thats my CUDA status on my 2009 MacPro
if u run MacOS 10.8.1 / PPro 6.0.2
make sure u have CUDA 5.0.24 and Nvidia driver 1.3.4.0 (304.00.00f20) running really helps and makes PPro more stable! (not tested or even updated to MacOS 10.8.2 yet tho’)
QUADRO & GEFORCE MAC OS X DRIVER
http://www.nvidia.com/object/macosx-304.00.00f20-driver.html
NVIDIA CUDA 5.0 FOR MAC RELEASE
http://www.nvidia.com/object/cuda-mac-driver.html
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Just a quick post about the features I like the most on the TASCAM DR-40
Recording non stop with 48V Phantom powered Mic (Rode NTG-1) on my #Tascam DR-40 … wait for it … 4h..42min..16sec … NON STOP! … and I still have standby time and can record internal stereo mic.
A/B stereo is really nice to capture stereo nat sound fx …love it more than x/y setup. You can switch from A/B to X/Y stereo mic setup really nice and quick.
And probably the best part on the DR-40 are the rock solid XLR inputs …nothing slips out!
That’s about it. A great & solid recorder for the money. The Inputs are a bit noises maybe (really just a bit) but that is no issue if u keep your levels nice and tight and there is a good Limiter as well. I don’t really care about all there other “fancy” recording modes. It’s just nice for recording for Shotgun Mic-Recording for interviews and stuff. And of course for SoundFX (Nat-sound) recordings.
Here is a example – a clip used the Tascam DR-40 with a Rode NTG1 to record the interviews:
UPDATED APRIL 8, 2012 – (original post date: Aug 25, 2010)
Well, what can i say that’s where i‘m coming from … 13 years ago ( or even more ) i started in radio broadcast / radio production … and did lots of things with sound … i don’t want to talk about that work now … i want to talk about some essential gear you need to work with your sound.
…. read more
… but as you all probably know by now there are announcements made basically every day now 
… Sony just came out with new gear …. Panasonic is rumored to have some news in the next few days, Canon has an event just one day before NAB gets stated for “consumers” … Adobe has sneak-beaks every now end then …
Well I guess its kinda good to know what stuff you have to look out for at the show floor … at least I guess that is what all these companies are going for …. to start the buzz early so that nobody is missing some news / new gear.
I’ll be there and hope to catch some of the new gear or even some of the unique stuff … and meet lots of cool people. I will cover some stuff but most likely after the show bcuz there will be a lot of buzz on other webpages like DSLR Newsshooter … they will do a better job covering the news from the NAB Show Floor.
I guess next week I will finish up my “Event-Schedule” so I can let you know what might be cool to catch in Vegas & NAB.
For now here some links to other webpages that did cover some stuff about the new Sony FS700 and NAB … check them out some good info right there:
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Den Lennie: Sony NEX FS700 on location
wideopencamera.com: Sony NEX-FS700 – A Nerds Perspective
Sony Introduces Smallest And Lightest XDCAM Camcorder
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Biscardi Creative Blog: Tips for attending NAB 2012
visualedge.tv: NAB 2012: Hopes & Expectations
… this post will be updated!
So a few weeks back I got my iPad … finally…. yes I know “The New iPad” just came out a few days back … but my network provider made a good offer on an old not so used contract, so there you go.
Anyways … since I received my iPad I have bought a lot of new apps … probably more in the last few days than in the last couple years.
