Magic Lantern – 550D/T2i port from Trammell Hudson on Vimeo.

If you want to shoot high-end video with this camera you’ve had to use a separate microphone and audio recorder to capture high-end audio. That’s all changing.

Magic Lantern is a firmware hack for the Canon 5D MarkII that turns off the auto-gain in the audio recording section of the camera. It adds stereo audio meters, audio level control and other features to make the camera more usable for professional video recording. Now it’s coming to the Canon T2i (55oD).

Here’s what the programmer of Magic Lantern has to say:

I am very proud to announce that we have started support for the Canon 550D / T2i in a branch of the Magic Lantern tree. Thanks to the assistance of arm.indy and an anonymous contributor, we were able to sign an initial Magic Lantern firmware image and port the existing code to work with the version 1.0.8 firmware in the 550D.

The first version will have audio meters, lens data and maybe manual audio gain plus monitoring on the A/V jack. I haven’t found the liveview video ram device yet, so zebra stripes and histograms won’t work for a little while. There might also not be a menuing system initially since there are no “spare” buttons on the 550D in movie mode and we still do not have a way to integrate with Canon’s menus.

Here’s the link to the thread on dvinfo.net.

This is “pre-alpha” – right now he’s demonstrating audio levels only and the installation process is complicated.

Here’s the link to the installation instructions and file download.

I do not recommend installing this version. Wait until the beta version with all the features is ready. You may be wise to wait until a fully tested 1.0 version is released.

Still, this is exciting news and I’ll be giving it a try as soon as the beta is ready.

Leave your comments and let me know what you think.

-a-

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Take a moment and leave your comments and questions below.

“I just got a T2i kit (18-55mm). I also got a zoom lens (EF-S 55-250mm) and I considering buying some more equipment. I’m a high-end amateur photographer and in the past years fell in love with video editing too. I use to do my short movies on my Canon HV-10, but I always missed some of the more advanced options (such as a mic input). I plan to shoot most of my videos on the T2i now and I was wondering if I should invest in an mic + ext sound recorder or mic + prime lens? The options I’m considering are “Azden SMX-10 + Zoom h2″ or “Azden SMX-10 + Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II”

Interesting question! Plugging any microphone directly into the Canon T2i is going to result in an audio track that is noisy and poor quality. I’ve tried it and, from my point of view, it’s not usable audio for anything more than a reference track.

Plus, any microphone mounted on the camera will not capture the sound of your talent several feet away. The microphone needs to be as close to the talent as possible. So the Azden SMX-10 into the Canon T2i is not a good choice.

The 18-55mm kit lens and the EF-S 55-250mm will not shoot good video in low light. My recommendation would be to go for the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II prime lens for low light video.

For a recorder/stereo microphone I would get the new Zoom H1, which includes a nice stereo mic built-in plus has a 1/8″ microphone input, “VU” meters, and a headphone jack for $99.

I would also recommend a wired lavalier microphone like the Audio-Technica ATR-35S for $29. Plug it directly into the H1 hit the record button and drop the H1 into your talent’s pocket just like you would with a wireless transmitter. You’ll get great sound with no wireless interference.

The Zoom H1, Audio-Technica ATR-35S and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II will cost around USD $240 total. All three for less than the cost of the Azden SMX-10 and the Zoom H2. You’ll get high quality audio and a prime lens for low light video.

Just keep the mic as close to the source of the sound as possible and check everything with headphones or ear-buds.

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It only works on cameras like the Canon 7D and T2i which have a microphone input. Also, the AGC function is just one reason the audio recorded on these cameras is less than great.

Pro audio recorders capture the sound in high resolution. Meaning that they use high sample rates and more bits per sample to capture a more accurate version of the sound. DSLR cameras use moderate sample rates with much fewer bits per sample.

What this means is that the audio may sound okay until you start to work with it in post production. Then, just like a poor quality video image, you’ll find you can’t do much with it.

So, give this trick a try to improve the quality of the audio recorded in your DSLR HD camera. And, if you’re out to make a film that you want to be as good as possible, spend the time and money to capture the sound with a professional microphone and recorder.

Yes, you have to lock the second audio track to your video in post but the results are well worth the effort.

Moby – a composer and artist who supports independent work – has made many of his tracks available for film makers at no cost. I find his music visually inspiring and, like many others, appreciate his work and perspective on digital art in today’s world. It’s amazing to find music of this quality offered for free to help other artists.

Here’s an ‘unboxing’ video captured as I go through the process of accessing the music of Moby on mobygratis.com.

Click through the video or click here to watch in HD.

Moby has made this music available for free if you use it in a non-commercial film. If you want to use it in a commercial project you pay a nominal fee which he donates to the Humane Society.

The only downside in my experience is the turnaround time. If you need music for a project now this is not the place to go.

The site says that you’ll receive an email with approval within a few days. I made the video as I subscribed on March 30, 2010. I received my email with permission to use the music and a link to download it on April 10, 2010. This was no problem for me as I did not have a deadline for my project.

If you need music for a project with an immediate deadline you’ll need to go to regular stock music site.

Another thing to be aware of is that you will only be able to download the file one time. On a regular stock music site you typically have an account showing everything you’ve ever purchased with the ability to download a track again if needed.

Here’s a screen capture of the download page as I grabbed the .aiff file. The quality was very high and it should be great in my project.

