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There is a first time for everything, and if you have your mind set on producing a wedding video, you will encounter plenty of “firsts” within that initial wedding weekend. There is a first kiss, a first dance and a first slice of cake. Where will you have your cameras set up for each of these memorable moments? Will you need lights for every shot?  How will you manage the audio?

When most people think of a wedding, the visuals come to mind. The ceremony, the reception hall, being surrounded by friends and family, and of course the beautiful white dress.

Software isn’t always the most convenient way to make a recording. If you’re on the road or just trying to document a performance, all the necessary accessories to utilize a DAW can be overwhelming and delicate. A portable multi-track recorder, on the other hand, provides an all-in-one solution.

It seems like everything you buy these days has a video camera embedded in it somewhere. Computers, phones, gadgets, even game controllers stare back at you through unblinking, peephole-sized lenses.

Way back—five years ago—if you shot video, you used a video camera, and if you shot photographs, you used a still camera. Today, that distinction is all but meaningless. Almost every video camera today captures stills, and virtually every still camera now shoots video.

When most people record audio in stereo, they usually go to the most common mic configurations, such as a matched pair of microphones arranged in an X/Y pattern, or possibly those same matched mics in an ORTF pattern for a wider stereo field. 

There are obvious reasons to choose a dedicated camcorder as a gift for Mother’s Day. For starters, it won’t ring in the middle of video recording. Next, the better camcorders contain an optical zoom lens that doesn’t degrade the picture resolution during close-ups.

There’s a certain allure to turning a big knob on a high-end piece of audio gear, but sometimes the most useful tools are the inexpensive doodads. There’s an army of budget-friendly accessories that play a major role both in the studio and on set. 

What does a portable digital recorder have in common with a farm-fresh egg? You can use an egg to glaze an apple pie, cook a Denver omelet or to make fresh gnocchi. Likewise, you can use a portable digital recorder to capture live music, record the sound in a video shoot or to create a podcast in the field.

Consumers have more choices in camcorders than ever before, and some of them seem downright professional with features sets that are packed to the rafters. Canon’s VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder shoots 1920 x 1080 high definition video, and you can choose frame rates of 60i, 30p or 24p for a cinematic look and feel.

Off the cuff, one might think there are few, if any, differences between packing a DSLR system and an HDSLR system, but once you look beyond the basics, i.e. the camera bodies, lenses and tripod (the legs, but not necessarily the head), the differences start adding up.

What fits in the palm of your hand and is capable of creating a high-resolution 5.1 surround sound recording of the world around you? Nope, it’s not the Zoom H2—it’s the newly redesigned Zoom H2n Handy Recorder. This new model has some big shoes to fill for such a compact recorder, because its older brother was one of the most popular portable digital recorders of all time.

Zoom has announced the latest addition to its highly regarded line of portable digital recorders, the new H2n. It's a big deal because this model is an update to the Zoom H2, which has been one of the most popular portable recorders ever.

Okay, you've done some research and determined that many people are using portable digital recorders like the Zoom H4n and Tascam DR100 to record the audio during DSLR video shoots. Now you need some real-world advice about using this equipment properly with external microphones, field mixers and clapper slates.

Are you looking for an ultra-compact digital audio recorder that you can mount on a tripod, carry around with you all the time, and attach to your video-enabled DLSR? Do you want something drop-dead easy to use? Would you prefer not to spend over $100 on a device like this? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the solution is due to arrive in late July, and it's called the Zoom H1.

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