Raptor-VV vs Raptor X preamps

[Michael McCaffrey]

I know the new RaptorX has improved preamps, but are the preamps in the VV camera really that bad that they cannot be used? I’m looking at the VV camera for some documentary & narrative work. Definitely planning to record audio in camera. Price difference for the X is $5k but I don’t “need” the ext highlights or phantom track, or even the global shutter really. So not sure it’s worth it just for slightly better preamps?

 

[Phil Holland]

They are cleaner and louder, far better suited for capturing audio in camera with the X, but I was able to on rolling Raptor as well.

 

[AndreasOberg]

I have not tested them but I from what I understand they are not slightly better, but a lot better. The preamps are weak in Red cameras by default and really need an external preamp to be good. You could also attach a small pre-amp. Red is not that easy to use for docu work imho.

 

[Kemalettin Sert]

I know the new RaptorX has improved preamps, but are the preamps in the VV camera really that bad that they cannot be used? I’m looking at the VV camera for some documentary & narrative work. Definitely planning to record audio in camera. Price difference for the X is $5k but I don’t “need” the ext highlights or phantom track, or even the global shutter really. So not sure it’s worth it just for slightly better preamps?

CVP did a video on Raptor-X and tested the audio

 

[Zack Birlew]

For our soon to be finished feature film, "The Diner", we used our RED One MX audio as on-set backup audio and for post sync with a Rode NTG-2 shoe mounted on the side of the camera. The main audio was a Sound Devices MixPre 6 but a lot of times the RED One MX audio sounded just fine for conversational scenes and even saved our butts in some instances for not having to do foley sound effects work. A bit of Izotope RX sound reduction cleanup goes a long way towards making what would normally be unusable audio into usable tracks. If we can get that on a RED One MX, I think the later cams would have a good step up at the least, however, nothing says you couldn't toss an inexpensive Zoom recorder in your bag to get even better audio and just post sync with the RED audio later like we did.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

I have not tested them but I from what I understand they are not slightly better, but a lot better. The preamps are weak in Red cameras by default and really need an external preamp to be good. You could also attach a small pre-amp. Red is not that easy to use for docu work imho.

Dissagree. Shooting documentry with Red since the Epic-X (Mysterium-x sensor) times (2014) with great success. From the rain forest to the Peruvian Andes. Keep it simple is your best friend (ND in the mount, Focus knob ala Rtmotion, USB-C external hard drive (now there are SSDs to get more TB) ... I had one Pelicase with the bateries and camera accessories and another bag for lenses and Laptop.

Regarding Audio I'm pleased to shoot on the Komodo-X with the best preamp out there : M2D2 from Sonosax.

I dissagree with CVP that "32bit should be the priority" to add but a AES input so there is no unnecessary extra AD conversion.
The M2D2 (same preamp as what is found on the Alexa35 sound module) has a fantastic limitor compressor that can take advantage of the 135db DR (BTW suitable for 24 bit) and do a fantatic job in lowering the high impact sounds to a "usable" level for the lower analog input of the camera. No need to worry about clipping.

;-)


And here my docu setup :

With a MS couple from Schoeps : CCM41/CCM8 in a Cinela Léo MS.




Happy shooting


Patrick