Recording · 6 min read
Build your first recording setup around the job
A useful signal chain starts with who you record, where you work and what must survive a bad take—not a shopping list.
Read the guideTHE FIELD NOTES / 01—12
Find the next
useful step.
Read by the job, the connection, or the problem you can hear.
12 guides
Recording · 6 min read
USB or XLR? Choose the chain before the microphone
The useful difference is where conversion, monitoring and expansion happen. A connector is not a sound-quality score.
Read the guideRecording · 6 min read
A clearer voice in a small room: change the setup first
Use a short, repeatable recording exercise to separate room, placement and equipment problems.
Read the guideWorkflow · 7 min read
What 32-bit float can—and cannot—save
Flexible files help in post. They do not make microphones, analogue inputs or radio links indestructible.
Read the guideRecording · 7 min read
Plan wedding ceremony audio around failure paths
Separate the voices, the venue feed and the backup job before you decide which recorder to buy.
Read the guideRecording · 6 min read
A two-person desk setup that is easy to repeat
Think in separate sources and recorded tracks, then check how both people will hear the conversation.
Read the guideRecording · 4 min read
Stop clothing rustle before the interview starts
A movement rehearsal and a better cable route can save more dialogue than a cleanup preset.
Read the guideMonitoring · 4 min read
Fix the doubled voice in your headphones
Trace one monitoring route at a time before chasing a smaller buffer.
Read the guideRecording · 4 min read
Match mic and line levels before you buy a cable
The connector shape is only the start of an audio connection plan.
Read the guideMonitoring · 4 min read
Choose recording headphones around the session
Fit, cable routing and a microphone bleed check are more useful than an isolated specification.
Read the guideWorkflow · 4 min read
Hand off recordings an editor can trust
Keep the source, verify the copies and explain what each file contains.
Read the guideWorkflow · 4 min read
Buy used audio gear with a verification plan
Check the exact unit, its regional suitability and the work needed to make it useful.
Read the guide