Here is a short list of apps I use in a “pro” environment … some essential, some for fun, some just for content: (one little side note I’m still on SnowLeo MacOS 10.6.8…just for you to know for any compatibility questions)
( in “random” order )
UPDATE:
A good app for quick & creative photo edits - incl. noise reduction, sharpening, vignettes… looks, presets. boarders, and more (faster than iPhoto but not as much as options) … but i really like this app to share stuff on Tumblr, Instagram, Flickr, Facebook … really nice! for 0,99 really good … u can test PhotoToaster Jr. for Free with not all the options though
shot with 60D & Sigma 30mm - edited in iPhoto for iPad
Just a really great app to view your intsagram Feed. commend on instagram’s, manage your feed/followers, like instagram’s and stuff like that. .. now i really use my iphone just for taking pictures /instagram’s and as a phone really
shot with 60D & Sigma 30mm - edited in iPhoto for iPad
shot with 60D & Sigma 30mm - edited in iPhoto for iPad
shot with 60D & Sigma 30mm - edited in iPhoto for iPad
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original post:
A awesome Remote Controller for LogicPro, ProTools, FCP and others.
It kinda replaces the MC Control + MCMix Combo in my Edit-Suite for the quick stuff. And the nice thing is you get a control window – like a Desktop sharing thing – so you are able to touch control your PlugIns & stuff on your iPad as well … I like that app especially in Client sessions i’ll have to test if that “control window” can be used to control ColoristaII in PPro …
due to some graphic issues that doesn’t seem to work in FCP
A great remote controller for Adobe Lightroom 3
I love that app for photo color-correction work.
it really is a nice remote with a lot of options in LR3 …
Some say it’s a bit slow but I don’t have any issues
This app is not pretty but very useful … now I hope there is an update for LR4 soon!
A nice tool if u work a lot in Photoshop CS5
I use it when I’m in “photo-retouch” mode …
it has a nice&cool remote-preview mode as well
It also has a neat feature to record audio…a nice way to record all that is said in a meeting
…you will never miss what a client said to you again!
AirSharing (for iPad)
Just a quick & nice way to get stuff like m4v clips or documents on your iPad.
Not essential but a nice to have.
Vimeo v2 is a really good app. Its great to check vimeo stuff out with
The best app to be up to date on all your social media “streams”, news & tech and so much other stuff. Basically, its the first app I check in the morning or after i finished my work at night!
Just awesome and worth the lil money. I use it to save stuff / web-sides / blogposts (and so on) that I stumbled up on during the day to read later off-line at home or when on the train. …stuff like that
That is a useful app. Mr. iGert recommended it and its just great.
Basically you can stream movie clips from your Mac (you can setup/link any Folder on your Mac for that).
So I use the app for two things: to show clients or actors clips in our office if i need a quick way for that or I watch stuff at home (in bed) There is a Free Version so u can test it.
Wunderlist
I used Wunderlist (Task Manager) on my iPhone and Mac before Apple had a “task-list-app”
… actually i like Wunderlist more than Apples approach … it has a nice and solid cloud sync option and an nice MacOs Version
Tweetbot
A really really good App for Twitter on the iPad… enough said 
LogMeIn
A nice and free way to remote access your computer from your iPad.
It’s nice to check your render status and other stuff via WiFi or 3G … its a bit slow but does the job
So there you go that is my first “iPad Apps for Pro’s” list!
I’m not so sure about the “usefulness” (or in other words I’m not so impressed … yet) with the following apps. I would suggest you test these for yourself and make your own decision. They may get better with some updates or if a job/ task requires them…
iPhoto, AVID Studio, iMovie, KeyPadPlus, Shotlist, Pages, Keynote,
Other apps i use from time to time:
500px Stacker
PS Express
Shots
MovieSlate or the quicker to open DSLR Slate
Skype
iTranslate
WordPress
Reblog Lite
… thats it for now some updates & more stuff soon (…. i guess … hopfully)
UPDATE:
I DID THE COLOR GRADE FOR THE WHOLE SHORT:
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ORIGINAL POST:
(watch the test on vimeo: https://vimeo.com/33528082 )
Thanks to Mario & Nino for uploading the MXF files AND for shooting that short in the first place! Great result - especially in that short amount of time and with limed resources.
