Sound Devices A20 Mini - Why do pros use gear like this in the film and TV production world?

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Sound Devices A20 Mini: Why Do Pros Use Gear Like This?
In this week’s episode, we discuss how and why the Sound Devices A20 Mini wireless transmitter is useful to audio professionals in the filmmaking and TV production world. This tiny transmitter includes several distinguishing features like GainForward and SpectraBand technologies, as well as ultra-long transmission range and a wide variety of tunable bands. In this video we walk through the A20 Mini’s new technologies and talk about why pros incorporate this kind of gear into their kits. Let’s take a closer look and listen!
GainForward - how does it work? www.sounddevices.com/gainforw...
Spectraband Technology - www.sounddevices.com/spectrab...
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX. school.learnlightandsound.com
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com ko-fi.com/curtisjudd
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Sound Devices A20 Mini Digital Wireless Transmitter - Trew Audio, B&H geni.us/bpYlc
- Sound Devices A20 dual channel receiver - B&H geni.us/RZD5
- SHURE Twinplex TL-48 Lavalier microphone - Trew Audio, B&H geni.us/BLEbh0s
- Sound Devices 888 recorder - Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/zAryW4J
- Sound Devices SL-2 slot system for wireless receivers - Trew Audio, B&H geni.us/RF0ZxW
- Aputure P300C LED used as key light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store geni.us/TFVUy
- Aputure LS 300X used for background light - Aputure, B&H, Amazon geni.us/LBXWV
- Aputure Spotlight Mount - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store. Amazon geni.us/kfAj
- Rosco Gobo creates the pattern on the back wall - B&H geni.us/Yqzw
- Canon C70 cinema camera - B&H geni.us/ABYB
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L lens - B&H, Amazon geni.us/qwsEs
- Schneider Radiant Soft diffusion filter - B&H geni.us/VFScD
- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Amazon geni.us/InspOl
- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens - B&H, Amazon geni.us/gr47
The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: geni.us/G7by
Copyright 2022, Curtis Judd
#SoundDevices #A20 #Wireless #Transmitter
Index
00:00 Start
00:06 Summary
00:16 Introduction
00:58 Why so expensive and what do you get?
02:24 Gain forward
04:12 32-bit float recording
04:46 iOS/Android app control
05:25 SpectraBand
06:40 Range
08:07 Timecode generator
08:31 Tiny size
08:56 Wrap-up
09:48 Please buy my courses

Опубликовано:

28 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 210

@PawFromTheBroons Год назад

At some point, when it's mission critical and reshoots cost both a fortune and your future in the industry, you end up getting the value of the prices of professional gear.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Agreed. 👍

@dennypilot9856 Год назад

Pro gear fails just as often as not-so-pro gear

@naruto5046 Год назад

@@dennypilot9856 then are you really sure that you really know how to use them? I have seen individuals complaining about Sennheiser’s wireless G4 cause it get so much interference, turns out they just used it out of the box without changing any of the settings…

@curtisjudd Год назад

@@dennypilot9856 And usually, pro gear is repairable and the companies who offer it also offer repair options. Consumer electronics companies often do not in 2022.

@donuts_are_good Год назад

@@naruto5046 pro gear is produced by companies with much smaller R&D and production budgets than the largest tech companies in the world... Yet products produced by Samsung, Google (especially Google), Apple fail too.

@joeygwood Год назад

I love these "why do pros use this" videos. I always learn a lot. Gain forward is very interesting. I'm gonna have to look into that some more.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@SoundSpeeds Год назад

Great overview Curtis. Pros require bulletproof equipment and you pay for that. Movies and TV shows range from $10-$200 per SECOND on many union shows and they don't tolerate waiting for nonreliable gear. They'll replace you if you can't acquire the sound they require and when. The biggest issue I have with the A20 is that it's completely menu driven. On the A10 if we do a rolling restart and I have 5-10 seconds to turn on the limiter or increase the power, I can do that but on the A20 I have to connect my phone to the A20, navigate the menu and make the adjustment. Annoying.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks Allen. Fair point re: menu navigation via phone. I have to think they’ll update the A10 TX at some point.

