I'm not an audio person and am just learning the ropes on using external audio devices for better audio with the BMPCC. I have both the Tascam DR-05 and the DR-60D. I've read the forums on setting audio on the BMPCC but none seem to be clear enough to provide a sweet spot when it comes to setting it up. Recently, I followed a blog write-up on setting the line level of the external recorder to be between -6 and -12db and setting the BMPCC to Mic, and bringing the Mic and Channel levels to near 0 (I set it to 5%). I plug the cable to the line out/phone out of the external recorder to the mic input of the camera. To my disappointment, the audio recording on the camera was bad... very distorted while shooting a live concert. At least the recording on the external recorder made it enough that I was able to align it to the video in post, albeit is was an okay job since I did not have any markers. I was not able to even use the in-camera audio to align it in post with the external audio. That is not acceptable and I hope there's some easy way to fix this. My question to the experts out there, particularly if you have a Tascam recorder is, what is the sweet spot to set the Tascam recorder (or similar recorders) and the BMPCC so I can use it to preamp the input to the BMPCC so that the BMPCC records the audio correctly? Thanks in advance for any and all feedback. I know similar posts were asked before but none provide a recipe that worked for me so far.

Your problem was setting the BMPCC to "Mic" and then feeding it a hot line signal. Set the camera to "Line" signal. Use the camera audio meter to st the level to keep signal at or just below -6db. That should give you a useable audio track. Concerts are loud,msomyounwill need to adjust all levels down a little to keep from over driving both the camera and Tascam. Try some tests first to get llevels right, before going on a job.

Denny Smith wrote:Your problem was setting the BMPCC to "Mic" and then feeding it a hot line signal. Set the camera to "Line" signal. Use the camera audio meter to st the level to keep signal at or just below -6db. That should give you a useable audio track. Concerts are loud,msomyounwill need to adjust all levels down a little to keep from over driving both the camera and Tascam. Try some tests first to get llevels right, before going on a job.

Thanks Denny!

Ellory Yu wrote:

Denny Smith wrote:Your problem was setting the BMPCC to "Mic" and then feeding it a hot line signal. Set the camera to "Line" signal. Use the camera audio meter to st the level to keep signal at or just below -6db. That should give you a useable audio track. Concerts are loud,msomyounwill need to adjust all levels down a little to keep from over driving both the camera and Tascam. Try some tests first to get llevels right, before going on a job.

Thanks Denny!

Are you sure about -6dB?
The BMPCC sadly expects a +4 dBu pro line level, not −10 dBV consumer line level.
(This is why the line-out of the Zoom H6 recorder does not work well.)

Would this help?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1 ... 5db_9.html

The Sescom 3.5mm line-out to camera mic-in -25 dB audio cable is 9" long and is for the Zoom H6 recorder. It is designed to connect the line output of the Zoom H6 recorder to the mic inputs of compatible Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. The cable features 3.5mm TRS connectors on both ends. It also features a -25 dB attenuation pad on the mic input end of the cable. When using with the H6 recorder it steps down line-level audio to mic-level audio and matches levels to DSLR cameras.

Record with the Tascam, use the BMPCC's mics for scratch audio, sync in post. It's easy to sync in post if you either use a current version of Premiere, FCPX, or PluralEyes, or be sure to mark with slate (voice + clap in front of the lens works). You should get into the habit of marking with a slate anyway, but in most cases if you have the recording from the on-camera mics, the waveform-based sync tools work fine.

Marcus, I was referring to a -6 db level on the camera audio meter, not the signal level of the line input. Myounare correct, line level is +4db, if Tascam can not give this level, then a good preamp is needed or D box to match the signal levels.

Rakesh Malik wrote:Record with the Tascam, use the BMPCC's mics for scratch audio, sync in post. It's easy to sync in post if you either use a current version of Premiere, FCPX, or PluralEyes, or be sure to mark with slate (voice + clap in front of the lens works).

^^ This ^^
Recording back into the camera seems like an unnecessary complication.
I've lined up audio with a clap visually and by ear without the need for specific software to help me. easy peasy.

Chris Whitten wrote:

Rakesh Malik wrote:Record with the Tascam, use the BMPCC's mics for scratch audio, sync in post. It's easy to sync in post if you either use a current version of Premiere, FCPX, or PluralEyes, or be sure to mark with slate (voice + clap in front of the lens works).

^^ This ^^
Recording back into the camera seems like an unnecessary complication.
I've lined up audio with a clap visually and by ear without the need for specific software to help me. easy peasy.

It will also sound better, especially a concert. The BMD cameras are adequate (barely) for dialog, and that's about it. If you're recording sound, do it right. Use the same standard of quality that you would for your picture. Now if only we could convince BMD of the importance of audio, they could give adobe the boot from their position as the "industry substandard".

For music concerts you don't want much in the way of real audio from the camera position. Most concert videos are like live albums with vision.
If it's a small project, you might try and get the house mixer to make your recording.

When recording Music events, I use an external pro video/audio recorder, like the Sound Devices Pix 220/240, and run the camera, or cameras via a switcher, to the recorder and take audio fee off the main audio mixer board, to get the same mix. The SD Pix allows you to delay video sync to match any audio delays for perfect sync. The Pix 240 is great for multicam via a switcher, as it can genlock the cameras to it, and/or create master time code sync.