the first scene i traded quite “usual” just a lil push here and there … skin tones, contrast, richer colors… stuff like that… i “protected” highlights in the back window tho’
all the rest – especially in terms of high ISO performance – i did push much more – to see what is possible … and there is a lot of “play-room” for a grade … the grain / noise still looks very organic / filmic (almost like 16mm) even at the limits of what is possible.
even a hard color push / tint is no real issues if you watch your blacks … kinda awesome!
and at no point there was any artifacts you are probably familiar with from DSLR h264 or even XDCamEX or AVCHD stuff … that is really nice!!!
over all … great footage to work on!
i used FCP7, Colorista 2 for all the Color Correction and Magic Bullet Looks 2 for all creative Color Grading
As soon as i get the whole short film as ProRes422 from Mario & Nino i’ll do a full color grade on that lil movie … i can’t wait!
Review & short blog post by Nino Leitner – YOU HAVE TO READ THAT!!!
ninofilm.net/blog/2011/12/09/canon-eos-c300-review-short-film/
YOU HAVE TO WATCH THAT!!!
original full short film: vimeo.com/33425317
UPDATE;
well Stu from prolost.com did his version of that first shot … well… i like it a lot!!!
A few weeks back I discovered a nice & affordable rig for DSLR Camera use (in my case i use it for a Canon 60D) on Ebay (got it via Austria) … building up a solid DSLR rig is now my new hobby … it replaced my “buying lens” hobby.
(I might add, it’s a straight rig so you kinda need a flip-out-display on the camera or a 2nd LCD or EVF for cameras like the 550D, 7D or 5D because your camera LCD is a bit too far to the right)
For the money all that stuff is kinda awesome. It might not be as durable as a the big players we all know & love … but for a start out rig, it should be ok for 1-2 years at lest. It replaces my Spider Brace that i used for just over 2 years now. The new rig is a bit better even though the Spider Brace was very easy to use and had some advantages. I will test all that in the next few weeks & months and as soon as I’m “finished” building this up i will let you know how it works in real work conditions.
For now, a little list of what I’ve got so far:
Sevenoak SK-R02 DSLR Rig:
sevenoak.biz
UPDATE:
It seems that this Rig is not “available” anymore in our area :-/ !
Anyway…I’ve got it got arround 180 EUR from this seller on ebay … maybe contact him directly.
Alternatively I would say go with Jag35 you get better quality right away anyways …. you don’t need to buy better extra parts and stuff … for all UK / EU fellows this seems to be a good alternative as well.
RJ Follow Focus for 15mm rod support: ebay.com
UPDATE: There is an new version of that FF with 2 hard stops now
Manfrotto 244N MagicArm + Super Clamp + Manfrotto 143BKT Camera Platform (as Top Carrying Handle)
Studio Clamp C Type w/ Spigot + Mini ball head
(to mount Monitor or Zoom H4)
Studio Clamp C Type w/ Spigot + small dumb bell wight
(as counterweight)
Altogether, this cost me around 300 bucks (EUR)
I use the RODE NTG-1 mic and a ZoomH4 Audio-recorder for the audio
new stuff:
- i’ve got a 90 degree Rod clamp for 15mm rail + Grip Handle with rod clamp + 20cm long 15mm rod to use that as a top handle (pretty cheap from china … quality is ok but could be better)
- LILLIPUT 569GL-50NP – 5″ LCD/TFT HDMI Monitor with HDMI & Video loop-through via the UK for about 200 bucks (EUR) quality is ok but could be better … but useful especially as a HDMI loop-through device! (BTW can be powered by SONY NP-F550 or Panasonic batteries) i guess this thing will be replaced by an SmallHD DP4 EVF at some point and the Lilliput will become a portable directors monitor or so
- i also got a new Viewfinder the GGS DSLR 3x LCD Viewfinder Loupe with a pretty need “flip up” option
still not finished yet … stay tuned … will try stuff and do more tests the next few shoots!
here some new pics:
here some “old” pics
In the end the is the question do you need the expensive gear ? The Built-quality is better for sure and in some cases it just works better. But in the end it’s not the gear that makes a good shot or film. Sometimes I have the feeling people buy expensive gear just to show off (in a way) or “buy in” into a club (so to say). Use the right gear for the tight job and the gear you can afford and find other ways ( techniques) to get your stuff done … just my opinion … what is yours?
