Turtlerock Forum

smart use of camera and microphone on Ipad app.
http://www.aratechlabs.com/

Now that's clever.

I think the tech behind this is really clever, and could be a great sales tool, but seriously do you want to see anyone in your session using this as opposed to their ears? I think there's already a breed of 'recordists' far too dependent on visual feedback for what is an audio medium. There are so many variables that affect the actual sound of a microphone in various positions. Maybe a handy learning tool...dunno....not meaning to sound like a GOM...

Although I probably do....

I just recently bought a Beta 58.

It came with something I hadn't seen with a mic before. A card you slip around the ball of the mic and it shows you
the rejection angle.

The idea being that you could see where to place the floor monitors for best feedback rejection.

I thought that was pretty cool. How many times do you see floor monitors positioned poorly?

I think this thing is way cool.

If it was cheaper I would jump on it.

I could have used something like this when I was doing the training workshop... would have been great.

As an educational piece, its brilliant.

For someone like me with limited micing skills and experience it'd be a great learning tool. Give me a drum machine, a Moog or some software and I'm fine. Give me an acoustic instrument, a musician and a mic and I have a LOT to learn. Apps like this can help me speed the process of learning to "see the sound" in my head.

As teaching tool it could be very useful. I agree there is a over reliance on visuals in recording and sound reproduction. However beening able to show the ideal pick up pattern then do a audible test to compair with will make it much easier for some people to get there head around pick up patterns. Not everyone learning about microphones is going to be come a recording guru

The app is great for bands recording rehearsals, demo's, for filmakers, video shoots, you tube content providers, etc
and best of all a teaching aid is where it shines.

I do see the idea going much further - hardware (including mic's) and software responding to visual and audio information.
Eg: On room mics - change a studios walls from soft absorbers into timber - using the camera shots, light & its reflections, combined with microphones .. new types of room eq's , reverbs etc

If I saw an engineer using that in a session, I'd be looking for another engineer.

I can see it being useful to a rank amateur or a student. But I've seen the iPad/app approach to education in general up close, and it is such a dumbed down, lazy approach to teaching.

Trying to eliminate experience as a variable may well make things easier for some people, but it just sounds like a recipe for mediocrity to me.

Wez - of course its not for engineers.
..but for everyone else who has an interest/need to learn and understand the invisible world of recording sound .
learning aint mediocrity.

I like the idea.
It could educate even experienced audio wranglers to a better understanding of what is happening with spill.
Cheers,
Paul