@patrickchase5614 Год назад

I suspect that we'll be seeing a more full-featured but larger A20TX before long, hopefully with an upgrade option similar to what they offered for the A10RX. In addition to the phone UI hassles, it also can't do things like balanced inputs via AC-BALXLR-4. That leaves the boom operators out of the party.

@johnmellor932 Год назад

@Sound Speeds And yet they'll give hours to the lighting and camera dept to do their bit, but expect us to be ready in 5 minutes, I've been fired before because the director didn't like me adjusting my boom pole or wrangling cables because we were falling behind, he didn't seem to mind the talent blowing their lines though. And....there's never a budget to rent audio kit, but renting cameras and lighting is a tradition. I always see job adverts for soundies ending with "must have own kit" I'm an indie soundie working low budget but I experience this already.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

@@curtisjudd they just released today the A20-Mini battery backpack, it makes me wonder if perhaps they won't update the A10 TX, and intend the A20-Mini to be the only one, now that they've "fixed" the very poor battery life.

@GusAlZabri Год назад

@@johnmellor932 yeppp. It is what it is and that won’t change. It’s all about the picture. Take it or leave it.

@photojoseph Год назад

For once, I’ve watched a video about expensive gear and NOT felt the immediate need to upgrade 😂😂 Thanks for the education, my friend!

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@martinpauly Год назад

Thanks for making this video, Curtis. It's a really good overview of the advanced features along with use cases showing when and where a professional would rely on them. Well done! - Martin

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks, Martin.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

Other big reasons to use professional wireless: Removable antennas for the transmitters and receivers. (so you can for instance include them in an RF Distro) A range of compatible transmitter options. (I reckon this was one of the biggest reasons Lectrosonics became so successful. Want a waterproof TX? Done. Want a micro sized TX? Done. Want a TX with massive battery life? Done. Want a no frill cheaper TX? Done. etc etc etc)

@curtisjudd Год назад

Good points, thanks!

@ifaanuur9649 Год назад

I have been wondering about this for a long time. Thank you very much

@curtisjudd Год назад

🙏

@winstonphilip9231 Год назад

This is great content. Thanks for level setting expectations 🎉

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@corneliusvonrichten Год назад

Thank you for the good overview.

@curtisjudd Год назад

You're most welcome!

@ToddWhirley Год назад

Just saw you were now at 200K subscribers, Curtis! Congratulations!!! 🎉

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thank YOU, Todd!

@jimshaw899 Год назад

Always glad to see pro gear discussed here. It has its place, for sure. Get a reputation for holding up production to mess with balky sound gear and you'll soon be home with your feet up, not hired. I recently saw a short video about the lead on-set mixer-recordist on the Heartland (CBC) series. In my opinion, the Heartland dialog sound is among the best and cleanest I've ever heard. There just isn't time in this guy's day for tinkering with balky gear. All of his equipment must be highly portable for the many set locations -- many are outdoors. Outdoor temps in Alberta are hugely variable, and I've seen them film in the falling snow and rain. The crew is huge and daylight is precious. You wouldn't want to be 'that guy' who holds up the production schedule due to interference, garbled dialog, or cable/connector failures. Eh? ;)

@curtisjudd Год назад

Indeed, no! Eh!

@hamradiowithkevin Год назад

As a self funded person, I can't afford this type of upgrade yet. I have to say this type of video is very helpful to understand what is available and why. Your videos and your courses have helped me SO very much Curtis, Thank you for the work you do.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks!

@ScottJWaldron Год назад

Very interesting! I like learning about the entire spectrum of audio gear.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@walter.bellini Год назад

Truly enjoy your videos they are always premiere quality.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks Walter.

@chriscutress1702 Год назад

I use the DJI system currently but I can certainly see the need for the A20 Mini when doing big budget work where reliability, quality and speed are the priority. It's like the difference with using Sound Devices recorders compared to ZOOM or TASCAM units. They all can do the job and they all have their own niche uses. The same as when NAGRA was the chosen over UHER and other analog reel tape recorders used for portable location recordings. A comparison of the RODE, DJI and the Sound Devices wireless recorders would be interesting if presented in a single presentation.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Do you mean DJI mic?

@chriscutress1702 Год назад

@@curtisjudd Sorry ...late night typing mistake. Yes I do mean DJI as it's sitting on my desk in front of me this very moment. AARRGGHH I've updated my original post.