[UPDATE 07/22/2011] After using the KRK’s for a week now, I really got to like them. They are good & useful really … so they are a recantation for people that need / want a good, comfortable & analytic sounding headphones.
Well I’ll try o keep it brief
That topic goes back too my audio-roots, I used a lot of different Headphones from cheap to expensive … all kinds of brands.
My favorites so far:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
Beyerdynamic DT 250
SONY MDR-7506
Sennheiser HD 650
Sennheiser HD 201
Oh BTW I’m not a fan of the commonly used Sennheiser HD25 or any of the AKG headphones, just saying.
First of all: I just have to say we use KRK Rokit PR6 G2 (and PR5 G2) back here and I love them.
So i was kinda happy to see that there are KRK headphone available now too.
I did go for the KRK KNS-6400 (100 Bucks) because they are more affordable and almost identical to the KNS-8400 (150 Bucks) except for a bit wider frequency spectrum, better foam thingy and a volume control on the cable.
So that is that. Now to the essential question(s): how do they sound and are they usable?
To give you a bit of a reference and a kind of comparison I throw in two other headphones I used for quiet a while now:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (160-190 Bucks) Sennheiser HD 201 (20-30bucks)
Keep in mind, all that is kind of matter of taste (as with Audio-Monitors as well)
So here we go:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
- very solid
- powerful sound
- good isolation
- strong low-end … beautiful high range … almost Hi Fi (like B&W Speakers …almost!)
- very nice sounding ( a bit too nice )
- not that of a neutral sound (but still very good)
- you can enjoy listening to stuff with them (esp. Film-Soundtracks and Movies)
- a bit big & heavy to wear …you “feel” them
So a very good high-class headphones for professional use & “entertainment” (so to speak)
Back here in Germany they are considered as a Studio-Standard
Sennheiser HD 201
- good sound for the money
- pleasant sound not annoying or too aggressive sound (mid range) like cheap ones usually have
- good low-end (a good kick)
- flat sound (a bit boring) there a lot of details missing (esp. in the high range)
- not very neutral and analytic
- not that good of an isolation
- they “hurt” after wearing them for more than 1-2 hours (not that comfortable)
So yes its a cheap headphone and in a way you can hear & feel that but on the other hand its maybe one of the best sounding and most usable (and widely used) headphone in that price-rage. So totally ok.
KRK KNS-6400
- very neutral and analytic sound
- quite powerful but not too much kick
- nice low-end, good high range (very “reasonable”)
- very comfortable (to wear) even more than 1-2 hours
- good isolation
- you can catch stuff pretty good if something is wrong with a recording or edit
- tend to sound a lil bit “harsh” if you listen to stuff too loud (and i mean really toooooo loud)
- they might sound a bit “dry” (that can be good sometimes)
- maybe a bit emphasizing in the 200-600 Hz range for some stuff (for my taste)
- no “wow effect” (but that is good bcuz you want them to be neutral)
So they indeed sound like KRK Studio Monitors for your ears. Very solid, well made and “neutral’ish” sounding headphones. You really can use them to spot issues with your recording or edit. They might not be as enjoyable as the DT770 Pro’s or any other more Hi Fi oriented headphones. So, yes there is now “wow-effect” in terms of that your stuff suddenly sound like a Timbaland production and you don’t had to do something for that …But what would be the point of having too pleasing sound … that would miss the target of these headphones (so to speak). If something sounds really bad on these KRK headphones it is really bad. So yes they kinda keep their promise (KRK Studio Monitors for your ears).