On the positive side, Moby’s music is visual and thematic, making it perfect for DSLR video projects using all the great shot-making features of these cameras. Extremely short depth of field shots with rack focus, tight shots with bokeh backgrounds, shots from dimly lit scenes and other mood filled scenes all benefit from music like this.

It’s spring time in Florida and that means lots of people outside enjoying the weather. I’ve been shooting people jogging and exercising outside and plan to use this music for a short film playing to the strengths of DSLR video. I’ll post it here when it’s done.

In the meantime, check out mobygratis.com. It could be the perfect answer with a sound track to kick your project into high gear.

I mean, with over 441,000 audio recordings you might find something worth using in a project.

And most of the files here are either public domain or creative commons licensed so you can use them in commercial projects if you follow the rules.

The first time I came across this site was when all it housed was the “Way Back Machine”. This was a massive search engine that stored copies of web pages from sites all over the world. People realized that web sites continually change, some leave the scene permanently. They wanted a way to keep as much of that intact for future generations as possible.

I’ve found several web sites from my earliest days on the web in 1993 still available here. Amazing.

But now they added several other sections including moving footage and audio. It’s like the world’s largest flea market for media.

Go check them out when you need something, well… weird, unusual but useful.

http://www.archive.org

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One word – Wow!

I took delivery of a Euphonix MC Control last week but I was in the middle of a project and didn’t want to take the time to install it and learn how to use it. This weekend I did both and this is an amazing change in post production workflow for me.

I’ve been doing audio work for over 35 years and almost all of that was behind a traditional sound board. When I moved back to the Mac and picked up FCP I settled into using a mouse and keyboard even though it was not even close to the same feel.

But the solutions available were so expensive and difficult to use that I stayed with the basics. There has been plenty to learn with just these tools.

But when I saw the MC Control surface in this video I knew it was a must-have device.

From my perspective, cameras come and go. Lenses last.

Computers come and go. Facilities and some external systems last.

I’m hoping the MC Control falls into the kind of systems that last and can see myself continuing to grow with this tool.

The biggest thing so far has been the tactile control of an audio fader for mixing.

No wait, the biggest thing so far is controlling two parameters of an effect plugin at the same time, balancing the results by feel and ear.

No wait, the biggest thing so far…

Like I said, it’s changed my post production workflow in an amazing way. Mixing sound in Logic is obvious. Not so obvious is using the MC Control in FCP, I’m still working on getting the most from the system.

No, it’s not cheap but considering that the previous price point for devices like this was around $20K, it’s a great deal. I got mine at Sweetwater -http://sweetwater.com – one of the best online stores I’ve ever used. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for fair pricing and superior information and service.

Now, let’s see… the section in the manual on programming macros into those softkeys looks interesting…

-a-

That’s the subtitle to a DVD from Barry Green, the resident guru at DVXuser, and professional sound man and DVXuser member Matt Gettemeier. Titled simply “Sound for Film and Television” Barry and Matt join David Jimerson (who covers sound in post production) for a complete look at how to create great sound for your video project.

They use several techniques to keep the DVD fun while teaching a lot about audio. For instance, they show a scene being shot that develops a problem with the sound. They go through the solution then show the same scene with the audio working. Immediate, useful, and practical as they explain how to use basic equipment for professional results.

http://dvxuser.com/articles/DVXPage/

I’ve been recording audio for 35 years but they taught me a few tricks. Might be worth checking out… especially if you’re not that experienced in audio work and want to kick up the production value of every project.

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Go to http://www.stockmusic.net and use their search engine to find tracks just right for your project. Besides key words, you can choose various parameters for advanced search. Pay $29.95 per track or buy credits good for 10 tracks for $199. It’s a good deal either way if you find what you’re looking for.

Like most stock houses you can download music in a variety of file formats. The tracks are from over 100 composers and cover just about any genre. You can download “watermarked” MP3 files for rough edits at no charge. And with one click of a button at checkout they’ll ship a CD of your music purchases.

The most unusual product offered here is called The Maximum Edge 6.0. It’s a 300 Gb hard drive preloaded with every track on the site. It includes a player/search engine and is Windows and Mac compatible. At $3,499.95 it’s not a product for everyone but it would pay for itself easily if you run a commercial production facility. They offer annual updates as well.

I’ve used music from this source and it’s always high quality and professionally produced.

At under $100, high quality, download or CD, and royalty-free this sound tool meets all my “must” criteria.

Go to http://www.videocopilot.net/products/proscores/ and give them a listen.

This won’t give you all the tools you need for full scoring your productions unless you’re producing high energy action flicks. But their process is unique and useful.

You get over 500 full orchestral recordings with percussion and sound effects that can be combined to build tension and kick transitions through the door. They don’t supply any editing or assembly tool – you use the audio or video multitrack editor that you love.

They do supply a series of tutorials to show you how to assemble the clips into a meaningful track that complements your edit. If you don’t know much about scoring sound for video the tutorials may be worth the $100 alone.

Click on the link above and check it out. I know it looks like they only work on After Effects but the clips will work on any multitrack tool. They also sell a set of sound effects for $100 that may be worth checking out.

Disclaimer – I have not used this tool so this review is based on my experience with other similar tools and a bit of time spent on their web site. Anyone with personal experience with these products please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

-a-

PS – look around on the site, you’ll also find video clips of various types and After Effects pre-built sequences that look pretty decent, too. Seems like people who work in production and use these tools all the time.