Robb Montgomery

Sound recording in the field is one of the high demands now for more and more digital journalists. So where are we with the state of the art? How important is great audio and what are people using for their VOX pops and field podcasts?

What makes great audio?
Consider for a moment just how much technology, technique and expertise goes into making sound, uh, sound good. Here’s an INXS track posted by my friend Diana into her Yahoo! feed.

We take it for granted that vocals sound like this - as a society we have been raised on professionally produced audio for the last 40 years since the advent of FM radio.
It takes an incredible amount of technology and talent to make a vocal track sound this “natural.” The sound passes from the lips through an exquisite suite of electronic gear that processes it and compensates for many, many faults along the way.

Faults like varying volume levels, s’plosive “pops”, sibilance, background noise, dynamic range, channel bleed, handling noise, . . . you get the idea.
All of these are overcome by a deft combination of technique, experience and uncompromising attention to the signal chain. Our ears are extremely unforgiving.

The axiom is this: Your audio can only sound as good as your “signal chain.”

Outfitting reporters - and demanding better audio.
Editors ask me all the time - “What piece of gear can I get for my reporters to get vox pops for podcasts and live Web updates from the field?” (There is an interesting gear discussion going on at Wired Journalists and I have taken some of my replies in that group and expanded them here.)

I tell editors and J-School deans alike; depending on the story, skill level, deadline and location - you have many options - but always remember - quality audio does matter.

The low end option (Translation: everyone on staff can be trained to do this)
If you are in the field and all you have is a mobile phone with you - you can make instant MP3 Vox pops using utterz.com. (Every modern journalist has a mobile, no?)

Prove it, Robb.
OK. Here’s an impromptu podcast that was produced in the Medill classroom during my lecture on writing for the Web recently.

A freshman journalism student interviews Robb Montgomery during his afternoon lecture on Web writing and reporting.

This podcast was impromptu and of a quality expected for an instantly produced and delivered vox pop. We just used the iPhone to do it all and it was posted to the blog in real time. Want to gather up a bunch of interviews and produce a larger package? Fine you can download the MP3 and bring it into a edit suite instantly.

The Next Level - Better sound quality and more versatility
I can tell you that I been using the Zoom H4 for about 18 months and it has held up as rugged piece of kit for field work. Whether I am gathering ambient and natural sounds in Kuala Lumpur or interviewing a source in a hostile audio environment (like the back of a taxi cab in South Africa) the H4 lets a more seasoned mobile journlaist to do more. Much more.
The H4 also lets me do voice overs for video and post production by serving as the interface to the laptop. That’s how I post-produced the podcast with Bill Keller in South Africa. That’s multi-tasking where it matters.

The keys to look for are the quality of the signal chain and the pro audio options like the XLR jack on the back. The H4 also runs on AA batteries and writes to the same type of memory chip I use in my digital camera. yes, I am a road warrior and these things matter - using the same media gives you a backup and less stuff to carry.

Why are XLR jacks important? The answer is microphones, baby. I carry a couple of small lav mics with me too that can take advantage of this and that makes a HUGE difference in sound quality and noise rejection. Proper mic technique is quite simply one of the steps that makes pro audio so demonstrably more enjoyable than amateur audio.

Hostile Audio
(Zoom H4 and two lav mics)

Interview recorded in a car traveling through Cairo with windows down in 12-lanes of traffic during rush hour.

The Zoom H2 is a newer stripped down version and is likely a great basic level recorder. Somewhere between the reporters with mobiles and the H4.
It may be worth testing out, but for anyone doing field work on a regular basis - I strongly suggest the upgrade to the H4 - you will not regret it.

But what about the Edirol R09?
Use whatever you like, but as we have already mentioned, your listeners are accustomed to uncompromising quality control with their audio media.

My concern with the Edirol is that it costs $400 and doesn’t support pro audio mic connections. The Zoom H4 is also a 24-bit recorder with built-in stereo mics - and costs $100-$130 less.

When evaluating pieces of audio kit, it’s more important to consider the quality of the entire signal chain than merely the technical specs of bit rate and file formats.

e.g. Support for balanced line mics, phantom power (for lav and other common condensor mics), a quality pre-amp and limiter (Signal processing in post is also is uber-important in but really good field recorders sound GREAT because they don’t skimp on the critical mic/preamp/limiter components in the first part of that signal chain)

Robb is an audio geek
I have owned many multi-track recorders over the past 25 years (Teac reel-to-reel, Portastudio, Roland VS-1680, Tascam FW-1884) I can recommend the Zoom H4 because it was engineered to give a pro audio recording experience at a consumer price point. The stereo mics are even configured in the classic X-Y polar pattern for heaven’s sake. That’s just unheard of in consumer gear.
It’s a pocket miracle really. It’s a poor man’s Nagra ARES-M

Your listeners will judge you
It surprises me that professional journalists think that their audience is best served by serving up under-engineered audio - because it it “just for a podcast” or “the web. You would not design your newspaper with Microsoft Word - why would you skimp on audio quality becuase of the delivery mechanism? (Web)
These same people will spec $10k for single HDV video rig and then struggle to find the coin for decent mics, limiters, DAW software and recorders. Audio makes all the difference in multimedia - its one of the most satisfying investments you can make. Audio expertise and tech will upgrade your video reels, your soundslides and your podcasts. Hello? Is thing on? Can you hear me now? Good.

Just remember, the key to quality is to take care of the signal chain. People will not really think much of your professional journalism if you underproduce your efforts with thin and noisy consumer-grade audio.
They don’t expect your newspaper to be a TV station, but they will expect your MP3s to to sound professional and they expect to be able to find them on iTunes.

And here’s why
Producing audio is one of the most intimate media experiences you can have with someone. (Consider that is usually consumed as one-to one event with your listeners likely wearing earbuds.)

It deserves more attention and the best signal processing you can muster.

Oh, look. A handy comparison chart that lines up the latest low-cost, hand-held vox boxes.
- Boss Micro BR
- Zoom H4
- Edirol R-09
- M-Audio MicroTrack
- Korg MR-1
- Sony PCM-D1

The ultimate hand-held
FWIW, The Nagra ARES M is the ultimate hand-held field recorder.

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