Verdict
Solid and usable. Go get them if you need neutral and comfortable headphones, especially if you have and like KRK’s as your audio monitors. Don’t get them if you “only” need nice sounding headphones for listening to your Classic or Jazz Music … they are not made for that. For Studio use they are totally ok (well actually they ROCK … IMO)
On thing though: Headphone can NOT replace audio-monitors (speakers) when it comes to a good sound mix (regardless which brand or price) it’s just a too special or different of an “hearing point” so to speak. You will not get the same sound / “timbre” out of headphones … ever. I don’t use them for mixing, just for editing or recording or maybe just in case I really can’t use monitors in some situations. 90% of the time I use audio monitors only for my work. Though i have to say it is kinda essential to have good headphones around. It’s nice or essential to be able to listen “closely” / deeper into something or to check a mix or an edit (spot a edit inaccuracy or something like that)
One last thing
As with your Audio-Monitors or even Video-Monitors (for that matter) you have to get to know them in a way. How they “have to” sound for certain stuff/work/job/material. So I tend to listen to my favorite stuff/music/movies/own work I already know (how it sounds on other monitors even my speakers at home or in my car).
So you can make the most use out of your new headphones … that might take a while (like a few days or weeks … just saying.
Well that wasn’t Brief, was it?!
Oh BTW more about Audio at my “old” Blog-post: “its all about audio“
UPDATE:
So i went out and recorded some outdoor sounds with the ProTrack and H4 … i also did some tests in the studio with a NTG1 & NT1A studio microphone form RODE and also some stereo stuff
… in the end … well … the pro track is no real pro recorder for DSLR shooters. (IMO)
Here is why:
- very intense sound sync drift if you sync it with a video (way more than with the H4)
- very noisy mic pre amps, no good stereo mic sound also very noisy
- very bad sounding limiter (even more noisy)
- iPhone causes odd sounds form time to time on the recording
- only 16bit, 44.1kHz Wave Redordinng,
- not to mention that the iphone batteries are empty quite fast
… well … even with the unit just at a price-point of only 50 bucks it’s really not quite useful after all (sadly as it is actually a good concept)
That are my FIRST impressions after i got the unit and “played” with it for a few hours:
I saw a post from Philip Bloom on twitter one day, talking about that thing … and as my H4 is not in a good shape i was looking for a replacement and had a old iphone 8GB (not in use anymore) anyway. So i’d go for one.
Well… basically its more like a mobile docking-station for an iPod or iPhone (does not work with iPhone 4 though) that has a built-in Stereo-Mic and two phantom powered XLR inputs to plug in some pro mics (like a RODE NTG1 in my case)
It uses the iPod or iPhone as recording-device. So in my case i have almost 6 GB recording space, which should be ok for Interviews and stuff. iPhone users need an extra piece of software from the app store on the iPhone called iProRecorder which is (4.99 right now … that is ok). Its a quit nice app if you ask me … (more in depth “review” on that in another post)
So a little something about the unit itself:
Build quality is not the best in the world but over all ok … especially for 50 bucks ( that’s the price for that …. that’s right … 58 EUR back here). For iPod users there are some plastic cover shields for the unit included … iPhone & iPod touch users have to buy them separately for around 10 bucks … but they can be useful in the filed.
Really nice is that this thing has phantom powered XLR inputs you can plug in condenser mic’s. You can use these as instrument inputs as well (didn’t test this though) The iPod charging functionality should not be used during recording as it generates a lil annoying sound which will be recorded as well.
The unit has a headphone output that can be useful. It’s not the best in the world though… not as clean if you power it all the way up, so some of the noise you will be hearing in your headphones will not be on the recording itself.
Speaking of noisy … the built-in limiter is not really usable as this thing adds a lot of noise / static to the signal. Use the limiter only if you really have to. You will not be happy if you record (in) quite surroundings / environments with a turned on limiter.