@anotherguycalledsmith Год назад

As always, excellent content from your side… Thanks ;-)

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks.

@carlosquinteronoda Год назад

Hi Curtis, I really enjoyed the video. Mainly because you presented a fact, i.e. professional gear is expensive and worth it, without fuss and with the level of professionalism that characterise your videos. Thanks a lot! Finally, I work in another field and I can promise that the prices we are talking about here very low in comparison, 😉

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks, Carlos. 👍

@avdcam Год назад

The UK and Canada versions have recording and transmitting mode enabled simultaneously since the zaxcom patent doesn't apply in those regions. Pretty awesome.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Yes, looking forward to the expiration of those patents.

@KonnorGann Год назад

@@curtisjudd I'm curious when the expiration of those patents is!

@curtisjudd Год назад

@@KonnorGann Me, too.

@avdcam Год назад

@@curtisjudd looks like some of the patents expire in 2025 or 2028, hard to know exactly. so maybe sooner than we think.

@nixoncontreras8744 Год назад

Very helpful as always

@curtisjudd Год назад

🙏

@joenicklo Год назад

Great explanation as usual.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@toby9815 Год назад

Nice overview of a pro product. I have to say the lav and a20/a10 combination that you are using for the video sounds really good.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@cyberdefenseddi Год назад

Good stuff ! Tools of the trade I agree.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Tools, indeed 👍

@fiercesound2138 Год назад

Great video as usual.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks.

@leanderofcourse8631 Год назад

I'm not surprised that this costs so much. Professional camera gear is expensive too and has a lot more features than consumer gear. People don't wonder about that as much. But great sound is just as important as a great picture if not even more important.

@bluemonkey256 Год назад

Sound is half the picture.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Couldn’t agree more.

@patrickchase5614 Год назад

I'd love to know how they crammed floating-point into the same width channel as the existing A10TX. I can't help but wonder if they're actually sending some flavor of FP24 over the air to keep the bitrate constant. That would be reasonable and very unlikely to introduce any detectable quality degradation relative to A10TX's Int24. The fact that an A10RX can accept the A20's full-range signal with only a firmware upgrade indicates just how much programmability (presumably via FPGA) high end SD stuff has. I would not be surprised to see FP recording in the 8-series before long, again via firmware/bitstream upgrade. For now you can simply route the A20 to multiple channels with different trim values to create safety channels. One thing the A20 can't do AFAIK is handle balanced mics as the A10TX can. I expect to see an A20TX for that before long. Also probably worth mentioning that you can get your A10RX upgraded to A20RX for $750 if you buy an A20 or if you bought your A10RX within the last 12 months. It's $1K otherwise IIRC. I'm not sure I'd choose the DJI Mic as my example of a consumer system. It's slick and convenient, but with every mic I tested (DPA 4060, COS-11D, Deity, random cheap ones I have laying around) its noise floor was significantly worse than the fixed-gain Rode Go II, regardless of the DJI's TX gain setting. Admittedly the noise floor is more than good enough for simple close-mic'ed applications, but even so I'd choose the Rode just to not have to worry about it.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Probably 24-bit float is my guess.

@KatjaVogt Год назад

Thank you Curtis, timely and helpful! Question: did you use an off-the-shelf Shure TL48? Because I seem to recall that some Shure lavs (Twinplex? Duraplex?) use different pin-outs compared to standard Lemo-3. I asked Sound Devices and they believe standard TL47/48 Lemo-3 wiring should work as is-but they haven’t tried themselves.

@curtisjudd Год назад

No, mine was custom terminated for A10

@robertnelson3179 Год назад

Cool tech and reasons for it

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@kevinbeckenham3872 Год назад

Thank you, Curtis very informative documentary, on Sound Devices radio mic. Is case very strong, meaning can radio mic withstand height of 100 feet drop onto on to concrete from block of apartments.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Probably not, no. But it could be repaired. And that's not something most consumer product companies wouldn't offer.

@mshaftenberg Год назад

Hey Curtis, thanks for this video! But may I ask why there is so much noise gating going on this time while you're talking? I'm listening over headphones and got quite distracted because of the obvious noise floor when you are speaking, but not in the pauses. Doesn't happen in other videos. What was the cause? RF transmitting?

