I ran again into this problem.  I have Panasonic GH4 recording at 4K 23.98fps, GH3 and Canon HF G10 recording at 1080p 23.98fps.  Their HDMI output timings differ though.  GH3 and G10 produce 1080i 59.94.  GH3 output is 1080p 23.98.

So I asked myself what would it take for GH4 to produce 1080i 59.94 signal on its HDMI output.

Choosing a Live Video Streaming Service

I was asked to recommend a live video streaming service.  Here is my attempt to answer that question.  It was at least a year since I reviewed live video streaming offerings.  I have direct experience with  Ustream and YouTube Live and grew to like Telestream Wirecast (OEM version of which is) used in both.  I was intrigued with what I learned...

ACM event @ eBay!

Having a blast shooting another ACM event!
Finished clip:

Tip: Panasonic GH4 Video Import into Sony Vegas

In short:

• use Keyboard accelerator Alt+]
• use Sony Vegas ripple and shuffle

TheaterYou production of Pamela

Fantastic performance!  Huge challenge from technical perspective - light color and amount change constantly and unpredictably.  I was lucky enough to work with a director who cares a lot about video production of his play - Val Konovich was directly involved in multi-track edit of the entire recording.  Theater crew was extremely helpful and patient with me, for which I am deeply grateful.  Overall I think this was the best performance I have seen in this theater.

What worked:

• I set in advance white balance and exposure using a calibration target.
• Central camera (GH4) was attached to a column using superclamp and was shooting in 4K which allowed for a clean zoom-in in post.
• I tested new workflow.  Instead of MainConcept MP4 codec I used x264 via DNxHD.  These instructions helped. Almost forgot to correct levels.  x264 seems to be superior for low bitrates (under 10MBps).  I looked into YouTube recommendations and decided on a 2-pass encoding.
• Sony PCM-M10 did the job.  I considered use of Tascam 60DmarkII but found no extra microphones.

What did not work

• GH4 ran out of juice!  This was somewhat unexpected because GH3 runs on a single battery for hours.  I should have turned of LCD, but the camera was positioned so that I could not see the controls.  Note to self: change GH4 battery during the intermission!
• I was shooting GH3 on a tripod set at the top of the bleachers.  Those proved to be noticeably shaky.
• Color matching cameras is still a challenge for me.  Vegas Color Match plugin helps but I am still looking for a better way to accomplish this.  Surely with color-checker and I could expect some magic, the way Davinci does things.  Not Sony Vegas though.
• Canon HF G10 was left unattended.  It was hard for me to guess the direction and as a result majority of the footage was of little use.  Extra operator would help!

Getting Ready for Screen Capture

I plan to record a couple of tutorials.  So here is the setup that I think will work:

• Capture screen and audio using BB FlashBack Express.  The free version can export into flash FLV or AVI file.  The former can not be imported into Sony Vegas.  For the latter to work you need a good codec...
• This is where Huffyuv loss-less codec comes in.  Installation instructions work on Windows 8.
  EDIT: It appears AVI file with this codec can not be imported into Sony Vegas.  No idea why.  Instead I used Blackmagic 8 bit MJPEG codec - worked well. 
• As to audio - I plan to reuse the hardware I already own: Rode NTG-1 (about 1 foot from my mouth pointed at my chest) plugged into Tascam DR-60DmkII (Gain: MID, knob at 2 o'clock). Line out of the latter plugged into line in of the PC.

Today I tested the setup and I think I am ready!  Can't wait to start recording!