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“Keep recording...
You never
know when
something
magical
might happen...”
Max Roach
- legendary
Jazz drummer
New York, USA
- These words
were said to
me by Max Roach
at a practice
session I was
engineering,
for a future
CD project Max
was spearheading.
The artist Max
Roach was eyeing
during this
practice session,
was none other
than the great
panist
Len “Boogsie”
Sharpe, another
legendary figure
in his own right,
who displayed
Charlie “Bird”
Parker-like
qualities, according
to Max. That
was indeed the
ultimate compliment
and recognition
of talent. Particularly
since very few
people impressed
Max. But more
importantly
and germane
to this article
is that Max
implicitly understood
the importance
of being able
to capture that
‘special moment’
with the best
technology available
of the day.
Having partnered
with some of
the greatest
musicians to
have ever walked
the planet -
Duke Ellington,
Charles Mingus,
Sonny Rollins,
Clifford Brown,
Dizzy Gillespie,
Charlie Parker,
Thelonious Monk,
Coleman Hawkins,
Bud Powell and
Miles Davis
- to name a
few - capturing
‘the moment’
whenever these
musical legends
were part of
the mix was
the ultimate,
because it never
repeats itself.
Max would reiterate
this concept
to me many times
during my relationship
with him as
an engineer.
He had me make
digital recordings
everywhere and
anytime he played
or produced
a project, at
a time when
folks were still
immersed in
the analog world.
And after a
great performance
he would always
ask “did you
get it?” and
smile.
I was capturing
both history
and magic.
Fast-forward
>> If
Max were still
alive today,
he would undoubtedly
be shooting
everything he
did in HD (high
definition).
He was an undercover
techie and would
ask, what was
the best out
there to get
the job done.
Yes,
HD is
the new “new”
or the only
“only.”
And if you are
not shooting
it in HD you
ain’t ready
for prime time
and you are
bringing up
the rear.
Well not exactly,
but HD is where
you need to
be - what with
UHDV (ultra
high definition
video) already
being worked
on. We
are not saying
that you have
to immediately
produce DVDs
that are of
Basement Recordings
or When Steel
Talks-quality.
However, given
the quality
of the available
HD equipment
for capturing
video and audio
there is no
excuse for the
continued production
of the awful
recordings the
art form has
been subjected
to over the
years (just
check some of
the atrocities
that are up
on YouTube).
With
the availability
of high-level
consumer to
pro-level products,
steelband music
franchises and
educational
institutions
can no longer
be held hostage
by incompetent
techies and
inadequate equipment.
The two main
exhibitors we
have seen at
the 2010 PDN
(Photo District
News) PhotoPlus
Expo for HD
camcorders are
Canon and Sony.
Both manufacturers
have excellent
camcorders that
cover both the
consumer and
professional
dominion.
We are going
to talk about
reasonable expectations
based on what
we saw, heard
and experienced.
As many are
aware, because
of our ties
to Basement
Recordings we
have a long
history of providing
technical equipment
evaluations;
however today
we are going
to pass on the
extreme technical
aspects, and
instead talk
about what we
liked from purely
a ‘getting the
job done’
perspective.
No heavy tech
talk today.
I promise.
Well, maybe
just a little
bit.
Sony gets our
nod this year.
Why? The
equipment works,
price per performance
ratio is excellent,
upgrade ability
is a ‘yes.’
The folks at
the Sony booth
were very engaging,
the folks at
Canon were not.
That was disappointing,
but not a valid
reason to deep-six
Canon’s HD camcorders.
They do make
very good stuff.
And we are not
saying that
one million
steelpan enthusiasts
should only
consider the
Sony solution
to digital video
capturing of
their performances.
Hey, but having
said that -
you know what
they say in
the ’hood -
“you slow, you
blow.”
And if one company
gives you that
warm and fuzzy
feeling over
another - so
be it.
It is your hard-earned money.
Look - HD is
ideally suited
to the steel
orchestra.
High-energy
performances
that require
a large audio
dynamic range,
the capturing
of lots of motion
from a visual
perspective,
coupled with
the wide setup
that most orchestras
utilize when
they perform
- are clearly
better served
by the 16:9
ratio the HD
cameras sport.
The world has
moved on, HD
has been ‘it’
for a while.
Sony tech
Dax Lin
demonstrates
the company’s
camcorder
line
The two Sony
cameras that
impressed WST
(When Steel
Talks) were
the
Sony HDR-AX2000
High Definition
Flash Memory
Handycam Camcorder
and the
Sony NEX-VG10
Interchangeable
Lens HD Handycam
Camcorder.