@curtisjudd Год назад

Manual attenuation of the breaths in post. It is not an issue with the wireless system. More of an issue with my breathing.

@geycat Год назад

Great Video as always , Thanks Curtis ! , it would be great if you could make a video that explain how wireless receivers connecting to Shark Fin Antennas ? is it a must to use device like PSC RF Multi SMA that kind of device ?

@curtisjudd Год назад

Most production sound mix carts for TV and Film us LPDA fin style antennae because you can usually get more range with them. But I’d you’re working indoors in a small space with just a couple of channels of wireless they’re not as critical.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

You wouldn't want to use a pair of shark fins for each and every receiver you have, that's madness! Thus that is why you need an RF Distro.

@GwynCole Год назад

Very interesting!

@curtisjudd Год назад

🙏

@pushrax Год назад

When the antenna is placed very close to the skin I've heard several reports of lower than expected range with the A20, that I haven't experienced with the Zaxcom ZMT4 and ZMT4-X. Also Shure Axient Digital definitely has the best transmission range across the board. If Shure implements simultaneous record and transmit when the Zaxcom patent expires in 2025, I'll strongly consider switching to them.

@TysonKreiter Год назад

The firmware for the Long Range modulation came out not too long ago, so I’d reassess the lower expected range claims now. I’m sure they’re similar to Shure now. So both of them stand at the top in terms of range. You’re right though. It hardly matters for Zax since you have a backup while transmitting with Zax. Can’t wait until their patent expires haha

@curtisjudd Год назад

Nice that there are several great options in 2022. 👍

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

Am also waiting for the Shure ADX3, I think that's even more important to me than internal recording.

@GusAlZabri Год назад

Hi Curtis, How about phantom power? Does it have its own phantom power? Hence, Can I use it as a boom mic transmitter? As always, thank you for this and all your videos on RU-vid. Your channel has been my favorite for years

@curtisjudd Год назад

No, the A-20 Mini is for lavalier mics. You'd use the A10 for mics which need phantom power.

@ksukhia Год назад

In addition to the valid reasons listed for the high price, there is also the basic factor of a low volume market in play. They don't sell nearly as many of these as for example Shure & its wireless products, which means they aren't producing in the sort of quantities that Shure does, hence the component cost will be higher.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Yes, another good point. Thanks Karl.

@DannerPlace Год назад

Very interesting.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@user-eo1qp6eh5l Год назад

I bought two of these and as great as the size is - not having manual buttons loses points for me. After one drop inside of a house the bluetooth connectivity for one device broke so the only thing I could do was manually turn it on and off, couldn't change the frequency. Then the battery doubler for one snapped off when I was just opening it. Wasn't forceful or anything, it just broke at the hinges. Pretty disappointed given how expensive these are and accidents can happen on set. I'm sending it in for repair and I'm lucky that the gig I'm on is fairly simple in terms of the number of characters that I can work with what I have left. Back ups of back ups are important and it's a learning lesson for me moving forward with Sound Devices transmitters. At least the A10's have buttons and are compatible with the A20 RX, so I might work with those and only use the A20's if absolutely necessary for less bulk and easier hiding.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Yes, I only pull out the A20 Mini when I have to hide it and the wardrobe is tightly fitting

@mikekelly6774 Год назад

Even as an amateur, as much as I love my Rode Wireless Go, it runs on the same spectrum as my camera's remote control app. So, I am often losing the connection to my camera once I turn on my wireless mic.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Yes, there’s a big downside to 2.4GHz wireless systems.

@marklholloway 12 дней назад

Thanks this was a great and helpful overview to understand Pro vs. Semi-Pro. It pains me that the Zaxcom patent cripples so many Pro, Semi-Pro, and Consumer wireless devices in the States. Unfortunately the patent doesn't expire until 2030.

@curtisjudd 11 дней назад

👍

@xgonejack8572 Год назад

Would you like to do a review on Deity PR-2 likely their first 32bit float recorder?

@curtisjudd Год назад

Yes.

@OTsuperduper Год назад

The super wide frequency range is particularly attractive.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@darrenorange2982 Год назад

It would be great if you might be able to review or do a rundown on wearable recorders that support both 32 bit and timecode.

