The latest firmware update for the current Blackmagic Cinema Camera only officially included one new feature, mainly for broadcast professionals who needed interlaced video in a TV environment. However, according to Robert Wolzak from juicedLink, it seems they also snuck in some audio functionality changes, but not without additional idiosyncrasies. Get all the details in the video below:
From juicedLink:
A new firmware upgrade was released for the BMCC (v1.3). Although they didn't announce that there were changes to the audio, they made some really nice improvements. Unfortunately, they also kind of broke another aspect of the audio. I'm kind of bummed to have to put this video together, but I've got to create an audio applications guide for customers for getting the best performance possible from the camera. On the positive side, this video has turned into a really nice tutorial for how to implement equalization in post to fix a component with poor performing frequency response in your signal chain.
Good News:
- DC Offset is fixed
- Auto switch from MIC to LINE on overload is fixed
Bad News:
- New limitations in frequency response
It's nice to know Blackmagic is trying to cover their tracks and implement small fixes, but it's even nicer to know that people like Robert are out there paying attention and reporting on these details. For anyone recording audio into your BMCC, I highly recommend watching the above video to understand the way the camera handles audio, and keep an eye out for juicedLink's Blackmagic specific on-camera pre amp, the BMC366, due in late May.
Link: Blackmagic Cinema Camera v1.3 Audio Tests — juicedLink
