Two EVO 4 Start Recording Bundles (EVO SRB) have made an instant and significant improvement to the audio of the monthly Virtual Planetarium video on Sky At Night Magazine’s YouTube channel. Aimed at all stargazers, this is a video guide to the best things to see each month in the night sky, with graphics put together by digital content producer, Adam Crute and two expert amateur astronomers providing the audio.
“We wanted a setup that would consistently improve sound quality”
Pete Lawrence, a highly respected astro-photographer recognised by the Royal Photographic Society and Paul Abel, theoretical physicist and director of the British Astronomical Associations Mercury & Venus Section have been recording their half-hour script for each month’s Virtual Planetarium from their respective homes since the beginning of Covid-19 lockdown.
“Paul and I have been recording the Virtual Planetariums for Sky at Night Magazine for many years,” explains Pete. “The requirement to record separately due to the pandemic however, posed real problems in terms of getting matched audio.”
EVO 4 – “simple for non-sound recording specialists”
It was Adam who first suggested the EVO SRB. As a sound recording specialist, he knew the benefits that they would bring. “We wanted a setup that would consistently improve sound quality, and be simple for non-sound recording specialists to set up and use,” says Adam.
“It used to be that barely a month would go by without there being some tricky issue to deal with in the Virtual Planetarium voice recordings. Sometimes the guys’ recording gain would be tiny, on other occasions it would be far too loud. We would have issues with noise, faulty mics, faulty cables, handling noise – always something! To make matters worse, it’s the sort of job where redoing the recordings is rarely an option.”
“EVO 4 […] allows us to set identical base recording levels with just the press of a couple of buttons”
Enter EVO SRB, which comprises the EVO 4 USB audio interface, a condenser microphone with shockmount, headphones and an XLR mic cable. A bundle was sent to each presenter. Pete says, “Installing Audient’s EVO 4 recording system at both sites solved these problems brilliantly. The EVO 4 is really simple to use and allows us to set identical base recording levels with just the press of a couple of buttons. As a result, despite neither of us being trained in sound engineering, our recordings are of sufficient quality to even satisfy audio mixing professionals. You can’t say better than that!”
Previously the gentlemen had been using the standard voice recorders on their home computers – Pete runs a Windows machine and Paul a Mac. Being able to standardise the recordings and deliver clean audio has meant the finished video can be put together much more quickly and easily.
“the quality of the mics, preamps and converters ensures the sound is always clean and consistent”
Adam concludes, “I’ve been really pleased with how much better things have become since switching to the EVO Start Recording Bundle. EVO’s clever Smartgain feature ensures the recording levels are set perfectly every time, and the quality of the mics, preamps and converters ensures the sound is always clean and consistent. Thanks EVO!!”
You’re very welcome!