@curtisjudd Год назад

That’ll be this, the Tentacle Track E ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W2mdXyhmtyg.html and the ZOOM F2: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2y51ptCAOdI.html

@darrenorange2982 Год назад

@@curtisjudd The Zoom F2 supports timecode? Can you sync it to a Zoom F6?

@curtisjudd Год назад

@@darrenorange2982 The Bluetooth version does, I believe, with the ATOMOS Ultrasonic Blue. But I might have that wrong.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

@@darrenorange2982 only the F2-BT does TC, not the plain F2

@creativegreatsvisuals 2 месяца назад

Would you pick this a20 mini system or The lectrosonics dbsm single battery body packs and dual receiver system ?

@curtisjudd 2 месяца назад

I chose this, but, but, but, the A20 mini is a special purpose TX and I only use it when I have to hide on wardrobe is very form fitting or when the shoot will be short. Battery life is very short on this. I use the regular A10 RX for most cases.

@freeadrian1144 Год назад

I am a rank amateur at this stuff, so take this for what it is worth. With respect to the gain forward capability, it seems like this would mainly be a benefit for real-time level adjustment, i.e. when all sound source channels are combined and recorded into a single channel immediately. If the separate sources are kept separate on the receiving end, it seems like at least the level adjustments could be performed later in post. Also, since the adjustments are performed on the receiving end after the analog sound has been digitized, any A/D converter overdrive or underdrive problems could not be corrected on the receiving end. Does any of this make sense?

@schooltechnology Год назад

I noticed that the diagram indicated floating point digital transmission. This would allow for wide range of gain. But it needs to be converted into a fixed bit range for recording in a standard format.

@freeadrian1144 Год назад

@@schooltechnology I noticed the floating point transmission also, but wondered how that helps if the original digitized value is over/under range. The diagram shows a "multi-stage a/d converter". Maybe that is some kind of special a/d converter that adapts to a wide range of input voltages?

@freeadrian1144 Год назад

@@schooltechnology I found the manufacturers description of the GainFoward design. It depends on floating point transmission and a multi-stage A/D converter, plus a low-noise, high dynamic range pre-amp. In their words: “There are three necessary elements that make the GainForward Architecture possible: 1) a very low-noise microphone preamplifier with significant dynamic range; 2) patented multi-stage ADC (analog-to-digital converter) topology to capture the entire dynamic range of the analog source; 3) floating-point digital RF transmission.” which all helps to explain the high cost.

@curtisjudd Год назад

The dynamic range is truly impressive when you get a chance to work with it. Their implementation works really well.

@chungdha Год назад

Would like to see Curtis dress up as Joker for halloween and make a video that shows how he would record some creepy foley noise with his sound gear.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Who’s the joker?

Год назад

awesome video! btw... what about the lavs and mic ? are there even better ones pros use ? right now i use a Sennheiser mkh8070 and i want to buy a a good lav soon

@curtisjudd Год назад

Here’s a look at some pro grade lavalier mics: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tXb7Ov-S6dc.html

Год назад

@@curtisjudd aaah awesome i have not seen that one, thank you very much!

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

Take a look at the DPA 6060, Shure Twinplex, and Sony ECM88B

Год назад

@@SoundSpeeding nice! Thanks!

@blnksktch Год назад

Hey, thanks for this and everything on the channel. One question I'm always pondering is what the logical step up is from the basic Sennheiser G4/AVX level wireless systems is? It's incredibly unclear. For many projects I'll have a sound recordist but sometimes... not. And then it's mostly being stressed about the unreliable gain levels on low/mid range wireless units. Ideally there would be something robust that recored 32 bit float and maybe threw in a low cut to the transmitter and a receiver that doesn't assume you're putting it in an audio bag. Does such a thing exist?

@adriangoodman Год назад

Tentacle Track E

@blnksktch Год назад

@@adriangoodman you can't monitor that from the receiver. Or can you? Seems like the jump up from Sennheiser's units is actually to the Sound Devices or Lectro units. But it's like 4x. Huge opportunity for someone.

@adriangoodman Год назад

@@blnksktch With the non-US version of the Track E you can attach a transmitter to the headphone jack and monitor in real time (I do that using a Rode Wireless Go as a transmitter).