The HDR-AX2000
is an arsenal
piece boasting
some ‘professional’
features that
can take you
into the film
production domain.
It gets two
thumbs up from
us on every
level.
The going street
price for the
HDR-AX2000 is
just under $3,500.
There is no
downside to
owning a piece
of equipment
of this caliber.
It is good to
go. If
your budget
can handle this
go with it.
It has everything,
and since we
promised not
to get into
any heavy, long-winded
tech talk we
will leave it
at that.
If you take
the time to
learn the machine
- you can do
great things
with it.
HDR-AX2000 |
NEX-VG10
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The NEX-VG10
is going for
just under $2,000.
It provides
you with a lot
of capability.
It is not an
‘end-all’ or
the greatest
thing since
sliced bread
or the tenor
pan. But
with a few additives
and informed
usage, it can
get the job
done on a very
large scale.
Sony’s NEX-VG10
at the 2010
PhotoPlus
Expo in
New York
This camcorder’s
greatest strength
is that it provides
great flexibility.
The NEX-VG10
allows for interchangeable
lenses and puts
together different
configurations
to suit your
growing or ‘changing’
needs.
At our production
wing, Basement
Recordings looks
for forward
compatibility
in all our equipment
purchases, that
is - the ability
to interface
seamlessly with
future technologies.
The NEX-VG10
meets this requirement.
The NEX-VG10
reminds me of
my old trusty
Sony DCR-TRV310.
Yes, don’t laugh.
I own one and
use it all the
time.
It has traveled
all over the
world and has
captured/made
some of the
most important
documentary,
news clips and
performance
recordings the
steelpan music
genre has ever
known.
Some twelve
years later
my DCR-TRV310
is still kicking.
And the NEX-VG10
is in its class.
Yes, the WST
video team does
laugh at me
when the
DCR-TRV310
is whipped out,
as do many of
the other professional
videographers
at main events.
But - it is
still WST video
footage that
everyone talks
about, because
‘the moment’
was captured
by that Sony
DCR-TRV310,
and by someone
who knows how
to ‘work that
baby to the
max.’
We dare say
WST has been
able to produce
better quality
videos with
the old DCR-TRV310,
than some full
production houses
have of their
national panoramas.
You need to
take control
of the performance
situation.
WST’s trusty
Sony DCR-TRV310
- devoted
to capturing
the steelband
art form,
with XLR
converter
The key to great
video is great
audio.
The Sony NEX-VG10
has its own
Surround Sound
microphone system
on board which
might be adequate
in most scenarios.
But here is
one of the shortcomings
of the NEX-VG10:
it is not equipped
with XLR inputs.
However, similar
to the way WST
dealt with this
issue on the
old DCR-TRV310
- you can attach
your own XLR
converter.
Plus the converter
allows you to
control the
input volume
which is critical
given the large
volume the steel
orchestras produce.
At the street
price of under
$2,000 and the
type of flexibility
afforded by
this NEX-VG10
camcorder -
We Like!
Every steel
orchestra should
own their own
HD camera outright.
No excuses!
All the major
franchises and
music institutions
should own a
high-end consumer
or professional
HD digital camcorder
to record every
practice session,
and where permissible,
performances.
Each organization
should already
have, or be
in the process
of developing,
their own in-house
multimedia production
mechanisms maintained
by their own
personnel.
Some of the
greatest performances
around the globe
delivered by
internationally-renowned,
world-class
orchestras,
were never captured.
Furthermore,
the unconscionable
Panorama DVDs
that look like
they were made
to sneak past
a visually-impaired
audience, coupled
with mono sound
tracks - have
to be retired!
At one of the
PhotoPlus Expo
2010 seminars
WST ducked in
on, speaker
Lester Lefkowitz
said, during
his delivery,
“I didn’t do
anything but
show up.
I was just taking
advantage of
what’s there.”
Similarly, in
terms of capturing
the performances
of the steel
orchestras,
if you have
the proper tools,
you too, can
just show up
and capture
what is there
- because they
- the orchestras
and musicians
- “just bring
it.”
Like Max
Roach said,
you never
know when
something
magical will
happen.
These two
Sony
camcorders -
HDR-AX2000
and NEX-VG10 definitely
allow for the
capture of those
‘moments’ with
a level of professionalism
not normally
found even on many
Panorama DVDs
released in
recent years.
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