post-studio

[norm14]

Hi there I would like to ask you about Pro Tools system. I want to make my post-studio for film at my country(now I study in Vancouver, Canada) but I have no idae much about Pro Tools. I using Pro Tools at schools as well. but I try to figure out for my set up at home. I want to get the cheapest set. I know Pro Tools HD is very good but the price is seem so high for me.
Do you have any suggestion about how to get the Pro Tools set up and what is another stuffs that I want to my post-studio. What is the hardware I suppose to get? Can I use LE for post production and what I have to get to use with LE? What's hardware or software I have to use? sync i/o, DA98?, please suggest me the budget price.. by the way I using Mac G5 dual 1.8 in my studio. thanks

2 Which Recorder you guys recommend, dat or disc or minidisc. (I think I don't need recorder which have time code for now) this recorder I'll use for record ambient, foley, sfx,...

3 which microphone is good to start with? how many do I need for begin?

4 which speaker is not so expensive but good for 5.1

thanks

ps. I just want to say sorry about my english cuz it not my first langauge. please try to understand.

 

[Agent47]

If you want to get into post-pro for sound-to-picture work, then you're going to need quite a bit of money...

I'm no expert in Pro-tools, but I think getting the timecoded option (which you WILL need) will be more expensive than the normal version. Of course, with PT you'd be able to take in OMFI files from Avid, which your clients would probably like.

You'll need a professional VT machine, and the standard here in TV land is Digibeta (pretty much all channels and production companies around the World use Digibeta). Digibeta machines cost around £35,000 (!!) new here in the UK, but you would need one if you're serious about doing this. Failing that, the old analogue version, Beta SP, is dropping in price. Don't forget also the differences between NTSC and PAL and Secam.

Get the right format machine for wherever in the World you'll be working! Your Pro Tools may like it when your client brings in a tape at 29.9dfps, but your tape machine may not...

As for audio formats, you'll need a timecoded DAT machine, and most places these days use the Sony 7040, which is about the best you can get for post-pro. As it's timecoded, you can lock the tape to whatever you want, and it's built like a tank. I think they're around £4000 (TC DAT machines are much more expensive than non TC DATs!). Also look at Fostex which can be cheaper than the 7040.

Also, the yanks like their DA-88 machines, which offer 8 tracks of digital, and often you'll get programme elements across various tracks. They lock to timecode. Us limeys here in the UK tend not to use DA-88 as much, but again, it depends on where you'll be working.

You'll need some kind of mixer that can automate to timecode - all the Yamaha desks do brilliantly. Alternatively you can get hardware mixers for Pro Tools (the JL Cooper?) and do it all inside Pro Tools.

As for mics, that depends on your budget. I used to record everything on an AKG 414, but now I use a Neumann TLM 170 and a U87 daily, and they do the job quite well. The best 'cheap' mic would probably be the AKG C414B, which I think is around £400 in the UK. It's a good all-rounder.

As for film-post, you'd need some surround gear, but generally feature films use about 4 or 5 mixing engineers (dialogue, music, sfx, foley, main etc.) on a very long desk. Plus film folks like to work in dubbing 'theatres', so you'd have to turn your studio into a small viewing auditorium too. So don't be too optimistic about getting Ridley Scott's next epic...!

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Aside from all that hardware/cost involved, you obviously need to know your stuff about timecode, 9-pins, frame rates, sampling rates, tape blacking, automation, reversioning, m and e, guidetracks and so on and so on....

Plus the ability to work with (paying) clients who's programme you're mixing is on air in 2 hours, the VO was late, the guide doesn't match the script which STILL hasn't been approved by channel controllers and the Digi master has got timecode dropping out. Oh, and another client is coming in 40 minutes....

Post-pro is a VERY big field. You're not going to know post-pro by studying music-tech and Pro Tools at college. It's not to be waded into lightly, so know what you're getting into...!