@blnksktch Год назад

@@adriangoodman aaah. Clever!

@curtisjudd Год назад

You can now monitor from the app.

@Narsil1794 Год назад

Looking forward to the firmware update that will allow users to record and transmit at the same time in the U.S. The Zaxcom patent runs out relatively soon. 🤘🏽

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@JaredRibic Год назад

Does this allow for recording (32-bit float) *and* transmitting at the same time, or is it an either/or option on the phone app?

@curtisjudd Год назад

In the US it is either/or not both because of patents held by another company. Outside of the US I believe you can do both simultaneously.

@creativegreatsvisuals 2 месяца назад

Whats is the best receiver for this a20mini to get all the newest features out of this a20mini?

@curtisjudd 2 месяца назад

A20 receiver supports gain forward.

@kevinbatts2804 Год назад

Time to get the popcorn 🍿. Thanks for all the great content.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Thanks Kevin. Enjoy!

@2001Film Год назад

Hi Curtis. There is plenty of video about recording sound and equipment in internet. But what about post production sound equipments? Should we need a proper audio interface or AV receiver maybe Zoom F series kind recorders? Can you make a video about post audio equipment for video please? Thank you…

@curtisjudd Год назад

Ok.

@2001Film Год назад

@@curtisjudd Thank you

@jdebmd Год назад

Curtis what the difference between the A20 RX vs RX-Sl and can you use these with a Sound Devices 633 or Mix pre 10

@curtisjudd Год назад

The SL version comes with the back plate for slot systems like the SL2. I’m sure you can use it with 6XX series recorders but I don’t know whether you get full control via the mixer. You’ll want to contact SD support to confirm that.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

@@curtisjudd you can use the receivers with any recorder, but the SL2 only works with the 8 Series. And the SL6 only works with the Sound Devices 688 & Scorpio.

@bob76451 Год назад

Hi Curtis, I was under the impression that you can record to and transmit from the A20-Mini simultaneously. Is that not the case?

@curtisjudd Год назад

In the US there are patents held by another company. So in the US, you can do one or the other but not both at the same time. Outside of the US, the A20 Mini can record and transmit simultaneously.

@bob76451 Год назад

@@curtisjudd Ah, I see. Thank you.

@giuliotrejo4256 Год назад

Hey Curtis! I've actually been waanting to get a pair of these as my next big purchase for my kit. I have a set of a10s already and love them. I know the qualiy of the a20 transmiters is amazing, however i hear bad things about the battery life? do you know how long it would last with the sony based batteries, ive heard it only last 2 hours with aaa batteries?

@curtisjudd Год назад

Depends on settings but about 2-3 hours

@giuliotrejo4256 Год назад

@@curtisjudd dang thats pretty short, i assume recording with it makes it shorter? would u say that (i mainly record documentary) i would be better off getting another set of a10 for battery life. I can get european version so i can still record.

@curtisjudd Год назад

@@giuliotrejo4256 Yeah, the A20 is somewhat special purpose in my mind. It's big trick is its tiny size for tricky wardrobe. I'm hopeful there will be an A20 (non Mini) in the not-too-distant future.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

Check out the new battery backpack that Sound Devices just announced for the A20-Mini. Otherwise consider Sony DWX? Their battery life is really good!

@giuliotrejo4256 Год назад

@@SoundSpeeding just saw them earlier today. Defs a must buy for me if I get the a20s, just a little worried about the wonky shape haha.

@DannerPlace Год назад

The TV show 'Survivor' does an amazing job of capturing audio from afar, hiding the equipment very well. I wonder how they do that ... ???

@curtisjudd Год назад

Lots of clever hiding.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

They're wearing a lav in their necklaces.

@aaronho4242 Год назад

from what i know many of these sets also use stuff such as electronics and sure axient wireless systems.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Lectrosonics, Wisycom, Shure, etc. yes.

@busyak Год назад

How does it work with the restrictions on internal recording? I know it shouldn’t work in the US, but if I buy a US model (from, say, Gotham) will the internal recorder be disabled permanently, even if I work abroad? If I want a working internal recorder, will I need to buy it from a foreign distributor? Or will it only be disabled on US soil and still working in other countries? Thanks

@curtisjudd Год назад

I believe you’ll need to buy the non-US version but best to contact SD support to confirm.

@dag221 Год назад

The scale of economics comes in to play also . This pro level equipment is very highly engineered and developed and is going to be sold to a customer base that will be a lot smaller than say consumer level wireless systems. Rode, DJI and others are hoping to sell tens or even hundred of thousands of their units while systems like the A20 will be sold in much smaller quantities to a much more niche group of people. They have to get that R&D money back on a much smaller per unit basis. Even if Sound Devices sold a million of them it would still cost more because it's a higher quality and more capable unit. As I always say, cheaper consumer level equipment works well in ideal conditions and the pro level equipment works well in less than ideal conditions. And that is why it cost more.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Great points 👍

@curtisjudd Год назад

I believe in the production sound world, most of the manufacturers supply the niche retailers but your point stands. They only sell through specialized retailers with staff skilled enough to not only represent and sell the gear, but in many cases, also service the gear.

@RustyTube Год назад

Very interesting, thank you. Even if I doubt I will decide to become a professional sound mixer at the age of 72½. 🤣

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍🎙️

@makatron Год назад

People así me why I rig up the camera and carry large batteries and loads of lighting gear to small gigs. I'd rather be over prepared than stopping the shoot because conditions changed and I'm not ready.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@soundmixervegas 10 месяцев назад

Can it record and transmit at the same time?

@curtisjudd 10 месяцев назад

Outside of the US, yes. It isn’t a technical limitation. It is a patent issue.

@soundmixervegas 10 месяцев назад

@@curtisjudd issue?

@curtisjudd 10 месяцев назад

@@soundmixervegas Zaxcom has a patent so Sound Devices has opted NOT to allow recording and transmitting at the same time so that they don't risk ending up in court, sued by Zaxcom.

@TedHallII Год назад

Other factors in using more expensive equipment include the tax advantages of amortizing the cost over time. Eventually they pay for themselves. But the lack of controls for the "talent" to futz with which can be nearly as important as all all the other features combined.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Another good point, thanks Ted.

@garymentimon1532 Год назад

My issue is the ios or Android dependency. After I spend 20k on a fully decked out Sound Devices cart I want full reliability controlled inside one ecosystem. What if Apple or Android sends out an update that makes the app crash on open and the fix has to come from the OS side? What if Apple discontinues the iPad or Google ends support for Android? The unlikelihood of this is irrelevant. The fact is when the functionality of a piece of equipment depends on a third party who’s mandate is to act in the interest of their own business and product line there’s a risk to reliability for me the end user with a 20k investment. Make everything operable from the mixer - redundancy. Relying on third party products to make it work makes it not mission critical to me.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Understood. My perspective for my own work is that the A20 Mini is a niche addition to my 4 A10 TX packs for when I need to conceal the pack under tight wardrobe. I’m hopeful that there’ll be new A20 TXs soon (non-mini). And I agree that all the settings need to be controllable from the mixer. For now, A10 TXs are my main TX packs.

@RDRvideoprod Год назад

Just the video to my question of why the heck this gadget is expensive.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@skakdosmer Год назад

What did professionals use before this kind of device was invented?

@curtisjudd Год назад

Boom mics and a lot less flexibility and more ADR.

@skakdosmer Год назад

@@curtisjudd thanks. I'm sure you've talked about ADR before, but my memory ... well, I had to look it up. And after seeing a lot of links to some Agreement about transportation of Dangerous goods by Road (and figured that that probably wasn't it), I included "audio" in my search and found Automated Dialogue Replacement. Thanks again.

@SoundSpeeding Год назад

Prior to the A20 (or A10) series? Then Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid was very very VERY popular, and still is today. (my own wireless is mostly Lectro Digital Hybrids) Before Lectro Digital Hybrid? Then their Lectro 200 Series! Before that? Then it was their single fixed frequency UHF wireless from Lectro. Before THAT? Then it was Lectro's VHF wireless. But what about even before that? Well, wireless did exist and was used. But it really was very rare. You saw much more usage of long shotguns such as the Sennheiser MKH816, and the entire production was a lot less anti-Sound than they are today! So they'd work with you, rather than against you, to get the sound you needed. Respect for sound has apparently fallen a lot from what it used to be decades ago, or so I've heard from veterans.

@JamesClark1991 Год назад

Waiting on a Tentacle Track E with wireless transmission to crash the market.

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍

@johnmellor932 Год назад

I'm a good 10 years away from this kit. And then it'd be second hand. God....

@curtisjudd Год назад

But now you know what to expect in 10 years 🙃

@LongtowerNyc Год назад

Tax write offs are a big reason too. Use the gear get the writeoff, then sell it used. Recoupe your losses.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Good point, thanks for that, LongtowerNyc.

@Bioluminous-CAS Год назад

So, will you be selling your A10s now? Asking for a friend.

@curtisjudd Год назад

LOL! No, for me, the A20 is for special cases where I need the TX to be as small as possible. I don’t work on sets as big as feature film and TV series.

@patlecat Год назад

Why are those things so damn expensive? :(

@curtisjudd Год назад

That’s what we covered in the video. Super niche product which required quite a bit of R&D. Also, they work really well.

@patlecat Год назад

@@curtisjudd i know i watched it, it was more of an outcry and not so serious.

@curtisjudd Год назад

@@patlecat Yes, my wallet feels this.

@sanjacobs6261 Год назад

Frankly, every pro I've ever met or talked to does everything they can to avoid using the A20 Mini.

@curtisjudd Год назад

There are different pros doing different types of work ad they each need different things. I'm a pro, and this is a useful addition to my kit, though I will say that the A20 Mini is not my primary transmitter pack - it is a specialty option versus my A10 transmitters.

@sanjacobs6261 Год назад

@@curtisjudd Haha, yes. Certainly, when you need the A20 Mini, it is a massive lifesaver! But most pros I've talked to are just really annoyed with the app and battery life :P

@kebman Год назад

Self funding can be done in many interesting ways, especially if you know the tax system. Most places expenses, also for new production equipment, is tax deductible. And so is resale value loss over time. Sometimes the system works so that if you want to shield profits from taxes, you simply invest in more production gear, and then you have the option to re-sell gear when or if you suddenly need more ahem _liquidity._ Knowing VAT rules can also help, and oftentimes there are special rebates for art, creative or cultural work, meaning you can write off VAT in those sectors. Check your local tax code for what is possible.

@curtisjudd Год назад

Good point, thanks for sharing.

@jas_bataille Год назад

Why is that we sound engineer *always* have to justify the extra money spent on our highest-end gear?! No one goes around thinking it's dumb to rent a quarter-million calibrated zoom lens from Panavision or to own an Arri. Lectrosonic system used on pretty all you favorite Hollywood movies and streamed shows those days - and in big live shows, think Cirque du Soleil, etc - costing around 5000 dollars for a single combo of emitter and receiver, so around 300 dollars more than those units. Compared to camera systems tho, the price is tiny...!

@curtisjudd Год назад

I agree. Few seem to bat an eye at a RU-vid reviewer who sings the praises of a $2500 DSLR lens. Setting intelligent priorities is where many of us get mixed up.

@ropeyarn Год назад

Sound error(s) do not automatically cause a reshoot, or even a retake if the visuals are right. They take the actors into the sound studio and lip sync the scene.

@curtisjudd Год назад

True in some cases. Not always the case for TV productions.

@dragade101 Год назад

Would love to know the lifetime and serviceability of a unit that costs 2.2kusd. I hope app support is extensive and you are getting at least 10 to 15 years warrantee than this being ewaste in 1 to 5 years (Apple being the perfect case of charging way too much while having short short lifespans of nearly unrepairable products)(I would be ok for Apple charging their prices if their products also were guaranteed for 10 years - successfully supporting OS updates while guaranteeing speeds 10 years into the future, because the hardware is controlled and the developer of your hardware is the same as the software developer)

@curtisjudd Год назад

The warranty certainly is NOT 10-15 years, but Sound Devices does service their gear and the last generation of products were in production for well over 10 years and I believe they still offer repair service even now they are out of production.

@dragade101 Год назад

@@curtisjudd I would love companies to be transparent about their costs for running a repair program and making it clear here is the price to have a product with component repairability for at least 10 years

@curtisjudd Год назад

@@dragade101 Me too.

@kebman Год назад

So the receiver becomes a recorder???? Am-az-ing!

@curtisjudd Год назад

👍