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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Line-level audio in Epic/Scarlet?

Stephen Pruitt

Stephen Pruitt

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I just bought a Scarlet and am now surprised to find out that you apparently can't get line-level audio into the camera!

What's up with that???

Is that really true?

If not, how are you doing it?

Thanks.

Stephen
 
Yeah, I bought a new Scarlet pretty recently and was confused to find that you can't switch from mic to line level inputs. My mixer is a Sound Devices 442 which allows me to switch to mic level outputs. I do that, then I'm fine. It's only for when I'm doing sound myself. I will send the boom to one side and the lav(s) to the other using the breakaway cable. With the new mixer/recorders out there it doesn't make that much sense when hiring a production sound mixer because they can iso each channel. But yeah, no line ins.
 
Unfortunately for me, my SD 788T only outputs line-level signals.

I am honestly shocked that the Scarlet doesn't allow line-level inputs. Audio mixers rag on the REDs all the time, but I'm starting to think that they might be up to something.

Certainly, the RED One allowed line-level inputs.

It's crazy. And extremely disappointing.

Stephen
 
And the Pro I/O has a fan that apparently is as loud as a leaf-blower.

This is a nightmare.

Stephen
 
Stephen,

You've got a couple of solutions. If you want to run audio through the camera without the Pro I/O, you only have two channels anyway. As fantastic as the 788 is as a recorder, it's massive overkill for that setup. You'd be better to do what others are using and get the MixPre-D with it's two channels, mic out optional on both. OR, you can record dual using that great 788 and sync in post. Those are your options as I see it. I had a 422 with my R1, then switched to the MixPre-D for the Epic and have been very pleased with that setup for my needs.
 
How noisy is the Pro I/O? Some people say it's impossible to record a conversation in a quiet room with it. Others say it's fine. What say ye?

And how hard would it have been to make the Scarlet/Epic audio inputs either line or mic level?

And, yes, Mark, we usually do double-system recording.

Thanks.

Stephen
 
In my experience, the ProIO fan is quieter than the camera's fan (bare in mind, I'm using the original Front Fan 1.0, which is the loudest)... Still would be better without noise/fans, but these cameras have never been as quiet as they could be. It might *sound* louder, because it's *right* by your ear when operating (whereas the front fan noise has to travel through the camera to reach your ear).

Other than that, attenuator. (Yay, more gack!)
 
Thanks for your message, Mike. I don't know what fan my Scarlet has in her, but when it's set to 25%, it's essentially inaudible. You think the Pro I/O is appropriate for quiet dialog with the camera six feet from an actor?

We definitely have more problems with audio than with video.

Thanks.

Stephen
 
I think it'd depend more on the room. Also, definitely update your firmware so that you can set it to "Adaptive"... It basically scales the fan according to temperature much, much, much, better and it's kind of proactive in keeping temps down (rather than running at 25% until it's too hot and then going into hair-dryer mode).

You know what, use one! Find someone in your area who has a ProIO (ask on REDuser) and actually go try it out...
 
I don't think that the fan in the Pro I/O is adaptive (I think it is just on full-tilt all the time), but if it is, then that would definitely solve the problem!

Thanks.

Stephen
 
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