I also would not use the “Stereo to Mono” option / switch as it combines both signals to one mono-track …so it will add any noise level of the “unused” path / input to the mixed signal … if you want the cleanest possible recording, just delete the “unused” track in post (quite easy in FCP) .
Leveling is nice but if you used to a Tascam-Recorder you will notice that it’s not super precise … but usable.
The built-in Stereo-Mic system is ok … i like the H4 Stereo-Mic a bit more (sound-wise)
The unit is powered by 4 AAA’s (yep i know rather unusual … didn’t have any of these) … will to a runtime test later. You can power this unit also via AC Adapter – which is includet!
So in the end, a nice unit for the money… so far.
Now i did some first test recordings … to see how it works & sounds … and what the workflow is to get the WAVE files into FCP … and how the 44.1 kHz stuff turns out.
BTW sorry for the german accent … i’ll work on that over the next few recordings … i promise ;)
I really like the app on the iPhone. You can actually name your Tracks and sort them in categories, which can come in handy … (will go over the software in another post) …its nice to use. Make sure you are in flight mode – as you don’t want any of these mobile phone sounds / interferences on your recording (WLan is ok BTW)
Ok, after the recording is done … and now i can only speak for iPhone & iPod Touch users (= same iProRecorder app) … you can send you files via email… which might not a good way for large files. Or upload them… which i didn’t try. The other way is via “Local Web Sharing”. For that you need WLan and another Mac or PC hooked up to that …
You type / open the URL the iPhone app gives you in your Browser on your Mac or PC and you will get a nice list in your browser. Now you simply download the files.
As soon as you have all your files (sadly it doesn’t adopt the titles you typed in) … you have to make sure to convert the files to 48kHz. I use a free app called “switch” for that.
I convert to 16bit, 48000Hz, aiff … still stereo … as i cut the “mute” track / part in FCP (i used just one Mic/input for this recording)
I just did a sync by hand in FCP with the 60D audio file and the converted ProTrack file … well … and there comes the issues (as i actually suspected): Even with my 3min 30 sec (or so) file/recording i noticed a sync/sound drift between 60D & ProTrack stuff right after 1 min or so and it got really hearable around 3 min. Well for that Test video that was no real issue as i had no lip-sync recording – for like an interview – to provide. So that is bad news – in a way. I’m not sure right now what the problem is (ProTrack Recoding at 44.1 or converting or FCP or even 60D…) For some stuff its not as much of an issue as it is pretty much for Interview in a double system recording situation. You could fix this in editing as you line up the tacks with every cut … maybe sync tools can help… but it will be a pain with 10-15 min or longer interview stuff. So i will definitely look into that. Stay tuned.
Here is a lil iphone video to “show” you real quick how the drift “sounds”
http://www.twitvid.com/BEDX4
UPDATE:
i tried differed stuff … another software (Soundtrack Pro…) and some tips i’ve got form my twitter buddies (like JJ Kim …) to speed this up or slow it down in FCP … (tried 99.8 and 99.9 % speed) but that only shifts the “problem” to another part for the Timeline (if you will) even its actually really a bit better.
Over all its a nice solution. Quality is good for the money. It will be usable … not for high fidelity Recordings though. I will test this unit for SFX and Atmos as well in the next few weeks. But first i have to find a fix for that sync drift.
UPDATE:
As i mentions on top: it might not be a real pro-recorder for DSLR shooters … it is no H4n replacer ! … more like a backup recorder if you really have nothing els to spend the 50 bucks for. You may be better off with a Zoom H1 and a extra some sort of mic pre amp ( 9V batterie powered) for XLR inputs. (like that one: http://cheesycam.com/inexpensive-dual-xlr-microphone-preamp/). You will get better sounding results even though that “setup” is more bulky it might work better after all.
For more specs go to: http://www.alesis.com/protrack
on a side note: a lil Zoom H4n to Tascam DR100 “comparison” by theC47:
