However, with practice, it is possible to noiselessly hold an aluminum recorder while recording it’s just more difficult. Every slight movement of your hand, even the creaking of your joints, is transferred to the microphones and audible in the final recording. If you’re on a tight budget, you may not be able to afford an aluminum recorder.Īluminum field recorders are also more sensitive to handling noise. Although they may become scratched, they will handle drops, dings, and general wear much better than plastic field recorders.īecause aluminum costs more than plastic and is more difficult to work with, aluminum field recorders are more expensive than plastic ones. Aluminum-bodied field recorders block RF interference and make them a great choice for recording in urban areas.Īluminum field recorders are also very durable.
If your recording environment contains these sources, consider going with an aluminum-bodied recorder or conducting research on a plastic-bodied recorder’s RF protection.įield recorders made of aluminum have the following benefits:Īluminum naturally has a high resistance to RF interference. The closer your recorder is to these sources, the larger the risk of interference. These interference noises are only an issue if you’re recording in an environment with sources of RF interference. Without additional RF protection, plastic-bodied field recorders will record RF interference as loud clicks, pops, and static. If you’re tough on gear, record in extreme environments, or travel frequently to record, plastic is not recommended.Ī lesser drawback of plastic field recorders is their vulnerability to radio-frequency (RF) interference.
While some recorders are made of denser plastic than others, they all fall short to metal-bodied recorders when it comes to durability. Lastly, plastic recorders are lighter than their aluminum siblings by about 50%.ĭurability is the main downside of plastic field recorders. While practice and a balanced grip are still required for noiselessly holding a plastic recorder, a plastic body makes this much more feasible. Plastic helps to deaden the vibrations created by the subtle movements of your hand while holding the recorder. This savings is passed on to you (the consumer) and results in a more affordable device.Īnother benefit of plastic is less handling noise. Plastic is a very inexpensive material for manufacturers to use for constructing the body of field recorders. Unless you are a “run and gun” style filmmaker, size and weight are generally not limitations.įield recorders made of plastic have the following benefits: Recording scenarios where size and weight are less important: On the other hand, while having lighter, smaller, and less gear is always nice, some field recording settings allow you to lug in as much gear as you want. Require additional equipment outside of strictly recording Recording scenarios where size and weight are important: I often camp and record for multiple days in one location and with all my backpacking gear, my pack is already heavy and lacks space for recording gear. If you have limited space, travel often, or weight requirements, size will be an important specification to consider when choosing a field recorder.įor example, as a nature field recordist, I need my field recorders to be small and lightweight. The best field recorders for filmmaking have timecode support.įield recorders come in many different sizes which often correspond to weight. Instead, your DAW will automatically sync audio and video perfectly. The most common form of timecode displays hours, minutes, seconds and frames on a linear display in hh:mm:ss:ff format or as an alphanumeric string such as “00:00:01” (hour 00 minute 01 second).įor audio, timecode is used to synchronize multiple devices and media (both audio and video) on a metadata level.Īlthough many members of the production process use and make reference to timecode, it's particularly useful for editors and those who work in post-production.ĭuring post-production, timecode is a major time-saver.īecause both audio and video will have timecoded frames in their metadata, you do not have to manually sync audio and video. It was developed in 1967 for film production by EECO, an electronics company that developed video recorders, to keep track of individual shots when there were multiple cameras filming at the same time. Timecode is a system of measuring time by dividing time into frames.
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